I am so excited about the response to my Grainline Archer Sew-Along—thanks for your support and enthusiasm!!
So I have already had a few questions about where to buy fabrics, so I want to give you a few of my suggestions, and I would LOVE to hear from you if you have other sources that are new-to-me (does that fabric store even exist? 😉 )
Let’s talk about cotton shirting. First off—no lycra. Do I make myself clear? I love a little comfy stretch as much as the next person, but this is not the time and place for lycra. Your shirt will not press properly, and you must not deny yourself the luxurious, sensual pleasure of working with beautiful, high quality, high thread-count, 100% cotton shirting. I vastly prefer Italian shirting. English is great too, but harder to find and usually pricier. Japanese cotton is dreamy, too. What you want is fabric that goes thru the washer/dryer and doesn’t come out looking like 100% badass linen. Some Oxford cloth can force you to spend hours at the ironing board, but I have not had any trouble with Italian and most pima cottons. They are usually in the $14-$16/yard range and are 60 inches wide. If you decide to use something else, well, don’t tell me about it. And for sure don’t bother complaining to me about how your shirt looks/feels, cuz then I will find you out. Remember, I raised teenage boys. Not that likely you can slip something past me. 😉
So. Sources. Here are a few of my favorites. I look for and buy high quality cotton shirting every time I go fabric shopping. It can be hard to find, especially if you are looking for anything other than white and blue fabrics. My husband needs tan, sage green, and browns, so it is not always easy to find what I want in those colorways. If you only have access to a big box store whose name rhymes with fo-fans, well, I’m sorry. Try one of these online sources:
- Michael’s Fabrics. I have bought loads of fabrics from Michael, and he has top-quality stuff. The website is sub-par and difficult to navigate, but they are super helpful if you call. Right now he is running a 50% off sale, so what is shown on the website might go fast, but it is worth a check.
- Mood Fabrics. Oh, I miss the days my DD and SIL lived in NYC, and I could go to Mood frequently. Loads of selections, decent prices, good quality. What’s not to love?
- EmmaOneSock. When I used to work at Microsoft, I used to have Payroll just send my check directly to Linda. It was faster and easier that way. All her fabric is beautiful, but shirtings are not her specialty, so you may or may not find something that works for you. Definitely worth a look, though.
- Gorgeous Fabrics. Some stretch cottons mixed in, but a few nice Japanese and Italian cottons without lycra.
And how about interfacing and buttons?
- Fashion Sewing Supply. Buy Pro-Woven Shirt Crisp Fusible and any of these awesome buttons sets. Done and done.
Alrighty then, I hope some of this helps. I want to hear your favorite places to buy shirting fabric too, because in my world, there is never enough pet-able shirting in my stash! 🙂
[Tweet “Goad some of your friends into joining the #SMArcherSA too! The more the merrier! #sewing #Archer”]
Happy sewing!
Maris