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Where to buy cheap fabric for sewing / fabric remnants?

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  • Hey all.

    I have bought my sewing machine (for a bargain). Have already been sucessful in a couple of projects and now have the bug.

    Have any of you lovely people have any idea of where I can get cheap fabric from (cheaper than Ebay?)

    Thanks
  • artichoke
    artichoke Posts: 1,724 Forumite
    hi

    it depends what type / size fabric you want....

    I sometimes buy old curtains etc from charity shops or even from ebay and use them to make cushion covers, smaller curtains, patchwork projects etc...

    I also scout round all the charity shops just looking at the fabric that the clothes are made from rather than look at what item of clothing it is...

    If i want to buy new fabric i go to somewhere like http://www.abakhan.co.uk/

    either online or to the stores..... they have a great reduced selection in store as well - end of rolls / seconds etc...

    hum - i love fabric and textiles and used to hoard fabrics but have decluttered them now....as i have absolutley no time for sewing...

    i must not look at the abakan website and just leave this post now before i get my textile obsession back...

    art
  • Bitsy_Beans
    Bitsy_Beans Posts: 9,640 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I'd keep an eye out round local car boots for any fabric or clothing that can be picked apart.
    I find charity shops eye wateringly expensive round here!
    I have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you it'll be with a knife :D Louise Brooks
    All will be well in the end. If it's not well, it's not the end.
    Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars
  • Dazi
    Dazi Posts: 1,354 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I'd keep an eye out round local car boots for any fabric or clothing that can be picked apart.
    I find charity shops eye wateringly expensive round here!


    We have 13 charity shops in our town :eek: and am sure they compete as to who is the most expensive! Saying that, my best material bargain was from a charity shop, it was when I was making national costumes, I just happened to go into one that had had a load of material donated, I was in heaven!

    Another vote for Abakhan here, not got any fabric there as I don't have the need to sew costumes now, but have got wool from them. Very good prices and lovely shop to walk around, I go round touching all the fabric :D
    whoever said laughter was the best medicine has clearly never tasted wine

    Stopped smoking 20:30 28/09/11 :D
  • Santa brought me a sewing machine and I made my first dress on Xmas day ... woo hoo! then went to a charity shop on my street and bought a gorgeous set of curtains for £7, promptly went home and chopped them up to make a gorgeous skirt - quite easy to make and people have been asking me if it is from monsoon!

    Now for the sting in the tale ... was in BHS last week and my as i was going up the escalator my eye was caught by a familiar pattern ... my curtain-skirt! I went back down again to see them to make sure and sure enough, the exact curtains I bought and cut up - ON SALE FOR £148 ... could have fainted. That skirt is now the most expensive item of clothing i own ... :eek:
    Credit Card: Jul: 400
    Loan: Jul: 5000
  • ebaybaby
    ebaybaby Posts: 873 Forumite
    Yourlittelpony...OMG what a bizarre bargain!!! Would love to see a pic of the skirt!!!!

    Have this on my faves though Ive never ordered, but seems quite cheap.

    http://www.fabricland.co.uk/
  • Vaila
    Vaila Posts: 6,301 Forumite
    definetly try you're local charity shops, all the ones in my area have piles of fabric,buttins,wool etc
  • dander
    dander Posts: 1,824 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    Cheapest fabrics are usually in independent fabric shops or market stalls. Trouble is with that is you'd need someone local to you to give you a tip off where to go.
    If you have anywhere near you where there's a lot of Asian people and shops, you'll probably find some fabulous fabric shops in that area. And if you're near any big markets, definitely check if there's a stall there.
    I could give you quite a few suggestions in London - but obviously that'll be no use to you whatsoever if you're in Aberdeen!
  • MrsRogers
    MrsRogers Posts: 631 Forumite
    Debt-free and Proud!
    Santa brought me a sewing machine and I made my first dress on Xmas day ... woo hoo! then went to a charity shop on my street and bought a gorgeous set of curtains for £7, promptly went home and chopped them up to make a gorgeous skirt - quite easy to make and people have been asking me if it is from monsoon!

    Now for the sting in the tale ... was in BHS last week and my as i was going up the escalator my eye was caught by a familiar pattern ... my curtain-skirt! I went back down again to see them to make sure and sure enough, the exact curtains I bought and cut up - ON SALE FOR £148 ... could have fainted. That skirt is now the most expensive item of clothing i own ... :eek:

    OMG I think id have died:eek:
    artichoke wrote: »
    hi

    it depends what type / size fabric you want....

    I sometimes buy old curtains etc from charity shops or even from ebay and use them to make cushion covers, smaller curtains, patchwork projects etc...

    I also scout round all the charity shops just looking at the fabric that the clothes are made from rather than look at what item of clothing it is...

    If i want to buy new fabric i go to somewhere like http://www.abakhan.co.uk/

    either online or to the stores..... they have a great reduced selection in store as well - end of rolls / seconds etc...

    hum - i love fabric and textiles and used to hoard fabrics but have decluttered them now....as i have absolutley no time for sewing...

    i must not look at the abakan website and just leave this post now before i get my textile obsession back...

    art

    I too highly recommend aberkhan... i live not to far from their Head Office and love a day out there:T
    I too have purchased a new sewing machine and its like i have died and gone to heaven ... I want to sew everything in site :rotfl:
    Goal - We want to be mortgages free :j

    I Quit Smoking March 2010 :T
  • I use these two online retailers a lot.

    http://www.remnanthouse.co.uk/

    http://www.cheapfabrics.co.uk/thestore/

    They both have one set price for postage no matter how much you order, which works out cheaper if you want a lot than the places that charge by weight.


    and this one from time to time

    http://www.croftmill.co.uk/products/craft-products.html
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