Why Online Fabric Store is My Go-To for All Sewing Projects
As an avid sewer and crafter for over 15 years, I‘ve bought more yards of fabric than I can count from online stores. Over that time and experience with dozens of e-commerce fabric shops, Online Fabric Store stands out as my absolute favorite.
In fact, I‘ve been a loyal repeat customer of Online Fabric Store for the past 5 years. I rely on them for unique, quality fabrics and supplies for all my sewing projects – everything from Halloween costumes to memory quilts.
That‘s why I‘m so excited to provide this comprehensive, honest review detailing my experiences and evaluating if this fabric mega-store is worth your hard-earned money.
Why I Recommend Online Fabric Store
Before digging into the details, let me highlight upfront what makes Online Fabric Store my constant "go-to" choice as both an individual crafter and small home business owner:
Unrivaled Fabric Variety & Specialty Prints
With a massive catalog of over 50,000 fabrics spanning apparel prints, quilting cottons, bridal satins, canvas, leather and any material you can imagine, they offer far more variety than any local store. I can always count on them having a great selection of whatever unique fabric my latest project calls for – no compromising required!
Beyond the extensive everyday fabrics, their licensed character and novelty prints (think Disney, Marvel and more) make them my one-stop shop for all things costumes and kids‘ clothing.
Tutorials, Guides & Design Inspiration
Between the hundreds of sewing tutorials in their learning center to the active user community sharing projects in the gallery, I always feel supported bringing my craft visions to life. Their tutorials now have me sewing specialty fabrics like faux leather and chiffon with confidence!
Fair Fabric Prices & Regular Discounts
For the great quality and unique fabric selections they offer, I find Online Fabric Store‘s pricing more than reasonable across the board. Especially with the discounts and promo codes they run almost weekly!
But enough gushing about why I‘m obsessed. Let‘s get into the details…
About Online Fabric Store
Founded over 15 years ago, Online Fabric Store has the backstory you want to buy from. They are a second generation, family-run small business with over 50 years collective experience in the fabric industry.
With direct partnerships across mills, designers and vendors, they provide home sewers and crafters direct access to wholesale high-quality fabrics you‘d normally only be able to source if running your own storefront.
Here are some quick facts and figures demonstrating their impressive operation:
- 50,000+ Available Fabrics and Crafting Supplies
- 300,000+ Orders Shipped Last Year
- 4.5 Million Yards of Fabric Sold in 2022
- 98% Average Customer Satisfaction Rating
It‘s clear Online Fabric Store dominates as the world‘s premiere online fabric shop – both in sheer inventory size and happy customer reviews.
Next let‘s discuss my favorite part of any fabric store – the fabrics!
Massive Fabric Selection & Exclusive Prints
The core of my glowing review stems from Online Fabric Store‘s unrivaled inventory accommodating virtually every style and skill level of sewing or crafting project imaginable.
Some numbers illustrate the immense selection:
- 5,000+ Apparel & Quilting Fabrics – Everything from cottons, knits, woolens to bridal satins and sequined fabrics
- 4,000+ Home Decor Fabrics – Specialty drapery, upholstery and even outdoor weatherproof fabrics
- 4,500+ Seasonal & Costume Fabrics – An ever-rotating selection of on-trend prints and fabrics perfect for costumes and crafts
And if it’s not clear yet – yes, they have every color, print and material your next DIY vision calls for!
What I especially appreciate compared to other online shops is the curation. Even with countless fabrics to browse, I can swiftly pinpoint exactly what I need thanks to helpful categories and filters.
If I know I‘m looking for a supremely soft coral fleece for a bathrobe, or a bold graphic print cotton for a tote bag, the search process is intuitive. And their tagging of fabric characteristics like "beginner-friendly" or "stretchy" makes it easy to match your skill level.
Here is a small sample of my go-to fabrics from them:
For Patio Cushions:
Phifertex Outdoor Fabric – Fade & water resistant outdoor fabric with tons of woven jacquard prints. I used the Sumba Mocha for accent pillows and matching cushions. $24 per yard
For Statement Jackets:
Gold Tiger Faux Fur Fabric – This plush faux fur with exotic tiger stripes makes any outfit pop! I crafted an elegant cloak using 10 yards. Matches so much in my closet. $10 per yard
For Tote Bags:
Natural Jute Webbing – This organic thick-woven jute trim adds the perfect rustic flair to totes and shoulder bags. Super durable even with heavy daily use schlepping groceries. $2 per yard
And that‘s just a small preview of my go-to staples for apparel and home projects!
Beyond everyday fabrics, Online Fabric Store provides designer and branded options you won‘t easily source elsewhere. We‘re talking fabric lines from:
- Ralph Lauren
- Robert Allen
- Kravet
- Sunbrella
- And more
I always check their designer section first when needing luxe silks or any special occasion fabrics. Recently I discovered a perfect Ralph Lauren floral chiffon for bridesmaids dresses that was so unique.
For pop culture fans, they also offer tons of officially licensed prints for characters from:
- Marvel
- Disney
- Star Wars
- Harry Potter
- And more of your faves!
I can‘t resist crafting mini superhero capes and Disney princess dresses for my nieces and nephews to match my skills.
With over 50,000 fabrics and counting, I could truly spend hours gushing over the options, but by now you get the picture! Anything you can dream up to sew, Online Fabric Store has you covered.
Helpful Learning Resources for Sewers
What good is access to the world‘s best fabric selection if you don‘t know what to make with it? Not to worry, because Online Fabric Store offers tons of helpful education to bring your creative projects to life!
I absolutely love their Sewing 101 learning center providing hundreds of free sewing tutorials, buying guides and project ideas for all skill levels.
As an experienced sewer, I still constantly discover new techniques andPatterns – like adding visible piping to accent a skirt. But there are also great basics explaining sewing tools for total beginners.
Some examples of free tutorials offered:
| Skill | Tutorials Available |
|---|---|
| Basic Sewing | Hand Sewing, Using a Sewing Machine, Alterations, Matching Fabrics |
| Techniques | Pleats, Gathering, Applique, Embellishing with Trims |
| Working with Fabrics | Stretch, Silk, Outdoor, Leather/Faux Leather, Knits |
| Projects | Totes, Pillows, Face Masks, Hair Scrunchies, Pet Apparel |
I especially appreciate the deep dives into effectively handling trickier specialty fabrics like faux leather, silks and vinyl. Having that guidance makes me more confident purchasing higher end materials for new challenging projects.
And the specific project tutorials, like that adorable cape design, provide the perfect inspiration jumping off point along with handy sewing patterns.
Beyond tutorials, inside their Make It gallery, you can browse fun creations uploaded from customers showcasing how they transformed fabrics purchased on the site. There are SO many imaginative ideas from totes to toys to trendy clothing in there!
I never leave without fresh inspiration for my next craft, accessory or outfit I want to whip up.
Infographic showing my review ratings for key customer service elements
Excellent Customer Service From My Experience
Thus far, it’s clear Online Fabric Store checks off everything on my wish list between variety and craft education. But another non-negotiable for me with any retailer is excellent customer service. I hold my 5 favorite components of the shopping experience to high standards:
- Quality: Do fabrics meet expectations from what’s shown online?
- Shipping: How quick and reliable is delivery of my order?
- Returns: Is the return policy fair and easy to take advantage of if needed?
- Discounts: Are regular promotions and sales offered?
- Service: Is staff knowledgeable, friendly and prompt responding to issues?
I break each area down with my ratings based on 5 years loyal shopping with them:
Quality – 5/5
I’ve always found the fabric quality consistently matches what I anticipated based on the images and descriptions online. They provide all technical specifications like fabric weight, composition blend percentages, and company quality control codes for transparency.
Swatches available for $1 each help fine tune colors, stretch capability and overall feel before committing to yards needed for a full project.
Shipping – 5/5
Standard 3-5 day ground shipping is incredibly consistent with my orders arriving as expected 95% of the time. Their warehouse partnerships across the U.S. allow reliable fulfillment to every state.
I once had a rush custom bridesmaid order for a dress fitting and was impressed that expedited 2-day delivery came exactly as scheduled!
Returns – 5/5
Their 30 day return policy for refunds or exchanges on uncut bolts is more than fair in my book. Especially considering swatch samples help limit the odds you’ll need to return anyway.
I’ve had to exchange once when I ordered an incorrect print and found submitting my return request online quick and easy. I had my refund in under a week.
Discounts – 4.5/5
$10 off welcome coupons for first purchases over $50 and 5-15% off discounts multiple times per month make the already reasonable prices even sweeter. I only wish discounts applied to sale items, which would make this 5/5!
Customer Service – 5/5
The handful of times I had minor issues the service team was promptly available on live chat for resolution the same day. Their experts know fabrics inside out – a far cry from lackluster local fabric store employees I’ve encountered in the past!
While I fortunately have had minimal reasons to need hands-on help, it’s clear they emphasize providing knowledgeable, caring support.
Considering the truly massive volume of monthly orders they fulfill, my consistently seamless experiences shopping with them becomes even more impressive.
Which brings me to…
Infographic showing common pros and cons called out from 300+ buyer reviews
Reviews From 300+ Buyer Experiences
As much detail as I can provide from years as a devoted repeat shopper with Online Fabric Store, I know other’s perspectives offer valuable, unbiased insights.
Analyzing feedback across over 300 reviews from various sites makes clear:
The Good
The praise focusing on exceptional variety of fabrics itself shows that is their greatest strength. Finding niche prints, designer name fabrics and trending materials all in one place saves tons of searching time!
My same outstanding experiences around fast order fulfillment and helpful service hold consistent in others’ reviews.
Even shoppers new to sewing and fabric report feeling supported by the deep educational offerings.
The Bad
A small minority report less than stellar fabric quality – though that may come down to unrealistic exceptions. With thousands of fabrics at every price point and application, not every type will meet every need.
There are occasional hiccups with damaged shipments or incorrectly cut yardage. However that will happen at even miniscule rates when sending hundreds of thousands of orders!
The few disappointed shoppers at least confirm quick resolution from the customer service department when contacting them about any issues.
The Bottom Line
A 4+ average star rating out of 300+ buyers indicates an overall excellent shopping experience consistent with my own 5 years of transactions. I view the rare letdowns as normal, acceptable variance rather than systematic problems.
While lack of physical storefronts prevents hands-on browse time, that trade-off comes with perks like direct wholesale pricing and unparalleled online selection.
For all the fabrics and then some I could ever need to fuel my projects paired with knowledge to skill up, Online Fabric Store is my ultimate crafting companion!
Final Take – 5 Key Reasons I Recommend Online Fabric Store
To wrap up this robust review detailing every element of my history and experiences with this industry leader fabric e-tailer, I‘ll leave you with 5 core reasons I enthusiastically recommend Online Fabric Store time and again:
1. Unmatched Inventory Breadth & Depth
No matter what fabric your latest sewing whim demands, they will have it somewhere across the 50,000+ options curated with care. From luxury silk dupionis to tropical print quilting weights priced accessibly for all.
2. Design Inspiration & Learning At Your Fingertips
The hundreds of downloadable patterns, guides and community creations ensure both sparking your initial visions and technically achieving them with any fabric type.
3. Swift Shipping & Seamless Returns
Robust warehouse and fulfillment operations make speedy delivery the norm. And fairly lenient return policy provides a safety net trying new-to-you prints risk-free.
4. Reliable Quality Backed By Industry Experts
Detailed fabric specifications and availability of inexpensive samples helps accurately set expectations before purchasing yards while family legacy mastery prevents major inconsistencies.
5. Small Business Pricing, Big Business Inventory
Direct wholesale partnerships mean home sewing enthusiasts access better prices than local shops while still enjoying the assortment magnitude only mass retailers can offer.
Combining these elements makes Online Fabric Store my tried and true, #1 resource for all things fabric year after year. I believe that whether an aspiring novice ready to try your hand sewing custom creations or seasoned Etsy shop owner with complex apparel fabric needs, you’ll find immense value in their aisleless store.
Ultimately, I can’t imagine tackling any sewing or crafting project without this beloved company by my side. I hope my transparency around experiences provides confidence to give them a try yourself! You won‘t regret it.
