Where, How and Why do you buy fabric?

[SewRuthieSews]

Where, How and Why do you buy fabric?

Where - locally at physical shops/market stalls, on trips to other areas, online.
How - for each project, when I see it, when the price is good etc
Why - to try to recreate something I've seen elsewhere, because its my colours and a good price, I'm not sure bu buying fabric makes me feel good when things are tough etc

[SewRuthieSews]

I'll start with my answers and hopefully others can chime in particularly with their approaches when they don't have a local physical fabric shop.

Where. These days I have a fairly local fabric shop, there is also a good market stall on a Monday. Neither of these do online sales (as presumably they sell well enough without).
In the past when I lived somewhere with no fabric shop or a poor selection I would make a trip about every 6 months to an Abakhan shop, and then later switched to buying online.
I've also had people give me fabric, though this can be a mixed blessing ;-)

How. Generally I don't buy for a specific project, I think this is mostly personality, but on the odd occasion I have been concept driven it has been really frustrating trying to find the specific fabric I want. So even then I try to be general about it.
Because I tend to shop at roll end shops I buy fabric when I see it. I've made a few mistakes but have now honed down my colours and fabric type preferences.  So I am buying for 'the stash' I suppose, but always with something in mind - trousers, top, jacket etc, though not down to the specific pattern number I plan to use.
I'm a size 18 and average height so need a reasonable amount of fabric. I generally buy 2 or 3 metres of whatever it is to have some options.

Why. Buying fabric is definitely a sort of therapy for me, it makes me feel good and has definitely been a coping mechanism during tough times, and also as a self-reward. In the past I've bought on price only and saved all the scraps as well. Old curtains, curtain lining and the duvet cover my mum made from scraps when I went off to Uni in 1989!

I'm now curating more :-)

Note on 'the stash'. As I am inspired by the fabric more than anything it makes an amount of sense for me to have some in the cupboard. Rather than call it a stash, I try to think of it as a 'resource centre' and avoid saving things for good. Sometimes things don't work for me and are off to the charity shop.

I did have a purge last year when I got rid of things which were bad colours or unpleasant feel for me.
I've now found a local contact who passes scraps on the craft groups and the high school, so I go through and bag stuff up for that.
Sorting through the fabric always takes a while as I stop and get inspired by the bits and pieces I find.
The lastest sort out has resulted in 8 peg bags and a simple unlined coat, as well as fabric piles on the landing.

[snoozi soozi]

Where - mainly online, there is one good shop about 15 miles away. I have been to a show once a couple of years ago and bought loads there  I would dearly love to have a shopping paradise nearby but closest to me I reckon would be deepest darkest Yorkshire. Please correct me of I'm wrong.

How - in the sales, with a discount code, some has been gifted to me.

Why - these days for a specific project, or for the stash. My stash is not small and in the past I've bought fabric cos I  it then when it comes to making something I can't find anything suitable  so I try to rein myself in now til I've ploughed through it.

[Efemera]

Where... no fabric shop within miles here in the NE so a couple of times a year I go to Fabworks and Burnley. Every time we go away I try and fit in some fabric shopping (of to Abakhan in Preston next week) I do buy a lot online and FB buts it’s a bit of a lottery.

How... I buy fabrics as and when... never with a specific garment in mind. I like to have a rummage through the stash and then decide what to make.

Why... because I just love fabrics, the colours, the patterns, the textures.....lovely stuff!..it’s probably an addiction and it’s marginally cheaper that cocaine!

[BrendaP]

How
Nowadays mostly online as there are so few proper shops left.  For PQ there is a good shop in Rochester, but it's always full price, and I try to go to Doughty's roadshow once a year

Where
Wherever you lot point me to! but The Textile Centre, My Fabrics and Croft Mill are the ones I've used most.

Why
To add to stash, and then I try to match something to a pattern.
Long gone are the days of walking around a display clutching the pattern and trying to visualise it made up in the different fabrics.

[wrenkins]

Where? As the only fabric shop in NI is 80 and odds miles away 99.9% of my shopping is done online. I've become quite good at choosing and figuring out what it will look like in real life although naturally there have been a couple of 'misses'. I bought hard, nasty, shiny, crispy stuff from Minerva and not only can I not think what on earth to use it for, I don't imagine anyone else could either. 

How? Quite often people will be destashing and I pick up large remnants on ebay. I do wander the aisles of online stores too and pretty much every one has a basket full of my stuff sitting waiting. 

Why? I would love to not live in comfies when I'm not at work but they are so easy to pull on and wear. I'm an absolute disgrace. I tend to live in gardening clothes.  I would dearly love to have dressier casual clothes so I see patterns that would be easy and suitable and then I buy fabric to match. Unfortunately that's where the process stops as I have too many ideas for each piece of fabric and I fall into the deep dark pit of analysis paralysis!

[Kwaaked]

Where - Online almost exclusively.  I don't really have a fabric district where I am, although I have been buying wholesale more when I do buy.

How - Depends.  For the most part, I buy to my colors when they come up...orange, lime and olive go in cycles.  I also tend to buy as needed for projects, especially as I am building up my portfolio or when I need a specific item.  I also buy in cycles...I will buy a lot for a year or two, then nothing for 3-5 years.

Why - Meh.  Most of what I have now was therapy for not being able to sew taking care of my parents.  Some is specific items, some is just to have a fabric I love.

[annieeg]

@wrenkins

Why? I would love to not live in comfies when I'm not at work but they are so easy to pull on and wear. I'm an absolute disgrace. I tend to live in gardening clothes.  I would dearly love to have dressier casual clothes so I see patterns that would be easy and suitable and then I buy fabric to match. Unfortunately that's where the process stops as I have too many ideas for each piece of fabric and I fall into the deep dark pit of analysis paralysis!

That's me!!!!

[fajita]

Where:-     Department Store. Local shops. Libertys in London.  Doughtys mostly at the moment, only 20 or so miles away, so not too inconvenient. Quilt shows. Online shops/Amazon. 

How:-      See it, like it buy it. I often buy a metre more than I need to cover potential mistakes.

Why:-      Generally it's a specific buy for a project. Sometimes on spec. I don't have a large stash.

[Kad]

. Every time we go away I try and fit in some fabric shopping (of to Abakhan in Preston next week)

I may be 'preaching to the converted' but if you're going to Abakhan on a Wednesday, and you've celebrated a 'big birthday' take proof of age/id and you'll get 10%off. As I've achieved the age criteria but not the bus pass one I have to remember my passport, but it's usually worth it. 

Where: I'm lucky to live within 30 mins of Burnley and Lancaster, and 15 mins from Preston for dressmaking fabric and there are several patchwork shops either within 30 mins or slightly further ( nice shops and a teashop entice me further from home)
How: usually I buy fabric because I 'have' to have it  I 'need' it. Sometimes I buy for a certain project but not very often.
Why: because i, and DD and DS would  be clad in ill-fitting garments if I didn't. Sleeves would be too short, as would trousers and waistlines nowhere near! Also who wants to wear the same as anyone else- not me.

[b15erk]

Where That would be Bedford Fabrics in St Helens.  The only fabric shop left, when we used to have loads of them.  Also online, The Textile Centre being a favourite, but I've had some success on FaceBook too.

How Not usually for a particular project, that doesn't often work for me.  I like a piece of fabric, so I buy it, particularly as Bedford Fabrics is mainly roll ends.

Why It's my guilty pleasure.  I love the look, smell and feel of fabric, and the pleasure of making it into something wearable is a bonus.

Jessie

eta, I haven't shopped for fabric for several weeks now, and intend to extend that to several months to reduce the enormous stash - then watch me go!! 

[Holly Berry]

When I started to sew again about 7 years ago, I couldn’t find what I was looking for in the fabric shops in Tunbridge Wells. However after several disasters and poor customer service I try to rely on bricks and mortar shops, although this involves travel, usually up to London.

My main fabric go to is Stitch Fabrics, either at his fabric sale in Hayes or his warehouse in Wanstead. Dragonfly Fabrics isn’t far and they either have open days, or if we can get a party together they will open up for us, as they are mainly online. Goldhawk Road and Brixton is usually a day out for our sewing group.

For the how, it’s buy what I like and try and buy a selection for my stash. 2 metres for blouses/tops and trousers, and depending on the fabric 2-4 metres for a dress. Rarely do I buy for a specific pattern and where I have, I usually change my mind. Then it’s oh dear, have to buy some more fabric.

The why, I’m my Mother’s daughter and like her have an addiction to fabric. As Oscar Wilde commented “ l can resist anything, but temptation “

[SewRuthieSews]

Oh this is so much fun! Thank you to everyone who has shared its really made me smile.

[maliw]

Where - mostly Abakhan, Calicolaine or the Textile Centre. I often visit shops if we are away!!
How - if it's Abakhan I buy because I like something because if you decide you want something and go back then it will have gone. Otherwise it's usually for a specific project.
Why - that's easy - because I can't help myself.

[Acorn]

Where: 
Mostly online - current favourites are Fabworks and Fabric Guild, but I'll go anywhere!  In the past I've used Minerva a lot, but I'm getting rather frustrated with them.  Their customer service is not the best, which is fine when everything goes smoothly, but not when something goes wrong. 

Offline I got to Doughty's fairly regularly even though it's about 85 miles away, because my parents are in the area.  Calico Kate is 15 miles away and is just lovely - staff and fabric - and it's such a great place to wander around.  Aberdashery is closer to home and is now very good again (it closed down but opened up with a new owner shortly afterwards).  I also find myself on the Wirral several times a year and go to Abakhan (Birkenhead and sometimes Chester) and Calico Laine.

How: 
Online I tend to be looking for something specific, but obviously I have to make sure that the order is worthwhile  , and I also do a lot of browsing just in case I miss something...  Like @wrenkins I have full baskets in a number of shops.  Don't you just hate the shops that empty your basket after a few hours of inactivity?!?

Offline I browse looking for ideas - I don't find myself in fabric shops often enough to risk missing anything wonderful, and, of course, offline stock is not always available online.  Abakhan remnants are a wonderful lucky dip.  I have had (mostly) wonderful bargains, but also the odd absolute turkey!

Why:
Because it's fabric!  To ensure I am well supplied come the zombie apocalypse when there is no internet and all the offline shops have closed!

Seriously though, because I can't just nip out to a fabric shop I do like to have plenty to spur me on and inspire me.  It's good to know that if I decide that I need a certain item of clothing I will be able to just go ahead and make it.  If I have to order the fabric I am likely to have gone off the boil before it arrives.

Mr Acorn is a collector of many things, and understands the idea of buying fabric because it's lovely - he's a real enabler - which is good for my stash but not my wallet.  I am not a collector of 'things', but I am a collector of projects.  There are sooo many quilts in my head which will probably never turn into the real thing, but hopefully some will!