Fabric-aholic!

If you know me even just a little bit, you'll know that I am absolutely addicted to fabric.  I love experimenting with beautiful patterns, bold colours, and fabrics that you think don't match, but actually do!!!

My Grandmother is a seamstress, a quite successful one, I must say.  She lives about 18 hours away in Thunder Bay, so I grew up not really having her in my life.  But somehow, her love for sewing was passed down to me.  It kills me everyday having her so far away, because I would just love to spend hours with her and absorb all of her knowledge.  Maybe one day, when the kids are older, I'll sneak away for a few days and sit at Marka's sewing machine with her.... hummmm, one day.

I buy majority of my fabric online.  Sure, it's great going through a fabric store and being able to touch and feel the fabrics, but it's tough to find exactly what your looking for, and when you do, you'll pay big for it.  Shopping online allows you to get exactly what you want, and you can always find a great deal!

A few tips for ordering online:

• Always be sure to read the description closely.  It will tell you the weight, content, width, and pattern repeat of the fabric.  You don't want to try and reupholster your chairs with a poly/lycra fabric!!!
• If you are ordering a designer fabric, google it!  You'll be surprised what kind of pictures you find.  You'll be able to see other people's projects using the same fabric, and get a better idea of what you are ordering.
• Always buy your fabric before your paint.  Paint comes in thousands of colours, but your favourite fabric, only comes in one!
• If you find something you love in a fabric store, write it down and search for it online.  Chances are, you'll find it a heck of a lot cheaper.
• Ask lots of questions.  Many website offer live, online help.  Ask whatever you like. 
• Order samples before you commit.  Lots of places offer free or low cost samples.
• Always make sure they ship to Canada (or your area!) and don't be intimidated by shipping charges.  Sometimes a site will charge you a HUGE shipping fee, but that doesn't mean it still isn't a great deal.  I ordered my bedroom windows panels online, and I paid $80 shipping.  Crazy, I know.  But the curtains were so dirt cheap, that it was still a steal.  I couldn't have made them for that cheap.

Here are my two favourite on line shops!!!

 www.designerfabrics.ca
This is an actually store located in Toronto.  It's always on the show "Design Inc." .  The best part about this site, is that you can actually borrow samples.  You pay $6 shipping, and you can borrow up to 8 samples at a time.

www.fabric.com
My #1 go-to fabric site.  They have the best designer home decor fabric.  Amy Butler, Premier Prints, Waverly, and my favourite Robert Allen.  The site also features a great tool...The Design Wall.  A great way to organize your choices.