When buying fabric online, how do you pick the fabric so you know you have a compatible color combination for the quilt since you can't see them first hand? Or do you just purchase fabric you like for later projects? Thanks.

If it is going to be a focus fabric like Christmas print etc. I buy it then visit my local shop and get matching fabric. However one fabric on line that I chose I called the store and they picked out the matching fabric for what I wanted and did a very good job. I call that personnel service above and beyond the usual service. Marge

I buy fabric online for both. It can be hit and miss, but most shops have a return policy if you haven't washed it yet. And who among us can't find something else to do with it if it isn't quite right for a current project?

If it is too ugly, I can always send it to Patrice for her Ugly Quilt projects! LOL

I have been very satisfied buying from many shops. 5bucksayard.com, fabric.com, kayeengland.com are just a few.

I do wait for the really good deals to come around though! If you sign up for mailing lists or newsletters, you will know before the sales start!

Thanks for the info mic-pa and quiltmaker101!

I only bought fabric on line once and that was enough. The colors in the fabric were not the same as what showed on the computer, although the fabric was of high quality. Maybe it was my computer but I will not buy online anymore.

I buy most of my fabrics online because my shopping trips are few and far between, sometimes well most times, it's what I thought it was going to be. One sure way is to buy all your fabrics for a project from a collection because the maker already cooridinated everything for you. Just be sure to get them all in the same colorway becuase a lot of them have the same fabrics in just slightly different colors, like red, rust, peach, pink. It's so exciting to get fabric in the mail! It's like someone sent me a present! and sometimes somebody does send me little fabric gifts! Usually it's me though.

I buy a lot of fabric online, because fabric is so costly. On EBay, I generally ask a lot of questions, and still get occassional surprises. One box came today, and while it certainly is quilting cotton, it is flannel. I guess that was meant to be, so I have np more excuses not to make a raggy quilt


It comes down to price with me - .99/yard fabric is no bargain if it costs $8.95 in shipping! I will agree with the fivebucksayard site - consistantly high quality. If I find something I loove at a quilt store, I will price online before buying. If you know the maker, pattern, and color you want, there are some great bargains.