Thanks Ladies, I have seen the 2 links that you provided but just didn't see anything that appealed to me ;-( I am a fine artist by profession and think that I probably have a very selective taste in fabrics. :-(
Ceparker - I have not looked at either of those sites, I will have a look later today if I get a chance.

...Peckish, I didn't say there weren't fabric and quilt stores, there are quite a lot of them actually, but they don't carry the colours, patterns and styles of fabric that I would like to work with so...I was looking for some help to maybe find a source on my side of the border that does carry what I am looking for...maybe they do get in some of what I like at the LQS, I don't get much of a chance to shop around much and the goodies must be sold out before I get there. Thus my request for some help finding on-line sources.

Thanks everyone for your help, I will let you know if I stumble across any others.

Understood. No worries - you weren't the only person I got my impression from, and the recommendations to US stores didn't help, lol. I hope you find what you are looking for. :)

I keep hoping the US stores and publishers will wake up to what a lot of Japanese quilters are doing - I ADORE Yoko Saito's style!

There is a great store in BC that has on-line shopping. www.hamelsfabric.com. Great selection and variety.

Sorry QuiltE-haven't found the right pattern yet for my"collection"!
It's mostly maple leafs on different backgrounds-ordered them when the Olympics where in Vancouver. I also have a small piece of fabric with a Canadian flag print.

Len's mills has one of the more atrocious websites I've ever had the displeasure of visiting, but their quality and price is about as close as you're going to get to Jo-Ann's in Canada (In fact if you check out the selvedge on the fabric, you'll see quite often that it's actually the Jo-Ann's internal brand.) They also carry Moda and higher end brands, granted, you're back at the $17/yd price we're oh so very used to.

I second the opinion recommending Creative Sister's sewing in KW. Their Full Moon Frenzy is a fantastic sale, and well worth a trip into town for it. While you're in the area, also check out greenwood quiltery over in guelph, and there are a number of small, amish run stores right in st jacob's (The name escapes me, but there's one not far from Reichard's that looks like a regular house except a small sign - it's on the main drag.)

If you're more towards Niagara, the Quilting Bee in Fonthill just underwent a major expansion, and words cannot describe how helpful the women are there. If you're in Toronto, there's a lot fewer shops than you'd expect, but there's a good workshop downtown called, interestingly enough, "the workshop" - lots of modern fabrics and a cool atmosphere.

If you're in Toronto and you're into texture arts, check out G&S Dye.

What blogs do you like? That'll provide a big hint to me/us as far as where to recommend.

If all else fails, look into the Lewiston UPS store. I use them, and they're awesome. They offer one-time package acceptance of US packages for $10 a pop, and you can rent a box there for about $140 a year. Then you can walk it back across the border yourself.

Ok I have to chime in about duty...Whenever I shop Connecting threads, they charge you duty and taxes...they claim it makes it easier to go through customs...Also Allbrands charges duty/taxes also. There are a couple of other ones, but can't think of them off hand. So are these outlets suppose to charge duty/taxes....?????

Only the customs and revenue dept. of the country the parcel is entering can charge duty and that is assessed by them at entry....companies use a broker to get the proper paperwork through customs and of course there will be tax charged on any "goods and services". It is probably a brokerage fee+ taxes that you are paying not duty+taxes.
...if duty was charged, it would be tacked on on top of the brokerage fee at port of entry. DD ordered me a couple of kits for my birthday from Connecting Threads and she thought their fee was very reasonable, and that they probably do their own brokering in house.

I like cherished Pieces the web site is www.cherishedpieces.com They have been getting alot of newer stuff in in the last few months almost every time i go in there (which is about once a week) there is something new. They are getting alot off very versitile blenders and some realy cool contemperary lines. They are in the middle off upgrading the web site so i dont know if the new stuff is on there yet but if you have the time it might be worth a trip to see the shop. It is in Tillsonburg ont. Oh and the prices are realy good the most expensive quilting fabric ive seen was 13.50 but most is 12 or less. and its not cheep feeling fabric eather its namer brand not the thin feeling stuff you get at fabricland.

ecmoore - yeah, we visited Lens Mills in KW ( I am west of Stratford) and I saw some lovely Marcus brothers fabric, but I am just not going to pay the price they want when I know what it goes for across the border and can order it from an American company, pay shipping and still get it cheaper than their full price...I was very disappointed as I thought they would have more reasonable prices. I don't understand why the price for yardage and pre-cuts is so much higher here - it shouldn't be, no reason for it at all. I will not pay $49 for a jelly roll that I can get for $29 from an ebay seller...I would like to "shop local" but not if the prices are ridiculously out of line.....thus my reason for starting this thread, thinking that I was somehow missing out on finding some good on-line Canadian or Ontario retailers.

...good advice about the Lewiston UPS - we tend to go Port Huron direction more often, I will ask them if they do the $10 one time deal as well. Mary Maxim has a civil war section as well as lots of current fabrics, and there is also a Joanns, a Hobby Lobby and a LQS all within a few miles of each other.

....before Christmas I found quite a few civil war FQ's including Marcus Bros at Fabricland - I still have the pile out where I can admire them! LOL....and they do have a few prints here and there that I like but I doubt I could match up enough prints for a whole quilt, unless they get in some more updated lines and consistent quality.

..what blogs I like...any of the moda designers - Bonnie and Camile, Schnibbles patterns, Kate Spain, French General, Basic Grey - love their 2012 christmas line!!
http://www.aquiltinglife.com/
http://kansastroublesquilters-lynne.blogspot.com/
http://thepaintedquilt.blogspot.com/...Kaaren is an old friend, we travelled together in the dec painting industry and bought quilting "stuff" for the day when we had the time...she has retired and turned to quilting, I am still very active as a fine artist/art teacher who is hoping to find the time to do some sewing again as I miss it so much!

Lindy - thanks for that link, I hadn't found them...we have friends down in T-burg, might have to pop down for a visit!

JMCDA .... if you can give us an idea as to what you are looking for, we might be able to give some suggestions. ECMoore gave some shops, though there are oh so many more that are within a reasonable driving distance to where you are located. Of course, they may not have what you want ... but then again, we might have been there and can say, oh yes, I bet that's where you want to go! :)





I'll agree on Len's website being no good. Though for the type of store it is, I wouldn't expect anything outlandish. Qualities vary, but many of the same fabrics as are in the LQS' are there. You just need to read the labels and touchy-feely to know for sure what you are getting. If you're purchasing regular priced fabrics, yes, right up there in $$. However, if you watch for their sales, you can get great sell-off pricing, just that you won't be able to get the coordinating fabrics etc.