Question for the masses… I have a few pieces of furniture I am going to reupholster/have reupholstered. {I’m doing the simple pieces myself and the complicated pieces I’m having done professionally.} The only problem is I need really good fabric and I need it dirt cheap {less than $15/yd.} I’m looking for some sort of designer remnant warehouse. Is there anything like this or is this just some mythical magic place I’ve made up in my head. Any suggestions?
Amy
February 9, 2009
The garment district in LA has amazing deals—I got upholstery weight velvet for $7.50/yd. But it might be tricky to get it since you don’t live there :). Maybe you know someone down there?
jordan
February 9, 2009
That is a great suggestion…we may take a quick trip down there one of these weekends. 🙂
Stephanie
February 9, 2009
Jordan, I have a few ideas for you if you find yourself in Utah in the next short while. Email me if you head into town!
Anonymous
February 9, 2009
http://reprodepot.com/fabrics.html
H Belle
February 9, 2009
i’m hitting up Britex downtown today for felt and oil cloth. not sure of the prices yet, but it’s close.
jordan
February 9, 2009
Thanks guys.
I am familiar with Repro Depot and some of the other online resources.
Britex is very expensive sometimes I have luck on their remnant floor though.
cari
February 9, 2009
I am so glad you posted this, I just bought an amazing chair at a rummage sale and was wondering the same thing! I will let you know if I discover anything, as well. ..
becky
February 9, 2009
check out this website: http://www.trueup.net/ it’s for all things fabric and she regularly posts sale alerts
KimberlyMichelle
February 9, 2009
Ditto on the garment district in LA. Michael Levine’s interior fabric store has great prices on heavy-duty fabric… usually around $2-$10/yard.
Molly W.
February 9, 2009
The garment/fashion district in LA is definitely worth a trip, SO many great deals to be had.
porter hovey
February 9, 2009
Mood Fabrics in NYC is always great!
mr.brianahern
February 9, 2009
Sal Beressi Fabrics Company
(http://www.yelp.com/biz/sal-beressi-fabrics-company-san-francisco)
carmen
February 9, 2009
Whizbang Fabric in the Mission is going out of business and they have some upholstery left ($10/yd). I’ve also had good luck at the fabric store on Mission Street next to Thrift town on 17th and Mission. There is also Discount Fabrics in SOMA which can be hit and miss unless you want fun fur. Etsy and fabric.com can also be good for deals.
Lottie Lou
February 9, 2009
There is this amazing fabric outlet in MPLS called SR Harris. It’s about the size of a Home Depot with fabric to the ceiling! They have a HUGE selection of upholstery and tapestry fabric. Right now they have a coupon on their website (http://www.srharrisfabric.com) for all upholstery for $5.99/yard.
I go up there about once a week and could you look for something for you and send you pictures?
I know that is really random, no big deal if it’s too weird!
Just to give you an idea, I recently purchased some tapestry fabric to recover some decorative pillows (http://lottieloudesign.blogspot.com/2009/01/before-after-project.html).
Happy Hunting!
jordan
February 9, 2009
Super helpful. Thank you everyone! I’m going to check out some of these local sources today.
jennifer in sf
February 9, 2009
There’s also Modern Fabrics, they have all designer remnants: http://www.modern-fabrics.com/store/
mr.brianahern
February 9, 2009
Sal-beressi is closed on Mondays. 🙁
ashlynn
February 9, 2009
I picked my fabric out from an upholster but then went on ebay & found it for $10 for 2 yards rather than the few hundred they charged. I did this with my ottoman.
juneshine
February 9, 2009
Osgoods in springfield, massachusetts!!! Honestly – this place is worth flying east for!
Love your blog!
Jayme.
jess
February 9, 2009
home fabrics is great. their website has a list of locations: http://www.homefabricsonline.com
Matt
February 9, 2009
Discount Fabrics on San Pablo in Berkeley has a fairly large upholstery fabric section, if you’re willing to cross the bay… Their patterned fabrics weren’t so great, but if you’re looking for solids, they had a decent selection.
Hayley Morgan
February 9, 2009
mary jo’s in gastonia, nc of all places has a remarkable selection for very cheap. 🙂 lucky for me, i live 30min away!! 🙂
http://www.maryjos.com/
Jenny
February 9, 2009
Fabric Guru sells designer remnants. It's worth checking out every few days to see what's new there:
http://www.fabricguru.com/cart/index.php?target=categories&category_id=26
Rachel
February 9, 2009
It really depends on what you’re looking for, but if you’re interested in modern patterns I would check out Ikea’s fabric section. They have amazing linen/cotton blends that are sturdy enough for upholstery and the prints are so fun and under $10 per yard. Of course, no use at all if you are looking for velvet.
Tauna
February 9, 2009
I love the fabric district here in LA. If you do head down here I have 13 yards of fabric still on the roll that we are selling for $70 total. You’d have to see if you like it. It’s a muted green velvetty fabric with a sheen to it. We were going to reuphoster some couches we thrifed with it, but turned out the wood on the couches was in really bad repair with some complete breaks and not worth it to us. We got the fabric because it was similar to a sofa I bought from Anthropologie once and had to return because it wouldn’t fit through our door and I guess I was still sad about. If you are interested let me know. taunahicken@yahoo.com (Tracy’s old roommate in LA)
Grosgrain Kathleen
February 9, 2009
I’ve looked into buying wholesale from Alexander Henry. He has some good prints.
The impressive part is that you only have to buy a bolt to get the discount (which is 20 yards).
You could always sell the remainder on your etsy shop.
You have to call your local representative to find out the price and whether or not its in stock but I was able to get a print I liked for only $3 something rather than $8 a yard.
Worth it.
Anonymous
February 9, 2009
http://www.buyfabrics.com/
knock-off designer fabrics at a cheap price. you can order swatches too.
Heather
February 9, 2009
The Amy Butler decorator weight fabric is a little over your budget…about $17.50/yard, but it’s really fun! You can buy it here: http://www.purlsoho.com/purl/products/fabricdetail/4359
sierra
February 9, 2009
there is a discount fabric outlet in berkeley, on the corner of san pablo & ashby.
AlisonM
February 9, 2009
Have you heard of Fabmo? They give away free fabric (I believe designer leftovers) in Palo Alto. I think the next distribution is Feb 19-20. You have to RSVP for an appointment time, but it’s open to anyone. I haven’t actually checked this out in person yet (I’ve been on their mailing list for a while but haven’t made it down there), so I don’t know if the fabric would be big enough for reupholstering. But, free is perhaps worth a shot! http://web.me.com/fabrix/Fabmo.org/Home.html
Not Katie
February 9, 2009
If you have the option, try to get a commercial grade fabric. They’re a little more expensive, but they last longer and wear better. Plus because they’re commercial it means they’ve been fire tested (aka they don’t burn as fast/give off as much toxic fumes if something were to happen to it).
megan russell
February 9, 2009
i get all my upholstery fabric from here, which is local for me: http://www.discountfabricsusacorp.com/index.html
they offer free shipping to the US, and some great deals.
Anonymous
February 9, 2009
I am hoping to check this out soon. Not sure if the deals are good but might be worth a visit.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/17/HOAQ1533SC.DTL&type=homeandgarden
Karen
February 9, 2009
Purl Soho is a great resource (already mentioned previously) and J Caroline Creative has some fun prints.
I’ve been obsessed with that Antwerp chair, it’s amazing! I bought fabric from Anna Maria Horner (http://annamariahorner.blogspot.com/) called Sketchbook that looks similar, to reupholster a chair from Craigslist. It turned out so cute! Check it out.
k e n d r a
February 9, 2009
gray line linens has amazing upholstery weight linen for about $11 a yard. and you can order a swatch card for a couple of bucks to look at real colors. i love linen on upholstered pieces- it wears so beautifully.
http://www.graylinelinen.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=Warsa
bex
February 9, 2009
britex is going to have a big president’s sale next week. i’ll email you details.
Andrea
February 10, 2009
http://www.designerfabrics.ca – AND it’s in Canadian dollars, so it’s cheaper than it looks!
Anonymous
February 10, 2009
I got some amazing antique upholstry fabric on EBay for $8 a yard! It smelled like smoke but came out after a dry cleaning.
Perfect Heirlooms
February 12, 2009
fabricguru.com has great fabrics. Check out their clearance fabrics, plus shipping is ultra reasonable.
Anonymous
February 12, 2009
From today’s Washington Post:
Haute, a fabric and trim store that sells high-end material at reduced prices, has moved from Middleburg to Marshall, in Fauquier County, and is having a sale to celebrate its new location (8393 W. Main St.). Fabric that can cost $100 to $300 a yard is usually sold at $25 to $35 a yard. Now, owner Roxene Hill is charging $15 a yard through Feb. 21.
For more information, call 540-364-1221.
CountryMouse
February 15, 2009
I love fabric guru too. You should also try fashion fabrics club- you have to search around a lot but there are some good things for upholstery:
http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/default.aspx
Kate@ Kids and Cocktails
February 15, 2009
Does anybody have a clue who the floral fabric on this chair is buy? I know it’s old, but I love it.
Kristen
February 18, 2009
I just read online about a company that will print custom fabric for you: http://www.spoonflower.com if you don’t find anything at any of the other sites.
I haven’t used it so I can’t give it a review but I’m definitely intrigued.
IKEA also has some fun graphic prints. Good luck!
Anonymous
March 7, 2009
I just found a great place to get fabric, either by the bolt or yard
VERY< VERY, inexpensive! Tons and tons of ALL kinds of fabric. I actually found swimwear material for 1.65, 2.25 a yard and so on. Just check it out, it's amazing!
Fabricmaster.net
Sherry
Anonymous
March 11, 2009
Try warehousefabricsinc.com. They have tons of drapery and upholstery and the prices are great. I have never found a selection or prices like they have anywhere else. I am addicted! LOL
Anonymous
April 21, 2009
There is a great fabric store called Les Fabriques in Charlottesville, Virginia that carries some upholstery fabric. I think they have cut back on that department and gone more for designer fashion fabric. However, they may have some really good sales on what they have left in house. You should check them out.
http://www.lesfabriquesinc.com
melanie
August 12, 2009
jordan,
i came across your blog today as i have been searching for fabric too. one question…where did you find that chair and it's fabric?? i love that image!
thanks!
Anonymous
September 19, 2009
http://www.trimfabric.com/
has dollar fabric
Anonymous
September 19, 2009
Have you guys heard about walmart? You can get fabric as cheap as a dollar, and i don't know the highest prince i have seen. But walmarts are every where, and are real cheap.