You'll need fabric if you're interested in making your own clothes, repairing old clothing, or doing arts and crafts.
With the convenience of online shopping, fabric is a resource with seemingly no upper price limit. Here are some websites you should visit to learn more about fabrics, sewing, and tailoring.
Here's a table summarising all the options covered in this article.
| Website | Description | Specialty | Shipping/Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Britt’s List | Not a retailer but a resource for finding affordable and sustainable fabrics. Links to marketplaces like eBay and Facebook Marketplace. | Sustainable fabrics and secondhand items | N/A |
| Darn Cheap Fabrics | Retailer with a variety of fabrics including printed cotton, silks, and specialty fabrics. Also offers haberdashery items. | Printed cotton, silks, denim, bridal fabrics | Flat shipping rate across Australia; physical locations in Melbourne |
| East Coast Fabrics | Brisbane-based store with a wide variety of affordable fabrics including upholstery, tulle, and cotton squares. | Upholstery, tulle, cotton squares | Based in Brisbane, online store available Australia-wide |
| Fabric Muse | Sells niche, hand-selected, and imported designer fabrics. Typically more expensive, but high-quality fabrics available under $100 per metre. | Luxurious fabrics like silk, wool, and designer cotton | Online store |
| GJs Fabrics | Melbourne-based retailer specializing in fabrics for dressmaking, costume making, and patchwork. | Dressmaking, costume making, patchwork | Physical store in Melbourne, online store available |
| Lincraft | Popular chain offering a variety of fabrics and craft supplies, including high-quality materials. | Fabrics, upholstery, quilting supplies | Multiple locations across Australia, online store available |
| Provincial Fabric House | Specializes in classic and elegant fabrics, mainly for upholstery and home décor projects. | Upholstery, home décor fabrics | Flat $35 shipping rate within Australia, online store |
| Rainbow Fabrics | Offers a wide range of fabrics and haberdashery, including themed patchwork fabrics and custom-made curtains. | Patchwork, custom curtains, upholstery | Based in Kogarah, Sydney, online store available |
| Sewing Gem | Online store selling affordable dressmaking supplies and fabrics. Offers free shipping on orders over $99. | Dressmaking, quilting materials | Online store, shipping options between $2.60 and $15 |
| Spotlight | Major retailer with a wide selection of fabrics, home décor, and craft supplies. Known for regular sales and discounts. | Wide range of fabrics, craft supplies | Locations across Australia, online store available |
| Super Cheap Fabrics | Australia's biggest online store for fabrics with frequent sales and discounts. Offers a variety of materials, including designer lace fabrics. | Plain and printed fabrics, designer lace | Based in Collingwood, Melbourne, online store available |
| The Remnant Warehouse | One of Australia's biggest online fabric stores specializing in clearance and discounted fabrics. Regular deals available. | Clearance and discounted fabrics, sewing supplies | Online store, $1 samples available |
Britt’s List
💻 https://www.brittslist.com.au/
To get started, Britt's List isn't an online retailer, but it's a valuable resource for finding affordable and sustainable clothing options.
Be sure to bookmark this site, as it can help you find bargains on other websites, such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and other secondhand websites.
As the name suggests, it's like Craigslist but for sustainable fabrics. This is great for saving money and the planet while making clothing.
Darn Cheap Fabrics
💻 https://darncheapfabrics.com.au/
Darn Cheap Fabrics is a fabric retailer with both an online store and physical locations. On this site, you can find various fabrics, including printed cotton, silks, denim, and specialty fabrics like bridal and occasion fabrics. You can also buy other haberdashery items like trims and quilting materials.
If you are in the area, Darn Cheap Fabrics also has two physical locations in Melbourne (Glen Huntly and Fitzroy). Darn Cheap Fabrics offers a flat shipping rate across Australia for online purchases. As the stock is regularly updated, it's always a good idea to keep checking what they have, especially if you're sewing on a budget.
There are also lots of cheap fabrics from fabric stores in Adelaide that deliver across Australia.
East Coast Fabrics
💻 https://eastcoastfabrics.com.au/
East Coast Fabrics is a store based in Brisbane, QLD. However, the affordable fabrics sold are also available on the company's online store.
Of course, if you're in Brisbane, you can go to the store in Lawnton or any of Brisbane's great fabric stores, but for sewers across the rest of Australia, you can just shop online.
East Coast Fabrics stocks many different textiles, including upholstery, tulle, cotton squares, and specialty fabrics for many projects.
You can also find plenty of sewing tools, accessories, and other haberdashery items.
Fabric Muse
💻 https://www.fabricmuse.com.au/
Fabric Muse is a retailer of niche, hand-selected, and imported designer fabrics. Naturally, these won't be available on the same budget we've seen for some of the cheaper fabrics.
However, Fabric Muse is probably your best option in Australia if you need specific fabrics for your projects.
For example, you can find luxurious fabrics and materials, including silks, wool, and high-quality cotton. These materials are costly, but designer fabrics are still available on their site for under $100 per metre, making high-quality fabrics more accessible.
Be sure to sign up for Fabric Muse's newsletter for more information on sales and new fabrics. This will help you find better deals.
GJs Fabrics
💻 https://www.gjsdiscountfabrics.com.au/
GJs Fabrics is a Melbourne-based Fabric retailer with over 25 years of experience in the fabric industry.
GJs Fabrics specialises in many different fabrics suitable for dressmaking, costume making, and patchwork. Due to their extensive selection, they're very popular with both professional and amateur sewers. You can find quilting fabrics, specialty dress materials, costume fabrics, sewing items, and haberdashery.
Sewers in Melbourne, VIC, can always go to the physical store in Fairfield. Still, everybody else can order from GJs Fabrics' website.
Lincraft
💻 https://lincraft.com.au/
Lincraft is a popular haberdashery and craft supply chain across Australia. Although it's not the cheapest example we have seen so far, it offers a good selection of affordable fabrics.
You can find fabrics and upholstery materials, quilting supplies, and sewing tools for making clothing or other craft projects.
The website is worth adding to your favourites because it also features many useful online resources, such as tutorials, buying guides, and an inspirational blog with advice on craft and sewing projects.
As a chain, Lincraft can offer better availability for certain high-quality materials than some smaller independent stores.
Here's an excellent video with tips on buying fabric.
Provincial Fabric House
💻 https://www.fabrichouse.com.au/
Provincial Fabric House is a retailer that specialises in classic and elegant fabrics. The online store focuses mainly on upholstery items for home décor projects, such as reupholstering furniture or making soft furnishings, like cushions.
For online orders, Provincial Fabric House offers a flat shipping rate of $35 for orders within Australia. Orders typically arrive within 3-5 business days.
Be sure to check out their blog, which includes lots of inspiration, DIY project ideas, tips for working with different fabrics, and information about the latest interior design trends.
Rainbow Fabrics
💻 https://www.rainbowfabrics.com.au/
The online retailer Rainbow Fabrics offers a wide range of fabrics and haberdashery. It also sells patchwork fabrics arranged by themes like Australian, Japanese, and geometric patterns.
You can also find custom-made curtains and other upholstery materials, many of which are of high quality. Luckily, these high-quality products don't come with the biggest price tags.
Rainbow Fabrics is also located in Kogarah, Southern Sydney, NSW. If you go there, be sure to check out Sydney's other great fabric shops.
Sewing Gem
💻 https://www.sewinggem.com.au/
Sewing Gem (formerly Dressmaking Gem) is an online store that sells affordable dressmaking supplies. Despite the low price, their supplies are of surprisingly good quality. Sewers can find cotton fabrics, quilting materials, haberdashery items, sewing tools, patterns, and gift kits.
Like Darn Cheap Fabrics, Sewing Gem offers free shipping across Australia on orders of $99 or more. Depending on how quickly you want your sewing supplies, other shipping options are available for between $2.60 and $15.
There are different fabrics for every project; some projects may require costlier fabrics.
Always make sure that your budget is appropriate to your level and skill.
Spotlight
💻 https://www.spotlightstores.com/
Spotlight is one of Australia's biggest and best-known fabric, craft, and home décor retailers. It offers a range of products in its many locations and an online store. It has stores from Perth to The Gold Coast.
Crafters, DIY enthusiasts, and sewers should check out their fabric selection, which includes everything from dress materials to utility fabrics, upholstery materials, and specialist fabrics like bridal lace and quilting cotton.
In addition to the products, the Spotlight website offers good resources, including online tutorials, project ideas, and buying guides.
People all over Australia can use Spotlight for projects. With regular sales and discounts, if you shop at the right time, you should be able to fund your projects for less.
Super Cheap Fabrics
💻 https://supercheapfabrics.com.au/
Super Cheap Fabrics is Australia's biggest online store, though it also has a physical location in Collingwood, Melbourne.
Super Cheap Fabrics offers a wide range of fabrics, including plain and printed fabrics. You can buy various materials, including cotton, wool, satin-back crepe, and designer lace fabrics.
In terms of pricing, Super Cheap Fabrics regularly has sales and discounts, offering items up to 50% off.
You can also find sewing tools, patterns, and haberdashery items on their site. If you're in Melbourne, they offer click-and-collect, allowing you to order online and pick up in-store.
The Remnant Warehouse
💻 https://theremnantwarehouse.com/
Last but not least, The Remnant Warehouse is one of Australia's biggest online fabric stores. It offers fabrics and sewing supplies, particularly clearance and discounted fabrics.
You can usually find fabrics like denim, satin taffeta, patchwork fabrics, and many others. Regularly check The Remnant Warehouse's discount and clearance sections for great deals.
You can even pick up samples for $1; delivery is available across Australia through Australia Post.
Learn More About Sewing and Tailoring with Superprof
Of course, if you need more help with sewing or other arts and crafts, you can always search for a private tutor on the Superprof website!
With private tutoring, every session can be tailored to you (pun intended!), and as the only student in the session, you can choose exactly what you learn.
Many of the tutors on the Superprof website offer the first session for free, allowing you to try several potential tutors before choosing the one that's right for you and what you want to learn.
The average sewing tutorial on Superprof costs $46, but you can find tutors offering rates above and below this, and the amount you pay will depend on several factors.
We recommend thinking carefully about what you want to learn and your budget for private tutoring before you start contacting tutors. Don't start contacting tutors into you have a short list of potentially acceptable candidates.
To start browsing the tutors' profiles, just search for Sewing" on the Superprof website!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
Thanks for article. It gave a lot of information .
Where is this place how to find it
Thanks,your article was very very educational and informative.
This article is just what I needed. I make beds for cats at the shelter I volunteer at and it gave me web sites to look at, tips and more. I’m always buying fabrics on sale. This article gave me a wider base to look for fabrics at a lower cost and more variety. I am also going to look at taking sewing classes too!
Hi
Thanks for the article, can I have your website and contact address pls
Excellent article
What do you mean by the term ’tissues’ in this article? Never heard of it in relation to fabric or sewing. Tissue has always meant a paper product…please explain. And thankyou. Barbara