ranger

Prices locally are so high but I want to support local products. With my recent financial situation, shopping for fabric locally is getting to be a problem. Is online shopping cheaper? What are your favorite places to go? With shipping charges, is it just as well to buy locally? Would welcome your advice and information. Thanks.

rb.

I buy from Hancocks of Paducah online, and have bought once from Fabrics.com. Both batting and fabric. Even with shipping, it's cheaper. Since I live at the border, I have it sent to a shipping and freight business in the city on the other side of the border, drive over, and take it through customs myself. As long as it's under $100, they don't charge me HST.

linken

Connecting Threads

gailmitchell

If your order at Connecting Threads they add $7.00 if you have an order of over $50.00. Customs/Canada post will charge you the gst.

dunster

I often order from this eBay site: http://stores.ebay.com/CROWSNESTQUIL...&_sop=10&_vc=1

They will ship to Canada.

Mom to One

I have ordered from Connecting Threads with great service and had it shipped directly to me. I have also ordered many times from fabric.com and since I live close to the border I pick it up in the U.S. at a business and bring it through customs myself.
Cindy

xsquilter

I've had a couple of large orders through Connecting Threads & have been totally satisfied. I've also ordered from Fat Quarter Shop, good transaction there.
And recently I've placed an order through Hawthorne Threads which I haven't rec'd yet. They have a basic shipping rate of $4.50 for up to 2yds of fabric, but it's surface shipping I believe, no bells/whistles. You can get details on their site.
You really have to do a careful read of the shipping costs & then calculate if it's a good buy compared to getting merchandise from your local quilt shop.
Sometimes I feel like it's comparable or maybe a wee bit pricey but often it's the fabric design I'm after that I can't get locally.
Maureen

deanna.r

Try www.thousandsofbolts.com/ If the fabric on any site is not manufactured in the US, then you may get charged customs duties. It seems to be hit or miss; however, I have found that priority post envelopes (which contain 6-8 yards of fabric, depending upon the seller) cost about $12.00 and rarely incur customs charges. If you order more, it comes in a box which seems to attract more attention.

I get on mailing lists so that I am notified of sales by email. eg. www.hancocks-paducah.com/SubCategory--WEB-SALE-FABRIC--m-62 - (note: they sell by the 1/2 yard)

www.batiksplus.com/ has a sale right now. They have many batiks that are unavailable most other places, such as older Hoffman designs. They are also a great place to get McKenna Ryan fabrics.

This shop in Chilliwack, BC always has fabrics on sale and once in a while will have a deal for free shipping, which can really make it worthwhile to order from them. www.hamelsfabrics.com/ Once again, get on the mailing list so you are notified of sales.

When most US sites say, "free shipping", the offer only applies to the continental US. The $7.00 shipping charge at fabric.com is a great deal. If you have friends who spend holiday time in warmer places south of the border, you could have orders sent to them. If they drive back and forth, it's usually not a problem for people to bring a couple of parcels back with them.

Millstream Mom

I've ordered from:
e-bay
fellow board members who were selling material
Favorite Fabrics
Hamels Fabrics
Quilters Corner
and Quilters Cupboard.
I've had very good experiences with them all! But by far the best fabric deals I've gotten was at Mardens in Calais Maine. Their fabric prices were 1/3 to 1/2 the price of the LQS in New Brunswick.

ranger

Thank you for the info.
Have a great day.