First think about what type of party you are going to attend. Is this a formal gathering, a night of dancing with your friends or maybe a simple low-key house party? When planning your dress consider your best features and how you want to present them. There are free online dress patterns if you need them. Now comes the fun part, picking your fabric. Avoid the long lines at old often pricey, fabric stores and enjoy the simplicity of being able to buy fabric online. Look closely at the colors, textures, patterns and the yardage available. Feel free to open up multiple tabs if you need to so as to compare different fabrics.
Unlike traditional shopping, you can buy online anytime, especially when traditional stores are closed. Keep in mind that you will need a little more fabric than just the bare minimum so that you have enough fabric for seam allowance and a little extra in case you want to make accent pieces like bows or a last minute set of cuffs for the sleeves. Seam allowance is the space between the edge of the fabric and where you will put your stitches. Keep in mind that there maybe sales available and also look for discounts for close-outs or remnants. Lastly, take your time when you buy fabric online, as unlike in a retail store, your options are endless. There are fabrics to fit every type of dress.
Cottons or Calicos: 100 percent cotton fabrics are the most common. These come in designer fabrics with really unique, on trend prints and seasonal fabrics. Next is satin (so soft and very silk like) and actual silks. Also consider Jersey Knits, a soft and stretchy fabric a lot like that favorite t-shirt. Jersey Knits can be a little harder to sew because of the stretch of the fabric, but they also can be used to create comfortable body contouring cute dresses that have that nice cotton breathability to them.
When you buy fabric online really look at the pictures and read the descriptions. Everything on the site has been placed there for your convenience and don’t feel bad about contacting customer service with any questions. Once you have found your fabric simply decide how much of it you want and click to check out. Shipping options will display on-screen, and you will have saved yourself a trip to the fabric store.
