Nowadays it seems as though we buy more and more of what we need online. From speaker systems to our weekly shop, we rely on the internet more than ever to provide a new level of convenience that the high street struggles to compete with. Over the years we have seen a growing trend even with our own customers to shopping for haberdashery and Fabric Online. Our online business is one of the fastest growing parts of Calico Laine and only continues to increase in popularity.
Although we all enjoy the new found freedom of shopping for
fabric online at any and all hours of the day, there can be draw backs and things you need to watch out for in order to make sure the fabric you're getting is right for you.
Here are some top tips to think about when shopping for fabric online:
Always check your images when buying fabric online:
It's important to see what you're buying before you buy it. If a site looks as though it is using low quality stock photo images then be careful about purchasing from potentially unreliable retailers. All of our products are photographed in house by our Calico Laine team to ensure our customers know exactly what they are getting when they order from us.
Order swatches in advance:
The quality of images online can vary from site to site and screen to screen. You're phone screen may give you the perfect colour match but your computer may look a little off. The best way to know if the shade is right is to order a swatch of your fabric online. This also gives you the opportunity to see the texture of your fabric, how much give/stretch your fabric has and the true size of any pattern repeat. You can order a swatch of any fabric on our site for as little as £1.00 each. Your sample will come complete with an information card giving details of your fabrics composition, width and price per metre.
Be clear on what you want:
The most important thing to think about when ordering fabric online is - what do you actually want? If a pattern calls for use of a certain fabric that you're not too familiar with, do your research and find out what fabrics will suit your needs. Take the time to read through fabric descriptions when shopping online to note the composition of your chosen fabric. Look closely at titles and categories. If your fabric needs some stretch to it you could think that Bi-stretch would be the right way to go but reading up will show you the name is deceiving and the fabric actually has no stretch at all. If you have queries about any of the fabrics we sell at Calico Laine you can contact us via our Facebook page or drop us an email.
Know your rights:
It is important to note any returns policy when buying fabric online. If you have ordered a fabric and find that the shade is off chances are, unless there is an actual fault with the fabric itself, you wont be able to return it. Be sure to read up on what your rights are before purchasing any fabric online as afterwards it is usually far too late. Calico Laine will only accept a return on fabric ordered online if there is genuine fault with the product received.
Be the first to know:
It pays to be in the know with your favourite fabric store. The best way to keep your finger on the pulse is to stay up to date with them through social media. Like their page and sign up to any mailing lists to be notified first about new stock, events and sales. Our Calico Laine social media team update our Facebook and Instagram regularly each week to keep you updated on the latest news. You can join our mailing list via our website to have all the latest sales, discounts and stock news sent directly to your inbox.
