[with love Heidi]

Hi, I would like to buy some good quality knit fabric to make some yoga style pants for me. My local Spotlight has limited stock. There are some nice Japanese knit, but only in stripes! I am looking for black, brown and maybe some navy.

Those of you who have bought fabric and had it sent to Australia, who has good prices on shipping? And what is a reasonable price for shipping?

Thank You

Heidi

[Tamara]

Heidi

Fabric.com seem to be very reasonable in price for their shipping however, I don’t think they have express shipping or anything – just the standard 10-14 business days. I think (correct me someone if I happen to be wrong) it goes on yardage over weight or total cost as I placed an order that was quite large in number and was told I’d pay only $24.95 for the shipping. Having said that though, they do have a little red message stating that they don’t cover the customs charges or anything with that – I have ordered several times from them and haven’t yet been told I had to pay extra to receive my parcel.

I’m currently waiting for a bundle of swimwear fabric from them – not the type of stretch fabric you are after, but stretch none the less so I will keep you posted as to quality. The quality of other things I have bought from them has been high anyway so I am not expecting anything less.

Hope this helps.

Tamara

[Justine J]

I usually order my knit fabric from local online suppliers – Crafty Mamas have a fab range, and the Australian made Stella knit is so lovely to sew with. They offer free shipping. Kelani Fabrics also stock organic knit/jersey in solid colours.

My local independent fabric shop have also just started an online shop, and they have a great range of knit fabric (in person, anyway) – The Remnant Warehouse.

(sorry – am being lazy by not including links!)

In terms of buying knit from O/S, be aware that while most places offer flat rate shipping for $16-$18, these envelopes don’t hold as much knit fabric as they would cotton, so you may find your postage rate becomes higher if you order lots of yardage.

Justine

[Lightning McStitch]

Depending on where you are in Aus I could recommend some bricks and mortar shops much more exciting than Spotlight.

The Fabric Store http://www.thefabricstore.com.au often have fantastic merino knits and other cotton knits.

There are others that I know of in melbourne which may not be online but if Melbourne is local…

[etc3]

I order mine from Crafty Mamas too, they have a great range. Love Stella.

[Tamara]

Whoops! Forgot all about the lovely Stella knit – great quality.

[with love Heidi]

Thanks for all the prompt replies! Unfortunately I am not in Melbourne LightningMcStitch (from the point of view of buying fabric), I am over the water. I will check out all the options and I’m sure I’ll find somthing. Thanks so much for the help.

[with love Heidi]

Thanks everyone, I just received my order, I got it from fabric.com in the end.

[Tamara]

I’m still waiting – about a thousand requisitions before they finally sent my parcel. Hoping it gets here soon as they are for swimming gear.

[with love Heidi]

Oooh, swimming gear, I do like summer. We really could do with a great oliver and S pattern for girls bathers/togs/swimmers/trunks/cossie (all the same thing depending on location in Australia!!). I will just go and add that to the wish list.

[Tamara]

The knit arrived and I’m pleased but am now waiting on another order of the colours they supposedly ran out of from this batch in order to really get going on the swimming clobber (clothing)!

I have a question for anyone willing to answer it. On the subject of quality knit. I have sidetracked to tracing and cutting out the Field Trip t-shirts but it seems that my what I thought was substantial amount of white Stella won’t budge enough to accommodate one size 10 and size 12 front and back each. So I am on the hunt for other fabric because currently the white stella is out of stock.

On Fabric.com they have the Robert Kaufman Jersey knit. Has anyone used this at all? How good is it in terms of sewing with, washing and general quality? I am tempted to get some in white just to try seeing as I have remnant galore of other colours and waiting for stock to renewed isn’t going to get t-shirts sewn in the time frame I am requiring.

Any thoughts at all?

Tamara

[with love Heidi]

I bought the ‘Laguna Stretch Cotton Jersey Knit’ by kaufman. The black was lovely, soft and a nice weight and it sewed up really well in fact I’m wearing my new trousers at the moment. The chocolate (Brown) was not as nice, lacking some softness and maybe a little thinner, it also had two small holes in the 2yd’s I got, but the trousers I made of it are very functional and comfortable. Not sure if this helps.

[Tamara]

Yes it does help alot because one would never suspect difference in quality with different colours! If they are functional and comfortable then the fabric must be doing something right. I will have to consider my options to supplement the stella stash – the white is due in next week so I ordered some anyway along with other colours that were dwindling. I like to have quite a bit and I’m disappointed my kids are so big now that 1m of fabric won’t do even two fronts and backs of a t-shirt – but I will get over it I’m sure and they will have lots of multicoloured t’s as a result!

[Sarvi]

Funny, I’m having things shipped the other way! I found what must have been the last bit of double gauze unicorns from Heather Ross, less than a metre, and had it sent from Kelani to here in the US!