Paula, another commenter, has contributed her own (really varied, and rather comprehensive!) list of fabric sources, with her notes. Enjoy!
Bandjfabrics.com – B&J is my favorite fabric store to visit in NYC. I use their search engine when I’m looking for something specific and aren’t happy with choices elsewhere, and I know the quality standard is top drawer.
Cuttinglinedesigns.com – This is Louise Cutting’s online store. I bought awesome fabric from Louise at the sewing shows, so it’s nice to have access to her fabrics any time online instead of just at shows. Her update e-mails feature samples of her patterns made up in her fabrics for inspiration.
Duckadilly.com – If you love Liberty of London fabrics, Duckadilly in Michigan is a great place to shop. I love the Liberty bias binding by the yard and the assortment packs. I bought one of the packs to piece binding to edge a boiled wool coat.
Elliottbermantextiles.com – I’m on their marketing list and get seduced into purchasing unique fabrics through their e-mails.
Emmaonesock.com – I was a regular customer years ago and checked the “New Arrivals” section daily until so many other options became available.
Etsy.com – I often go to Etsy to search for specific items. For example, I was searching for plum-colored lace to make a shell to go under a low-cut dress and purchased three perfect matches. Be sure to put “fabric by the yard” in your description to narrow the search. Also, be careful about what country the fabric will be shipped from because it might take much longer to receive. [Note from Noile: I’ve relied on Etsy heavily on the past, but won’t any longer, since I’ve discovered that Etsy allows shops to fulfill orders from Amazon and elsewhere without declaring that’s where the order will come from. It might be worth checking to confirm that your order is actually coming from the specific shop you think you’re dealing with. This really matters to me because I prefer to avoid Amazon whenever possible — and I don’t think this is an honest practice on Etsy’s part.]
Fabric.com – Tons of fabric. The search engine helps sort through the massive selection. Amazon Prime members get free delivery.
Loiseaufabrics.com – It’s a Canadian company that offers shipping to the United States for $100+ orders. I love their French terry and other knits. They carry a lot of fun whimsical prints.
Marcytilton.com – I have to admit that I buy most of my fabric here. I like the pics (various closeups as well as hanging straight from a distance and draped on a mannequin) and the descriptions, which are very helpful. I especially like that it shows you pattern suggestions and tells you what kind of garments the fabrics are suited for. The blog posts are very helpful and inspiring as they can be little trunk shows of what they’ve made with the Tilton patterns and includes tutorials for the tricky parts or how they made adaptations. Note that the prices quoted are by the half yard, not whole yard. Also, if actual shipping costs are less than what you see when checking out, they provide a refund for the difference.
Moodfabrics.com – I usually go to Mood for its search engine. For example, I was looking for navy stretch lace and ended up purchasing navy lace and netting, as well as a navy tie dye knit. I couldn’t resist.
Oakfabrics.com – It’s a former brick and mortar store that has switched to online only. They carry a lot of Merchant & Mills fabrics. Great fabrics. [Note from Noile: I’ve used Oak a fair amount in the past few months, and have been very pleased with the quick, friendly, service.]
Promenadefinefabrics.com – This is a fabric store that I always visit in New Orleans. They have a great selection of fabrics. I’ve shopped their online and Etsy stores and been happy with my purchases.
Quilting Stores – Sometimes I shop them online, but I love going to them in person. Quilters have the BEST notions, and quilt stores have great fabrics, especially batiks and colorful lines such as Tula Pink, Marcia Derse, Kaffe Fassett, etc. (Note from Noile: in the Before Times, we often haunted the fabric stores of Lancaster County, PA where quilting is still an everyday activity. There is nothing like the notions walls in these stores!)
Sawyerbrook.com – For years I subscribed to their monthly swatch service and bought some wonderful fabrics from them. It has changed hands twice since then, and I have to admit that I haven’t kept up with the site.
Sewingworkshop.com – The fabric descriptions show multiple shots of the fabric up close and draped or hung, which is very helpful. I like the gallery of Sewing Workshop patterns sewn and modeled by real bodies. For the past year, Linda Lee has been doing Facebook Live sessions on Tuesday mornings that feature sewing tips, a trunk show of garments and fabrics, etc.
Stylemakerfabrics.com – This is a small family-run site that has great fabrics and flat-rate shipping from Washington state. I like how they break down the fabric into categories such as garment type, color, latest trends, etc.
Tessuti-shop.com – Yes, it’s in Australia, but they offer free shipping to the United States for AUD$150 purchases. Purchases are delivered by DHL in about a WEEK. Be sure to sign the DHL delivery waiver when offered in the shipment e-mail from DHL. It lets them know that they can drop off your package without signature. Tessuti’s quality is great, and I’ve ordered some wonderful Italian prints from them.
Voguefabricsstore.com – This is another one that I subscribed to for years and bought lots of great fabrics from them. After I canceled my subscription, I just haven’t kept up with them. Sometimes these fabric sample subscription services are a great way to learn about different fabrics because you actually feel the fabrics and read about their fiber content, drape, terminology, etc.