Choosing Fabric Online

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Tips for choosing fabric online

I have these two wing back chairs. I love them. I bought them at a garage sale over ten years ago. The have traveled across the country and spent time in a variety of rooms in our house. They are well loved and overly worn. My sweet dog called them home. In his old age he would sit in them and lick the fabric. Nothing was on it. It’s just what he did. He was 17 after all.
Totally gross.

Now that he has passed away it was time to give these chairs a face lift.

I partnered with Minted.com  (affiliate link) to choose the perfect fabric for this little update. I got to pick anything I wanted and they provided the fabric. Awesome deal.

The whole process made me think more about picking fabric out online than I ever have before, so today I’m sharing with you some thoughts and tips about choosing fabric online.

1. Explore the web:

You are going to be surprised by what you find. I had no idea Minted even carried fabric. I knew all about their precious holiday cards and was even slightly familiar with the artwork they sell. Fabric was news to me. Their selection was amazing, I truly had a hard time picking just one. I think there are so many options we are unaware of! I tend to go with what I know, but this purchase made me want to explore outside of the box more. How many other things do I go all robot on when I purchase???

2. Online vs. In store brings originality:

I live in a smaller size town. That means we all get our fabric at the same few places. Which in turn means when you walk in a friend’s house there is a high chance they are going to have the same fabric on their chair as you do your curtains. There are only so many choices in small town USA. Maybe you don’t even have a fabric store in your town. The online route will open the door to endless original possibilities. I know there was nothing like this in my local stores!

3. You can get an opinion:

I love the fact that you don’t have to drag your mom, husband or friend along to get their opinion, should you want/need it. Just e-mail them the link and you can have instant feedback. When you are making a big purchase like covering furniture or drapes this is no time to buy something your family hates! Also – if you are working with a decorator or upholsterer you can run it pass them easily to make sure the fabric is the right kind and you won’t need more or less based on pattern layout or size of fabric. I was able to show the hubs a few choices and get his yes and no. He trusts my taste, but I really value his thoughts on stuff like this. That can save you money in the long run!

4. Scale:

Scale of fabric can be intimidating online. What I loved about Minted was the way they show you the fabric selections. You get three views of the fabric…detail, one yard and across the room. There were a few fabrics that I loved up close, but then when I saw the across the room view, I knew they wouldn’t be right for this application. If an online vendor only gives you one view you may not end up with what you love. This array of views made me feel much more comfortable choosing fabric I wasn’t seeing in person. It’s especially important when large expanses of fabric will be seen sprawled out…like on this type of chair or curtain panel.

5. Color Variations:

Because Minted prints the fabric to order from artist drawings they are able to offer most patterns in a variety of colors. In stores you are limited to what is on hand. I loved the options this gave. You can also search their site by the colors you are looking for, narrowing down your selections quickly for the perfect match. This pattern in particular came in NINE other colors besides black!

6. Stay True:

Having all these options can backfire. I encourage you to stay true to your style. If you are like me seeing all these amazing fabrics makes my mind go wild and I want to buy up stuff that really just isn’t right for my style. Just a little warning to not go to crazy. You want to LOVE what you get!

7. Trends:

I find online sources to have a wider variety of trendier styles. If you are looking to freshen up your home with some trendy pillows or other home furnishings online is the place to go. Minted sources their patterns from artists around the world, then people vote on what they like best and that is what you see for sale on the Minted sight. So everything is original, trend setting, can’t get it anywhere else stuff. And that is so cool. I wanted to stay with a broad pattern, but wanted to update a bit from the traditional.

8. The search parameters:

So you really want fabric with a dog on the beach? Or you’re into plaid? Maybe you want to see all options for Fall fabrics? A good online fabric store will let you search a wide variety of parameters to make your choice quick and easy. The sweet ladies at your local store may not be aware of the Plum colored chevron fabric buried on aisle five.  You won’t miss a thing if you utilize the web site’s search engine. Then you get to quickly see your choices side by side to narrow your selection. I searched by color, I knew I wanted to stay with black and white for a neutral base to layer color on. Plus black and white can easily move from room to room in my house.

I was so pleased with my fabric from Minted (here is an affiliate link to the fabric I used for these chairs!). They packaged it beautifully with special care cards and discount cards for future purchases. It felt like I was opening a little gift.  I would and will order from them again. Plus I’m just feeling a little bolder in making this kind of purchase online after this! So what do you think? Do you order fabric online? I would love to here your buying tips!

*Please note I was given merchandise for this post. All opinions, selections,  tips and ideas are completely my own.