Shopping for fabric online: How to make the best use of our site’s features

I recently asked our Facebook fans for suggestions for this blog. One person noted that she finds it hard to shop for fabrics online because without seeing the fabrics in person, it can be hard to tell what weight they are or what they can be used for.

I thought this was a great topic for a blog post. It’s definitely harder to buy fabrics sight unseen than it is to go into a store and feel them yourself. That said, one can find an infinitely larger selection of fabrics online than in whatever town or city you live in. Those in Winfield, Ala., can come into our shop and have tons of fabrics to peruse. Lucky them! But everyone else has to check out the website.

On our website, we try to provide pertinent information in the product listings to make shopping easier for you.

Here is an example of one of our listings (please click the photos for larger views):

First, notice the photo of the product. Many times, if it’s a silky, drapey fabric, we will have a photo that demonstrates that. Underneath the photo are two orange boxes that say 1 and 2. Those are additional photos that show enlarged versions of the products. Most of the fabrics have one additional photo, but many of the silks have two.

These photos help you see up close what the fabric looks like, which can help you better deduce the texture and drape of the fabric.

Next, notice the description area of the listing.

If you click the image above for a larger view, you’ll see that we provide a lot of information on the fabric, such as the width, contents (when available), and a description of what the fabric looks like. We also provide information on uses for the fabric so you can gauge what kind of projects it would be suitable for. In this case we also provide some general info on the type of fabric (silk dupioni) that we think might help the shopper. Most listings have pattern repeats listed, as well.

Above the description are tabs with washing information, a link to our drapery calculator for your convenience, online sharing options, possible links to gallery projects made with that fabric and customer reviews and comments – which allows you to leave a comment about the product using your Facebook sign-in.

In the case of this fabric, if I click the “gallery” tab, you’ll see that this fabric was used to make some pillows and you can see a photo of the finished product.

(please click the photos for larger views)

Here, you can also see that above the tabs mentioned before there are also social networking buttons. You can “like” the product on Facebook, pin it on Pinterest or like it on Google+. These are great ways to share your favorite items with friends at a click of a button. Pinterest is especially great for not just sharing, but storing ideas visually. Then it’s easy to come back later and view your pins. I consider it a sort of visual bookmarking system.

Our website is a dynamic work in progress. We are always improving it to make shopping easier for you. As newer fabrics come in, we strive to improve our listings and provide even more useful information about the product. For instance, we might not only provide the pattern repeats both horizontally and vertically, which are used for matching patterns, but when applicable may provide the actual measurements of dominant items on the pattern, perhaps how big the birds are or how big the largest flower is, just to give you a better feel for the size of the design itself since repeat can’t always be seen in the photograph.

Here is another fabric listing.

In the photo below, you can see that we have listed not just the overall pattern repeat, but also the size of the birds, just to give you a better idea of the size of the print.

You can also see in the above photo that below the description we list fabrics that go with the fabric in the listing. Sometimes there are several, sometimes one, sometimes none, and sometimes a whole bunch! To the right we have fabrics that other people also bought when they bought this fabric. That may give you some ideas of fabrics to pair it with. You’ll see that we also offer some tips about ordering samples of this particular fabric, since the repeats are quite large.

In the descriptions, we try to provide an idea about what the fabric feels like and how it drapes. For instance, the listing above says “This fabric has a nice, soft feel and drape.” Or a listing might say it has a stiff backing and or that it’s unsuitable for anything with pleats and folds. Our Premier Prints fabrics are described as 7 oz. cotton duck.

You’ll see above that there is a section that says “Fabric Type.”  In this case it says”Medium Weight Upholstery/Medium Weight Drapery.”

Here are the basic categories for fabric weights and some examples of what they may be suitable for:

Light Weight Drapery – for window scarves, swags, bedding but too thin and
lightweight to be suitable for any type of upholstery.
Medium Weight Drapery / Light Weight Upholstery – great for draperies and
bedding, etc. Can also be used for “just for looks” upholstery with very little or no
traffic.
Medium Weight Drapery / Medium Weight Upholstery – for any type of
draperies, duvets, comforters, etc. and for moderate use upholstery.
Heavy Weight Drapery / Medium Weight Upholstery – for drapery projects
with little to no gathers and moderate use upholstery.
Heavy Weight Drapery / Heavy Weight Upholstery – extra durable for drapery
projects with little to no gathers and heavy traffic upholstery.
Heavy Weight Upholstery – extra durable heavy traffic upholstery that is
too heavy or thick for any type of draperies.

The listing might list possible uses as duvets, draperies, upholstery, pillows, clothing or bags, depending on the fabric. If it says light-use upholstery, that means upholstery for items that aren’t going to be sat upon frequently. That doesn’t mean you should avoid that fabric, but just keep in mind how it will be used.

Let’s talk about searching

Earlier this year, we implemented a “search by color” feature that allows customers to search by one or more colors. This allows you to choose a category and then narrow it down even further by color. Just last week, we added to that the ability to search by fabric weight, as well.

Say that you are looking for striped fabrics in blue and yellow that are a suitable weight for clothing.

First, hover on the “home decor” button and the following menu opens up. You can choose by fabric type, fabric theme, brand and price.

Select “stripe fabric.” Then check the boxes of the colors you’re interested in. Multiple colors could turn up fabrics with those both/all of those individual colors or combos of those colors. For instance, if you choose red, orange and brown, the listings returned may have each of those individual colors or it may have rust colored fabrics, which is a combination of those colors mixed together. So if the color options don’t include the specific color you are seeking, try choosing the individual colors that when mixed would create that color.

After you click “Go,” you’ll get your search results:

Of course, if you broaden your search requirements, for instance, by searching only for “blue” and not “blue and yellow,” you’ll get more results.

I hope this helps you navigate Warehouse Fabrics Inc. a little easier and get the most out of your shopping experience! As always, we are here to help. Contact us at cs@warehousefabricsinc.com or through the contact forms on this page!