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Best Online Fabric Stores

Arroyo Fabric from Erin DollarAfter sharing my favorite fabric retailers last year, I thought it would be helpful to highlight the best online fabric stores, including a few that will be carrying my new collection, Arroyo! Knowing where to buy fabric online opens the doors to so many DIY projects – everything from reupholstering a chair, to sewing your own throw pillows. You may even be thinking about sewing some holiday gifts!

I love to browse through an independent fabric shop – nothing beats the feeling of running your hands over bolts of fabric. If you can shop for fabric in person, it’s a great way to check the color, weight, and drape, and to discover new fabric designers you’ve never seen before.

Unfortunately, many indie fabric stores have closed over the past few years, so many of us don’t have a local fabric shop in our area anymore. If this is the case for you, I’m happy to share my tips and sources to buy fabric online, so you can find beautiful fabrics from anywhere. If you’re not sure where to buy fabric online, I’ve got a list of 17 of my favorite online fabric stores below…. 

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Featured Stockist: Gather Here in Cambridge, MA

Gather Here - Fabric store in Cambridge, MA

Today I’m happy to highlight a new stockist of Arroyo fabric, Gather Here in Cambridge, MA. I connected with shop owner Virginia B. Johnson to talk about her vision for Gather Here, and to hear more about her lovely store. Beyond just fabric and notions, Gather Here hosts creative workshops, and has a unique, community feel. This shop is really something special, and if you live in the Boston area, I hope you’ll stop by and see Arroyo fabrics in person.

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Project Roundup: Made with Arroyo

Stack of Arroyo fabricsIt’s so exciting to see your Arroyo sewing projects start to appear on social media — thank you so much for sharing your projects with the #ArroyoFabric hashtag. I wanted to share some of my recent favorite projects that have been shared to the feed! If you’re sewing anything with Arroyo, I hope you’ll tag me in the photo on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

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Thread Collaboration with Aurifil

Designer Thread Collections - Erin Dollar for Aurifil

I’m so happy to share another fun collaboration that’s debuting this summer: a thread collection created in collaboration with Aurifil! This box of 12 large spools of 100% cotton thread is perfect for anyone who loves to sew. Aurifil’s 50wt thread is great for hand sewing or machine sewing, and you can use it for all sorts of projects, including quilts, bags, and clothing.

Designer Thread Collections - Erin Dollar for Aurifil

I chose colors that compliment my new fabric collection, Arroyo, but many of these colors will look familiar from their use in the classic Cotton & Flax products. The thread collection will be available in stores in June/July, so ask your local fabric store if they’ll be carrying it in their shop!

Explorer Tote Bags – Made with Arroyo

DIY Patterned Tote BagOne of the most exciting things about debuting Arroyo, my first fabric collection with Robert Kaufman, is seeing the finished projects roll in as designers and sewers get their hands on the fabric. These beautiful bags were created by Anna Graham of Noodlehead, using her Explorer Tote pattern. I’m completely obsessed, and while I’ve skipped adding bags to the Cotton & Flax product line until now, these bags have me daydreaming…

Arroyo Explorer Tote BagSeeing other’s creativity shine as they adapt my fabrics in new ways is so exciting — it’s such a pleasure to see artists like Anna integrate my patterns into her designs.

DIY Patterned Tote BagI love all the lovely details in these bags! The gorgeous leather straps, that shiny little clasp… even the contrasting liner fabric is a charming accent. Anna’s tote bag pattern walks you through all the steps of creating this bag, and she’ll guide you in selecting materials that will age beautifully.

DIY Patterned Tote Bag DIY Explorer Tote BagArroyo fabric will be debuting in fabric and sewing stores this summer! Ask your favorite shop if they’ll be carrying it. As more projects start rolling in, I’ll be sharing them here on the blog, as well as on Instagram under #ArroyoFabric. I can’t wait to see what you’ll create with this fabric!

Using Up the Scraps, Part 2 – Mini Quilt Collab

Modern mini quilts - Salty Oat + Cotton & FlaxI’ve talked about my commitment to running a environmentally-friendly studio in the past, and I’ve continued to look for ways to improve my no-waste approach to production for Cotton & Flax. I’ve been lucky to find some amazing partners in that effort, including my newest collaborator: Caitlin Topham from Salty Oat!

Modern quilting - Collaboration quilts from Salty Oat + Cotton & FlaxCaitlin has been creating beautiful wall quilts from Cotton & Flax scraps, and I absolutely love the results. She does a great job of finding the perfect project for even the smallest scraps that I send her.

Modern mini quilts - Collaboration quilts from Salty Oat + Cotton & FlaxI love seeing a new piece of art come to life using fabric that would have otherwise been wasted, and her beautiful approach to modern quilting has led to some gorgeous pieces that I’d be proud to display in my home.

Check out the available quilts from our collaboration, and visit the Salty Oat shop to learn more about Caitlin’s work.

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