Tips for How to Buy Fabric, Needles, and Thread

Going to a fabric store for the first time can be intimidating. Or, even if you’ve been many times, trying to find something new and different can be frustrating. Learn how to buy fabric, needles and thread, and discover the different varieties available.

Fabric

Learning how to buy fabric can help save you time and money. To begin with, fabric is generally sorted in a store depending on the type of fabric. Tara Rex shows several different kinds of fabric that can all be found in various areas of a store. If you have an idea of the type of fabric you are looking for before going to a store, you can save time looking around and go straight to that section. Another tip Tara shares for learning how to buy fabric is knowing how the fabric is priced. Most fabric, unless it is a remnant or sale item, will be sold by the yard. Depending on the price, there are sometimes some good reasons to buy more fabric.

Thread

Tara also shares that there are many different types of thread available at a fabric store as well. She shares several varieties including cotton, rayon, polyester and metallic. She explains that some of these threads are common choices for either general sewing, quilting or embellishing. You will also find several different brands of threads in a fabric store, though most brands will all carry most of the different types of threads.

Needles

After you have selected a fabric and thread to use on a project, you need to choose a needle. Tara shares several of the different kinds of needle available including universal, jersey, embroidery, metallic and microtex. She explains what some of the differences between the needles are and what type of thread to use them with. Using the correct needle with different fabric and thread can help prolong the life of your sewing machine and help it run more smoothly. If you are going to purchase a new machine or even upgrade your machine, check out some great sewing machine buying tips.