Best Online Fabric Stores in Europe: Where I Buy Fabric

Where I buy fabric online in Europe: shops in France, Germany, the UK, Spain, the Netherlands and Italy, what I bought from them, and what I learned. This video isn't sponsored by any of them.

Why I buy fabric online

I started sewing in Brazil and have lived in Portugal since 2018, where for two years I ran an atelier making waterproof outerwear for kids. So I spent a lot of time looking for good waterproof fabrics online, such as softshell and PVC. Now I sew with all kinds of fabrics. These are the shops I've used, with their good sides and their downsides, as they were when I made this video.

Tips for buying fabric online

• Order swatches first. The softshell I bought had an excellent water-repellent finish, but the colour disappointed me; for the wool I ordered swatches, and some shops send a few for free.
• Check delivery and customs. Delivery from France and Germany was around €18–20. My order from the UK, outside the EU, spent two weeks in customs, and I paid €23 in customs fees.
• Stretchy vinyl is hard to topstitch: the one I bought in France was stretchy, the German one much less so.
• Read carefully the composition and weight of the fabric. The draped shots of fabric will give you a hint of how soft or heavy the fabric is.
• Look in the outlet and sale sections: that's where I found a nude tulle with Lycra.
• Shop websites without an English version are easy to use with Google Translate.
• Some shops sell a minimum of 30 cm and don't send samples.

The online fabric stores I mention

• Tissus Lionel France: vinyl and faux leather; I bought in their Paris shop Find it ↗
• Action Maille France: knitted cuffs, collars and ribbons Find it ↗
• Active Fabrics Germany: softshell, and 100% wool at fair prices Find it ↗
• myfabrics (now Stoffe.de) Germany: waterproof fabrics and free swatches Find it ↗
• Minerva UK: a huge choice; customs fees when you're in the EU Find it ↗
• Ribes & Casals (rycfabrics.com) Spain: red tartan cotton, and tulle with Lycra in the outlet Find it ↗
• Fake Fur Shop the Netherlands: faux fur and faux leather Find it ↗
• Sama Italy: a soft PVC that was easy to sew Find it ↗