Fabric Sources

I realized after my last post that I had forgotten to mention where I'd gotten all that fabric from.  I'll be posting about my new dress ideas later this evening, as promised, but let's take a slight detour in the meantime so I can share this information with you.

All the linen was ordered from my linen supplier of choice- fabrics-store.com. They have a very wide selection of colors and weights, all at some of the lowest prices for linen you might ever find. They also have regular sales which you can be notified of if you sign up for their emails. All linen I ordered was their medium weight, 5.3 oz., which they have the most colors of.  It's good for most purposes, depending on the color and its respective transparency.

Most of the wool, the three twills, are from Class Act Fabrics. I haven't  received them yet, but I requested swatches of each, and I'm very excited about them! Linda at Class Act is very easy to get a hold of in the evenings or through email, and she worked with me to send the swatches she thought would work the best for what I wanted to create. It was actually very difficult to decide among all the great samples she sent!  She offers a rotating selection of wools, silks and linens, and most of the wools are affordably priced under $20/yrd.

The white wool is coming from Wm. Booth Draper (along with a rosewood needle case.) Wm. Booth caters to 17th-19th century groups, but since linen & wool fabrics then really weren't that much different than they were in the late middle ages, I find their selection an appropriate source. They are well priced on their 100% wools (I would say the average is about $18/yrd).

I definitely recommend ordering swatches of any materials you're interested in before making a commitment. All these suppliers offer free swatches (except that Class Act may charge for expensive, rare swatches). Wools and linens are investments, so it's a good idea to double check what you're getting first so you know if it's worth the cost.