For savvy shoppers, with a bit of forward planning and flexibility, quality fabrics can be purchased for a fraction of the price and help prevent unnecessary wastage
Buying high-quality fabrics is always a worthy investment, particularly in timeless designs that combine longevity with classic good looks. There are ways, however, for those in the know to obtain such fabrics for reduced costs – at end-of-line sales or on specialist websites. This also chimes with concerns around sustainability, an issue that permeates many areas of our lives – from the fabrics we wear to the ones we buy to furnish our homes. Fashion scores badly with its landfill ratio, but the interiors industry is also reckoned to send thousands of tonnes of fabric waste to landfill or to be burnt. This is why some fabric houses are finding ways to extend public access to textiles they cannot otherwise sell. That this can also be an asset to our furnishing budgets is tempting on both fronts.
Warehouse sales
Warehouse sales are one way fabric companies dispose of stock they cannot sell by usual routes. Most are held in September or October and offer considerable discounts – signing up for early notification is key, so it pays to be planning early in the year. Designers Guild is one company holding warehouse sales in April and September with dates and venue posted on its website. Among autumn warehouse sales, Marvic Textiles has a following for the variety of stock it offers, and Chelsea Textiles, famous for its hand-embroidered linens, weaves and prints, includes cushions and curtains in its sale. Bennison Fabrics adds public access days to its sale where visitors can buy whatever is left on a roll of its printed linens, from 1m to 40m, at half price.
More companies are now selling discounted fabrics direct from their websites. As part of its Zero Waste Initiative, the sale section of the Ian Mankin website always shows curtain and upholstery fabrics with original and reduced sale prices and number of metres available, from as little as 2m, to 40m and more. Tinsmiths’ website does the same. Penny Morrison is putting new strategies in place to make her company more sustainable. In late February, an end-of-line fabric sale will launch on her website, followed later by a permanent sale area for discounted fabrics. Vanessa Arbuthnott po
