Where To Buy Fabric For Embroidery (High Quality and Affordable!)

When I first picked up my needlecraft hobby, I found it really challenging to figure out where to buy fabric for embroidery. There is just so much out there to choose from at the fabric store as well as online…it’s overwhelming!

While you can technically stitch on anything you can pull a needle and thread through, there are certain fabrics that are more suitable and easier to use.

Over the years, I have purchased from a variety of different places and tested out different types of fabric. I have had my fair share of mistakes and victories, so I wanted to put a list together of some of the places that carry high quality fabrics that feel luxurious and are amazing to embroider on.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase an item.

Where To Buy Embroidery Fabric On Etsy

The first places I’m sharing are small businesses, and in my opinion, they are the most luxurious and nice ones!

Earnest Quilt

Ernest Quilt is a shop based in Los Angeles that sells organic 100% European flax linen. It’s pre-softened, which makes the texture of the fabric amazing and it comes in a variety of natural, beautiful colors.

I purchased a few fat quarters of fabric from them and it was a great experience. They were out of a few colors I had ordered, but I was contacted promptly. I received a few replacements and my order came with some fabric swatches of additional colors. They offer their linen fabric in fat quarters or you can pay per yard.

Stuart Moore’s Textiles

Stuart Moore’s Textiles is a lovely shop that offers hand dyed linen and Aida fabric. I’ve purchased a bunch of different colors of linen and embroidery yarn and all of it is phenomenal quality.

What really stands out to me about this fabric is how vibrant and saturated the colors are. All of the fabrics are dyed using natural plant, insect, and mineral dyes. And because it’s hand dyed, there are small, natural inconsistencies of uneven dye, which I think makes it look all the more interesting.

Her shop offers mini cuts and fat quarter cuts of hand dyed linen and Aida fabric.

Matryoshka Doll Shop

If you want to try out a few different colors and blends of fabric, you might want to grab an assorted bundle of fabric. A great shop on Etsy to purchase from is Matryoshka Doll Shop. They offer sample packs that contain linen and cotton blend fabrics in a variety of colors. If you have your eye on a particular one, you can also purchase the fabric by the yard.

Fabrics To Look Out For At Chain Craft Stores

If you’re in a pinch and you can’t wait for an online shipment to arrive, you can find a variety of high quality fabrics at crafts stores like Joann’s and Hobby Lobby.

The one thing you’ll notice through this entire article is that all of the fabrics featured are natural fabrics that are made up of linen and cotton. These are by far the best types of fabrics to stick with, so that’s what I try to purchase at craft stores.

Just beware: a lot of craft stores that sell fabric by the yard have cotton and linen blends that contain synthetic materials in them such as rayon or elastic. These are not as nice to stitch on, so I’d steer clear of them. Make sure the label says “100% linen” or “100% cotton” on it!

Kona Cotton

This brand of fabric is widely available at most chain craft stores and on Amazon. It’s made up of 100% cotton and it’s a nice weight for needlecraft projects. I like it because it comes in a large variety of colors and it’s very affordable to purchase by the yard.

Zweigert Even Weave and Aida

If you look at the packaging, some craft stores may sell needlecraft fabric under their generic craft supply name. (i.e. Artiste is Hobby Lobby’s) But underneath it, there may be more details about the type of fabric it is. Zweigert is a German brand of fabric that’s been around for over 100 years. They manufacture many linen and cotton fabrics that are generally great for embroidery.

Depending on the type of project you’re doing, most of these fabrics come in a variety of different thread counts. The Aida is great for counted cross stitch and the even weave is great for both cross stitch and surface embroidery projects.

Tip: If you’re doing a surface embroidery project on the even weave, you may want to select a higher thread count so the weave of fabric is tighter.

DMC Charles Craft Linen and Aida

DMC Charles Craft fabrics are high quality and can sometimes be found in rolls at craft stores or on Amazon. The have similar selections to the Zweigert embroidery fabrics and are great for cross stitch and surface embroidery.

I hope you enjoy stitching on the fabrics featured in this post! For even more fabric options and tips for scoping out embroidery fabric, check out this article for choosing the perfect fabric.