I like Fabric.com. I like their generous free shipping policy for orders over $35. I’ve gotten some lovely fabric from them in the past. Today in a fabric shop in NYC, I saw one of the same Vera Wang brocades that Fabric.com was selling for $3.79 last week going for $40 a yard. But I must take issue with the fact that the Vera Wang Lavender Label jacquard that I purchased from them was pictured on the website like this:
And when I took it out of the shipping box, I found it actually looks like this:
As you can see, this is more than just a small matter of monitors varying in how they display color. The name of the fabric on the website is, “Designer Woven Jacquard Circles Navy.” Granted, I thought (based on the website picture) that the classification of the color as “navy” was a bit off, as I would sooner have called it “periwinkle” or “blue-violet” or something like that. But as it turns out, we were both wrong. The fabric is pretty much black. There may be the ever slightest tinge of blue to it, but you’d have to know it was there to notice it. My greatest concern when purchasing it was that I didn’t know how big the circles were going to be! Turns out there were other surprises in store.
The fabric itself isn’t horrible for what it is. It’s stiff and synthetic-feeling, but if I saw it in a store, I wouldn’t think it was bad. It was just that I was expecting something much more special- those nifty bull’s eyes in lovely graduated shades of violet. Ah well. Disappointing. But I got some pretty stuff in the brick and mortar stores today in which I will be rubbing your envious noses just as soon as I can get some nice photographs taken :)
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December 22, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Adelaide B
It is pretty to easy to return stuff to Fabric.com if you want. I think they deduct the shipping cost, but it is no questions asked.
December 22, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Karen
wouldn’t even think those two were the same fabrics. I think fabric.com made a mistake and sent you the wrong thing.
December 23, 2009 at 3:25 am
karen
Sadly, I’ve had that issue with fabric.com too. Mainly the stuff I’ve gotten from them has been great, and the customer service is pretty good too, but it’s always disappointing to open a package and find lime green polyester (unless that’s your thing).
December 23, 2009 at 4:38 am
meagangracie
Have you seen the Vera Lavender stuff made with this fabric? I haven’t looked around at the whole line, but it was interesting to see: http://meagangracie.tumblr.com/post/248572907/vera-wang-lavender-you-can-buy-it-today-on
December 23, 2009 at 5:55 am
Meredith P
I could be that it’s an entirely different fabric than the one you saw in NYC. Different “grades” of the same fabric are produced. There’s probably a reason it’s 3.79 :-) I’m sure that you’ll salvage it into something wonderful that I will covet.
December 23, 2009 at 7:52 am
selfishseamstress
Sorry- the one that I saw in the NY store and on Fabric.com for $40/$3.79 was a different one than the one I picture here. It’s just a coincidence that the one I actually bought is also a VW Lavender Label :)
December 23, 2009 at 6:20 am
Digs
Seriously?! did you look at the fabric’s other side? The sale pic shows the circles darkest in the centre, your fabric’s circles are lightest in centre. OK, of course you looked at the other side.
December 23, 2009 at 7:53 am
selfishseamstress
Actually, on the actual fabric, there are no darker circles or lighter circles. The weave is just a little different so the different rings reflect light depending on what angle you’re photographing from. The back side is the same. It’s all the same shade of almost-black.
December 23, 2009 at 7:27 am
Myra
I got the designer techno taffeta for my girls’ Christmas dresses (yeah, I know, SWAG), and it’s very thick and stiff, more so that other taffetas I have seen before. I don’t really like it, but too late to change now. That’s why it was under $5/yd, Iguess.
December 23, 2009 at 9:06 am
amber
Gah! That’d annoy me, too!
December 23, 2009 at 9:27 am
Carolyn
I hesitated and went back and forth about that piece when I placed my last order…but since I had received some serious surprises in my first order of Vera Wang fabrics from them…I decided not to “take any more chances” cause I would have been as shocked as you if that had arrived.
Glad you were able to get into NYC before the snowstorm hit and can’t wait to see where you went and what you bought!
December 23, 2009 at 10:01 am
Anna
I’ve only been disappointed by Fabric.com.
First when I ordered samples, they assured me they sent them the day after I ordered, but it took 14 mail days to receive them. Despite my foreboding, they had the material in the color I needed, so I ordered from them. Part of the material was on back order for the end of this month; before I ordered I called them about it, telling them my concerns and my deadline, and they assured me that the back order estimate was accurate. 10 days later, they email me to tell me that it’s now on back order until the end of January. I did get the other half of my order in a timely manner.
I tried to see if they had something similar that I could use, but I was told to go to fabric.net (which is a site where you list the material you are looking for and hope someone has what you want in the quantity you need.)
I cancelled my order with them and went back to VogueFabricStore.com. (Who is slightly less expensive but you have to pay shipping). They went out of their way to find the material I needed (which included checking with their brick and mortar stores). I didn’t end up with the exact material I initially wanted, but one that is the same brand and a similar hand.
December 23, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Richelle
Wow! This is the very reason I just ordered samples from Fabric.com. I was so nervous about ordering fabric from them based on the many comments I have read about the misrepresentation of fabrics on Fabric.com. Once I receive those, I will compare them to the pictures listed on the site. I will be sure to let you know what I find. Hopefully some of the fabric will be a close match.
So sorry about your purchase, but I am quite sure you can make something wonderful out of it. Make lemonade!!!!!!!
December 23, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Jane
Surely they must have sent the wrong colourway?
December 23, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Jenny
I had the same thing happen with Fabric.com! From the photo on their website, the Amy Butler print I purchased appeared to be navy print with cream background. Fabric received was navy print with LIME GREEN background! Lesson learned: Believe their description, not their photo.
December 23, 2009 at 11:59 pm
stitchywitch
I ordered that one too, and you are right… it does not look like the photo. Maybe it’s navy, if by navy you mean black with the very faintest tinge of blue when you squint. I like it anyway – and I must say that it feels about the way I expected – but that’s a really bad photo. It looks like they lightened it to show the circles, and I really think they should have mentioned that in the descriptions.
December 25, 2009 at 4:50 pm
lydia
I ordered a VW silk/cotton earlier this fall. Fortunately it was $3.95/yd. or I would have returned it and complained (loudly). It is not as described, but will make good “muslins” for my pants projects. I will not order from this site again, “once burned, twice shy”. I was hoping to use the aformentioned fabric for a jacket and pants combo.
January 10, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Wanett
Yeah, this place is my fav to order from, but I’ve had two MAJOR color difference issues lately. Why is the fabric that you’re anticipating the most, always the one with the color issue?!?! The good part, it has put me off from ordering from them for a while….
February 22, 2011 at 7:04 pm
dinks
Ive had alot of problems with Fabric.com
My first order with them went super smooth! I loved the fur fabric so much that I decided to order it in some different colors. When it arrived it was SO different then my previous order even though they were supposed to be the exact same texture, pile etc.
I let them know that they had possibly sent me the wrong fabric so they arranged for UPS to pick up the wrong fabric (free of charge) and they sent the “Correct” order out ASAP. Well when the new fabric arrived I was soooo annoyed to see that yet again half of the order was wrong!! I will be calling them tomorrow for a refund. I dont plan on making anymore orders with this company!
February 26, 2012 at 11:38 pm
diane potter
I also had a problem with Fabric.com. My first order was very smooth but it was not the right pattern of fabric and it did not look like the photo, but I understand it’s hard to determine what the fabric looks like online. The second order I placed was supposed to be guaranteed shipment within 48 hours and 7 days later it still said pending order status. I emailed customer service 3 times and no one responded but one lady and she promised she would contact the warehouse and see what the problem was. No one contacted the warehouse obviously after 7 days so I called their 1800 number for two days straight and never could get through, one time I was number 29 on the waiting list for my phone call to be answered? I don’t have the minutes on my phone to wait 3 hours to talk to them. My order was over a hundred dollars and that’s a big purchase for me. I think they have terrible customer service..After 9 days my order is still in transit but no shipment tracking has left Georgia as of today. I waited 25 minutes on hold to speak to customer service again. Oh well, now I know!