I am always on the look-out for great sources of fabric for costuming.  I found On the Go Linens this Spring and placed a trial order.  I have been waiting to share the link until I actually used some of the fabric.   Well . . . fast forward several months, and I haven’t made anything (sad face) and I thought with fall shows starting pretty soon I needed to spread the word about this source.  (I am just a consumer, I have no relationship with this company),

My fabric quest started with an idea I had for making an Ursula skirt (and I WILL do it . . soon . . . I hope!).  I wanted to use a petal tablecloths for texture and movement, but they are often pricey.  Google is my friend and eventually I found On the Go Linens.  As the name suggests, they have a very nice selection of linens at reasonable prices.  But . . .they also have a section of fabric by the yard and fabric by the bolt.  I am going to warn you right now . . . they have some fabric that is hard to resist!  You do need to order a minimum of 2 yards for many of the choices . . . but . . . don’t let that dissuade your from checking it out.  I will also note that they provide detailed information about the weight, width and care of the fabrics–way more than you typically get.

I ordered a variety of fabrics just to get a feel for what they offered and the quality.  I had a number of projects in mind (my empty-nester perception of free time was larger than what it has proved to be!).  I’ll show you my selections, and hopefully down the road I will share my projects.

My Ursula project:

I purchased the black Petal Taffeta for $5.99/yd (it is blacker than the picture looks).  They also have a “leaf” taffeta that a friend thought would be perfect for feathers, and a smaller “grape” taffeta.

Edit:  One of my readers shared these pictures of the leaf taffeta she ordered in tablecloth form–on sale.  Isn’t this great for feathers?  You can read her comment about ordering below.

I wanted to make variegated tentacles, so I ordered Panne Velvet ($2.99/yd) and Foil Spandex ($3.99/yd).

The panne velvet is probably the least impressive of all the fabrics that I ordered, but, for the price, there is nothing wrong with it.  The foil spandex compares quite favorably with fabrics 4-5x’s that cost.  I imagined that the tentacles would be shiny on the top and duller on the bottom.

My Belle Project:

The posts I have written about “Beauty and the Beast” are the ones most frequently viewed.  I have some ideas about how to make the costumes in different ways.  In particular, I would like to make some simplified Belle costumes.  Many of the online tutorials are about MORE!!  and BIGGER!!  and I want to focus on the volunteer who usually sews quilts and just needs a little confidence to branch out.  In preparation for that I ordered some Bridal Satin at $2.99/yd.  It is really nice stuff.  This was called “Sun Gold”, which is a little duller than I had hoped.  I may use this for a “Cinderella” dress . . yes . . I do want to play with different versions of the transformation costumes.

I also ordered Solid Taffetta ($2.49/yd) and Satin Brocade Jacquard ($3.49/yd).  The jacquard is a bit lighter weight than the bridal satin, but, in comparison to the fabric I ordered for Cinderella at $10/yd, this is a steal.

And for a little bling . . . Coco Paisley in gold ($3.99/yd):

My Topher Project:

For our production of “Cinderella” I just purchased an armor costume for Topher.  I would like to make some, and have been looking for good fabric.  I trialed the Liquid Lame ($2.99/yd) and Metallic Lame ($2.99/yd).  They also offer a stiff version of the liquid lame I’d like to see.

The first piece has a lovely fluid silver color.   The metallic lame has a nice crispness.  It would make a lovely overskirt or underskirt, and while the picture doesn’t show it, it is very shiny/metallic looking.    It is translucent, so would need a lining.

Odds and Ends:

I’ve been thinking of the “Wizard of Oz” and trialed some Sequins 6mm ($2.50/yd).  This is on mesh and is see through, but it would provide economical bling.  They also offer squares, and several other sizes of sequins.

The Glitz Mesh Sequins ($6.99/yd) is gorgeous.  The fabric is non-stretch, and oh, so pretty.

And then my last piece of eye candy . . . Coco Star in silver ($4.99/yd):

You can order sample cards and swatches (for a price), and they also have lace, eyelet, doubleknit, chinese jacquard, vinyl, broadcloth, garbardine, fleece and more.  I have also heard that their customer service is very helpful, although I have not contacted them myself.

Take a few minutes and browse the fabric . . . and let your imagination run wild!

Enjoy!