Buy fabrics, thread and trims for stitching: prices from suppliers
Start with what you are stitching
A good fabric request starts not with a name but with the garment. A hoodie needs fleece, a T-shirt needs single jersey, workwear needs a heavier blended fabric, and bed linen needs cotton or sateen. When you write what the fabric is for, the supplier will suggest options you may not have considered.
Composition and weight: two parameters that change everything
Pure cotton and a polyester blend differ in feel, shrinkage, creasing and price. Weight in grams per square metre (GSM) shows how thick the fabric is: 240 GSM for fleece is one thing, 160 quite another. Fleece can be two- or three-thread, brushed or not, and that affects the price too.
It is also worth asking about shrinkage after washing, colour fastness and roll width. Width directly affects consumption: the same pattern fits differently into different widths.
How to get offers on BlaBlaPrice
You write a request: fabric, composition, weight, colour, quantity, city. You can add one photo of a sample. The request is checked, and you are told which details are missing.
Suppliers reply in the chat: the price per metre or kilo, availability, the minimum order, delivery, and sometimes they suggest similar options. Each one sees where their offer ranks and can improve their terms. The offer with the best overall terms is shown first, with reviews next to it. Only the chosen supplier gets your contacts. You can read how it all works on the “How it works” page.
What to put in your request
- Type of fabric — cotton, linen, knit (single jersey, fleece), polar fleece, twill, velvet.
- Composition — for example, pure cotton or a blend with elastane.
- Weight — in GSM.
- Colour — solid or print; send a photo of a sample if you can.
- Quantity — in metres, kilograms or rolls.
- What it is for — what you are stitching.
- Maker — a mill or town, for example Tirupur.
- Regularity — one-off or monthly.
- Delivery city and the price you consider acceptable.
Example: “I need black three-thread brushed fleece, 100% cotton, 240 GSM, 200 kg for stitching hoodies. Preferably from Tirupur. Delivery to Sha Tin, with monthly purchases afterwards. Price up to HK$39 per kg.”
How to compare offers
Check prices in the same units: some quote per metre, some per kilo, and a metre of fleece and of jersey weigh different amounts. Confirm the width and weight, otherwise the comparison is wrong. Find out whether the fabric is in stock or made to order, and in how many days.
For coloured fabrics, be sure to ask for a sample or a cut piece: a screen distorts the shade, and different dye lots can vary. If you are stitching a series, agree that the whole quantity will come from one lot.
Common mistakes
Going by the name of the fabric without the weight. Not allowing for shrinkage and extra for the pattern layout. Buying several lots in different shades for one garment. Not checking the trims: thread, zips and buttons must match in colour and quality.
If you are looking for packaging for finished garments, see containers and packaging materials. Other materials are in the “Raw materials” section.
