There are all kinds of fabric supply constraints right now – from the dyes used to color it, to the textiles themselves, to the containers and ocean-going boats used to bring it from Europe (where all of the fabric we carry is manufactured) to the USA.
“In Stock”
If you order a piece of in-stock fabric, you can expect it to ship within a week. Please note – the inventory on our website is by square inches. If you order a very large piece, or long dimension, there is always a possibility that I won’t have the right dimensions to send even if it is labeled “In Stock”. For an example, 30″ x 30″ is 900 square inches. 15″ x 60″ is also 900 square inches. If I have a 30″ square piece, and you order the 60″ long piece, we need to wait for the next bolt, even though the website will show 900 square inches in stock. I try to keep customers informed of these situations. Similarly, If I have 900 square inches in stock, the website will say “In Stock”. If you order 1000 square inches, there will be a note on your order that 100 square inches are backordered. Please ask questions any time you have them.
Backordered “Standard” Fabrics
Lead times on standard (not hand-dyed) fabrics fluctuate widely; at this writing the longest open backorder we have for a standard fabric is 10 weeks. This is due to the constraints noted above. We order all of our fabrics wholesale through Wichelt Imports. They do a fantastic job, and they ship backorders very promptly once they receive inventory. I have no control over what is backordered at Wichelt, just like they have no control over what can or cannot be manufactured by Permin or Zweigart based on material availability.
So, unfortunately, no – I can’t give you a firm ETA on when your backordered fabric will arrive. But I can assure you that you will get it as quickly as possible. All of us (shops) are waiting in the same queue.
Backordered Hand-Dyed Fabrics
Lead times on hand-dyed fabrics are best described as astronomical. If you order a hand-dyed fabric that is not in stock, be prepared to wait the better part of a year for it. Nine to ten months is par for the course right now. If you need it soon, I recommend you pound the pavement to find it in stock.
All shops are in the same boat. We are all doing the best we can. Many shops have simply disallowed ordering of out-stocked fabric. Others have continued to allow backordering, at standard sizes only and strict No-Refunds policies, sometimes with a discount. I have decided to continue allowing backorders of custom sizes with a “cancel-anytime” refund policy. I believe we are unique in that approach and I understand it’s not for everyone. It’s specifically geared toward the stitcher who wants a specific size of a specific fabric, isn’t in a huge hurry for it, but wants assurance that it will come… “set it and forget it”, if you will. The process is simple.
- You order it.
- I check to see if I already have it on the way, if not, I order it and put you on the list.
- We both wait, sometimes for a long time. If you cancel, I refund you.
- Fabric comes.
- I cut it and ship it.
- You get it.
We do have a fair amount of hand-dyed fabric in stock, and are happy to recommend substitutions for anyone who asks. I will not substitute unless you ask me to. Otherwise I assume you want what you ordered, and would rather wait than substitute.
I write back to all order inquiries. It might take me a few days but you will get a response. Questions and even cancelations are welcome at any time. I hope our world climbs out of this mess and someday our needlework fabric will arrive on-demand again. Until then, I am doing my best to have patience and thank you for your understanding.