PrewashedWashed linen
Mid weight, 150 cm wide, prewashed at the mill
$22 a metre
Cloth by the metre, cut straight off the bolt
Weft and Warp Fabrics sells dressmaking and upholstery cloth by the metre, with the thread, zips and interfacing to finish the job. Order a cut length online, ask for swatches before you commit, or learn to sew at the big table on Thursday evenings.
50 cmsmallest cut, then 10 cm steps
6 swatchesposted for $4
Thursdayssewing classes from 18:30
- Cut within two working days
- Shrinkage noted on every card
- Thread and zips to match
- Classes for beginners
Fabrics on the bolt
Prices are per metre. The length you choose is cut as one continuous piece, so three metres arrive as three metres, never as three single metres. Widths are measured from selvedge to selvedge.
Prewashed
Cotton lawn, small floral
Light and crisp, 140 cm wide, for shirts and linings
$16 a metre
Wool crepe
Drapes softly, 150 cm wide, cool hand wash or dry clean
$34 a metre
Upholstery velvet
Heavy cotton velvet, 140 cm wide, for chairs and cushions
$48 a metre
Finishing kit
Matched thread, a 20 cm zip, interfacing and pins
$14
Full rolls and trade lengths
For upholsterers, costume makers and curtain workrooms
Price on enquiry
EnquireLengths are cut and posted within two working days, with delivery added at checkout. Cut fabric is made to your order and comes back only if it is faulty, so ask for a swatch whenever colour or handle matters.
Shrinkage and care, said plainly
We wash a 50 cm test square from every new bolt at the temperature on its label and measure it again, and the result goes on the product card. The figures below are what our test squares usually show; every bolt differs, so treat them as a guide.
| Fibre | Our test squares usually shrink | Care |
|---|---|---|
| Linen, unwashed | 3 to 5 percent in length | Prewash at the heat you will use, line dry, press while damp |
| Linen, prewashed | 1 percent or less | Wash cool, iron while slightly damp |
| Cotton lawn and poplin | 2 to 3 percent | Prewash, warm wash, medium iron |
| Viscose | Up to 5 percent, sometimes more | Cool hand wash, dry flat, never tumble |
| Wool crepe | Felts and shrinks if washed hot | Steam to preshrink, cool hand wash or dry clean |
| Upholstery velvet | Not made for washing | Vacuum gently, spot clean, professional cleaning only |
Buy an extra 10 cm for every metre of a fibre that shrinks, and prewash before you cut. Fabric for furniture must meet the fire safety rules where the furniture is used, which differ by country, and each upholstery card names the tests that cloth has passed.
Swatches before scissors
Colour on a screen is a guess and handle cannot be seen at all, so pick up to six swatches and we post them the next working day for $4. Each comes on a card with the width, the fibre, the weight and the care written on the back.
For upholstery, ask for a larger piece. Twenty centimetres square shows how a pattern repeats across a seat and how a velvet pile catches the light from each side.
- Up to six swatches for $4
- Fibre, width and care on every card
- Larger upholstery pieces on request
Sewing classes at the big table
Groups of six, with machines, irons and cutting mats provided. Fabric for your project is bought in the shop at a class discount.
Machine basics, one evening
a place, from$45
Thread a machine, wind a bobbin, sew straight seams and corners, and press as you go.
- Thursday, 18:30 to 21:00
- No sewing experience needed
Make a skirt, three Saturdays
a place, from$160
From reading a pattern to setting a zip and a waistband, ending with a skirt that fits.
- Saturday mornings, 10:00 to 13:00
- Fabric chosen in the shop on day one
Seat pads and a footstool, two afternoons
a place, from$240
Upholstery basics: measuring, cutting foam, making piping and fixing the cover fabric.
- Saturday afternoons, 13:30 to 17:00
- Staple guns and tools provided
Around the shop floor
Bolts by colour, one long table, and a class on Thursdays.
From the cutting table (example reviews)
The shrinkage note on the card was right: the linen came out of its prewash a few centimetres shorter, and the extra ten centimetres covered it.
Six swatches arrived two days later and made the velvet choice easy. The colour in daylight was nothing like the screen.
Three Saturdays and a skirt that actually fits, with a zip that lies flat. Patient teaching for a group of complete beginners.
Questions across the cutting table
What is the smallest length you cut?
Fifty centimetres, then any length in steps of ten centimetres. Longer lengths are cut as one piece, and if a bolt runs short of your length we call before cutting rather than post two pieces.
Can cut fabric be returned?
Cut lengths are made to your order, so they come back only if the cloth is faulty. That is what swatches are for: order them first whenever colour, weight or handle matters.
Should fabric be washed before sewing?
Yes, for anything you will wash later. Wash it the way you will wash the finished piece, dry it the same way, then press and cut. Cloth marked dry clean only can be steamed to preshrink instead.
How much fabric does a project need?
The pattern envelope gives lengths for each width, so check whether your cloth is 115, 140 or 150 cm wide. Add extra for matching stripes, checks or a large print, and for shrinkage on unwashed cloth.
Is upholstery fabric safe for furniture?
Furniture must meet the fire safety rules of the country where it is used, and those rules differ. Each upholstery card states the tests that cloth has passed, and an upholsterer can advise on interliners where they are needed.
Do you sell patterns and notions?
Yes: thread, zips, buttons, interfacing, elastic and bias binding, plus a shelf of printed patterns. Bring a scrap of your fabric and we match the thread by eye in daylight.
Ask for swatches, a class place or a full roll
Name the fabrics you are weighing up, or the class you want to join. Swatches leave the next working day, class places are confirmed by email, and trade lengths are priced within two working days.
- Up to six swatches for $4
- Classes in groups of six
- Full rolls priced by the metre on request
Up the stairs above the market
The shop is on the first floor, with a lift beside the flower stall. Bring the pattern envelope and we will work out the length with you.
Reach the shop
First floor above the covered market, with a lift beside the flower stall
Opening hours
| Tuesday to Saturday | 10:00 to 17:30 |
| Thursday evening classes | 18:30 to 21:00 |
| Sunday and Monday | Closed |
Sewing on Thursdays
Evening classes run in small groups at the big cutting table, with machines ready and threaded. Ask through the form above for the next open place.