Review: Syfabrics.com Discount Lots
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
In April 2008, I placed my second order with syfabrics.com. In this order, I wanted to test out their discounted assorted fabric lots to see if they are an economical option for my personal and business sewing. I also wanted to try some new fabrics and colors and figured this would be the cheapest way to do so. Because I was open to color choices, the discounted lots offered me a chance to do both.
I ordered four different discount lots of three different types of fabric: fleece prints, suedecloth, and terry velour.
Fleece Prints
Syfabrics’s fleece prints typically run from $6.50-$8.50/yard. Some of the cheaper fabrics have a volume discount (for 5 or more yards), lowering the price to $5.99/yard. I decided to test out two of their fleece print discount lots:
Five Pound Printed Fleece Remnants: Each lot contains 5 pounds (approximately 5-7 yards) of 100% polyester printed fleece fabric. Assorted remnants will vary in size from 6×12 or larger. Most pieces are clean end rolls and will be 60 inches long with a minimum width of 6 inches. Some pieces may be flawed with stains, print flaws or creases. Great for smaller craft projects.
Total Price: $11.99
Cuts Received: 10 different fleece prints for a total of 6.75 yard. 3 prints were less than 1/2 yard, 5 prints were more than 1/2 yard, 1 print more than 3/4 yard, and 1 print more than 2 yards.
Price Paid Per Yard: $1.78
Overall Satisfaction: Of the 10 prints I received, I really liked 6 of them and hated 2, not bad for a random selection. The price per yard is less than remnant pieces available at Joann Fabric Stores, but being able to pick your prints and cut sizes might be worth a slightly higher price. If you’re open to a variety of prints and sizes, then this is a pretty good bargain.
10+ Yards Assorted Fleece Prints: This lot is for an assortment of pieces that will measure 1 to 3 yards long, totaling 10 yards or more (brand new, 1st rate, no defective fabrics). Each lot is guaranteed to receive at least 5 different prints/colors of our choice, no specific requests please. 100% Polyester fleece double sided. 330-350 grams/yard. Measures 59-61 inches wide, machine washable.
Total Price: $37.50
Cuts Received: 7 different prints for a total of 10.6 yards. 4 prints were less than 1.25 yards, 2 prints were less than 2 yards, and 1 print was almost 2.5 yards.
Price Paid Per Yard: $3.54
Overall Satisfaction: I liked all of the prints and there were 2 prints that I was excited to receive. While gathering data for this post, I noticed that at least two of the prints are from their more expensive line of fleece.
Suedecloth
I currently use white suedecloth in my cloth pocket diapers and wanted to try new colors. Because Syfabrics raised their suedecloth prices since my first order (by a $1.00/yard), I decided to use a discount lot to sample new colors. Suedecloth is available at $5.99 yard (volume discounts are $5.50/yard and $4.99/yard).
10+ Yards Assorted Suede Cloth: This lot is for an assortment of pieces that will measure 1-3 yards long, totaling 10 yards or more (brand new, 1st rate, no defective fabrics). Each lot is guaranteed to receive at least 5 different prints/colors of our choice, no specific requests please. 100% Polyester, 58-60 inches wide, approximately 300 grams/yard.
Total Price: $34.99
Cuts Received: 6 cuts of 5 different colors for a total of 10.98 yards. 1 cut navy (1 yard), 1 cut red (1.16 yards), 1 cut black (2.36 yards), 1 cut maroon (3.19 yards), 2 cuts of tan (3.27 yards).
Price Per Yard: $3.19
Overall Satisfaction: I can use all of the colors, though I wouldn’t have purchased 3 yards of tan. Suedecloth is often available at Joann Fabric Store on a seasonal basis and you can probably get it there for less, especially with a discount coupon, and of the colors of your choice. This lot seems like a decent option when local stores are not carrying this fabric and you need some right away.
Terry Velour
I wanted to test out this fabric for both cloth diapers and cloth menstrual pads. I’d heard great things about it, but was bulking at the $7.99/yard price.
10+ Yards Assorted Terry Velour: This lot is for an assortment of pieces that will measure 1 to 3 yards long, totaling 10 yards or more (brand new, 1st rate, no defective fabrics). Each lot is gauranteed to receive atleast 5 different prints/colors of our choice, no specific requests please. 100% cotton 13 ounce heavy weight Terry velour. Fabric measures approximately 45 inches wide. Great for custom robes, clothing, towels and more. Image shows face of velour, back side is the standard terry loops.
Total Price: $59.99
Cuts Received: 6 cuts of 5 different colors for a total of 10.72 yards. 1 cut teal (1.11 yards), 1 cut red (1.86 yards), 1 cut pale blue (2.42 yards), 1 cut maroon (2.67 yards), 2 cuts white (2.68 yards).
Price Paid Per Yard: $5.60
Overall Satisfaction: I liked all of the colors I received and was impressed with the fabric. The two cuts of white are will be more useful than the 2 cuts of tan suedecloth, but thats just a personal preference. I’m new to using this fabric, so I don’t know if I could find this fabric cheaper through fabric co-ops or not, so I’ll be keeping my eyes open in the meantime. The price paid per yard feels a little steep, still, but thats more because I’m a bit cheap.
Overall Satisfaction with Syfabrics’ Discount Lots
Overall, I’m happy with the quality of the materials I received. The fabrics were all first-quality cuts, as promised, and the colors and prints were a good variety. I am impressed that I liked the majority of the fleece prints and will probably consider purchasing the 5lb discount lot again.
I am slightly disappointed with the quantity of fabrics. I had visions of bigger lots and was looking for a great deal. Syfabrics delivered as promised, so this isn’t a complaint about their product or advertising. I was just hoping, overly optimistically, for a little more. Instead of “10+ yards”, I think “More than 10, less than 11 yards” would be a more telling description and will keep hopes in check.