Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Lilly Pulitzer Fabric- Some Light Research

Edited to Add: I'd love to know... Where did you eventually find Lilly fabric? What did you make/are you planning to make with it? Leave it in the comments below!



The search phrase 'Lilly Pulitzer Fabric by the Yard' by far brings the most readers to this blog... and since my post on Lilly pretty much states that the price of the fabric alone makes it more appealing to thrift for it than buy it online, I thought I would share a couple of other reasons I choose to thrift.
But first, just to get it out of the way,  here is the official answer on whether or not L.P. sells fabric by the yard. I emailed Lilly Pulitzer through the form on their website, and received the following response:

                            "Hi Kristen,

                              Thank you for contacting Customer Care.

                              Unfortunately we do not sell fabric by the yard. I'm sorry about this! 

  
                             XX, Hilary"



 Short and sweet, but there is your answer!

Here is a list of Lilly Pulitzer fabric retailers. I have not purchased fabric from any of these sellers, and can not talk to the legitimacy or quality of their merchandise.

1. Etsy/Ebay:
Lilly Fabric Land: Sells several cuts of L.P. fabric, largest of Etsy Sellers ($9.99-29.99)
WE LOVE LILLY : Sells packs of 6 inch L.P. fabric squares ($29.99)
 Fabric Lilly Style:  Sells 18x18 L.P. fabric squares ($9-$10)
lilredstar: Sells scrap packs and fabric pieces ($17-$30)
Seller sewcrafty 32 on Ebay: Sells several cuts of L.P. fabric, Ships out of Hong Kong ($16-35)

2. Aubusson Homes: Sells the Lee Jofa line of L.P. fabric. This is the only online seller of Lilly fabric that I could fine that also has a storefront. Aubusson homes sells L.P. fabric for $87.00-$293.00/yard. You read correctly- muy expense. 

3. Garnet Hill: Well, kind of. This home goods store supposedly sells a line of Lilly Pulitzer bedding, but I can't get it to come up on their website. But, the idea is still a good one. If you can't buy fabric in a big enough quantity on etsy/ebay why not just buy a sheet set or duvet and let your scissors go crazy? Looks like Lilly bedding sometimes goes for sale on Amazon too.

4. Lee Jofa: A ritzy furniture designer uses L.P. fabric to upholster sofas and chairs... so expensive you have to email them for the price. Well, they didn't respond to mine- maybe because it was obvious I wasn't interested in buying. I think we can all rest assured that the price is welllll above any of the other retailers on the market. See their line of L.P. fabric here.

If you are looking for Lilly fabric, here is a list of the options from least to most expensive:

1. Comb Thrift Stores for Lilly Pulitzer clothing.
    Pros: Cheap, Authentic L.P. fabric, Supports a good cause
    Cons: Hard to get several yards for big projects, Subject to styles on hand, Need patience

2. Buy Knock-off Lilly fabric at your local fabric store.
    Pros: Cheap, Bigger selection, Able to get exact quantity required
    Cons: Not real L.P. fabric, quality may be lacking

3. Purchase Lilly Pulitzer bedding from Amazon or Garnet Hill.
    Pros: Can get several yards at once, cheaper than purchasing by yard on other websites
    Cons: Very limited online L.P. bedding selection, Even more limited selection of 'fabric-make'

4. Purchase Lilly fabric from an Etsy or Ebay seller.
    Pros: There seems to a great selection, Cheaper than buying from high-end retailers
    Cons: Uncertainty of quality/legitimacy of the seller, Can be very expensive

5. Buy fabric from Abosson Homes online or in PA.
    Pros: Reassuring that there is a storefront
    Cons: Very, very expensive

6. Buy a couch from Lee Jofa and make friends with your scissors.
   Pros: Authentic L.P. fabric of upholstery quality
   Cons: Seriously, who would do this?




Other interested facts and tid-bits

Click here for a very interesting discussion on the origin of Ebay/Etsy sold L.P. fabric.

Fun Fact: The word Lilly is hidden in every L.P. fabric. I've seen it on leaves, tiger stripes, waves, etc.

The 'Pulitzer' in Lilly Pulitzer comes from Lilly's last name from her first marriage- to the grandson of none other than Joseph Pulitzer (you know... the book guy :)  ) 


To see tips on finding L.P. fabric at the thrift store, click this link.
To see an ironing board cover made with thrifted L.P. fabric pieces, click this link.

If you have any information you would like to share about where you found your Lilly fabric, please leave it in the comments!

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for this info. I can now stop my search for LP fabric by the yard. I am obsessed with lilly p.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I would love to have the fabric for my daughter's 16th birthday party

    ReplyDelete
  3. Calico Corners currently has the exclusive on select Lilly fabric by the yard - it is not really for dress making as it is not the polished cotton etc but is upholstery weight - some very fun prints suitable for pillows, headboards, curtains, dustruffles, slipcovers etcetcetc

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love this post, thanks for sharing your research. I'm not necessarily looking for LP fabric, but one that has the same quality, texture and feel. Any suggestions? Your post came up when I was researching the fabric to find out what the content is. I'm assuming it's 100% cotton but wanted to know, if I wanted to go with something in a fabric store, what should I look for that would be the closest match in terms of quality, softness, etc. I am hoping to commission a family member to help me sew some summer dresses. My favorite fabrics are ones that you can wipe your hands on and it dries easily, but doesn't wrinkle. I don't do well with irons : D

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  5. Ebay has tons of Lilly Pulitzer fabric for sale by the yard for $18 to $25 per yard. A few of them are labeled as dress fabric but most do not say. I wrote to one seller to ask and they said their fabric was drapery weight, so be careful.

    ReplyDelete

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