Fabric costs in the UK have crept up considerably over the last few years. If you have been browsing the aisles of your local haberdashery lately, or clicking through premium online retailers, you will know that even a basic cotton print can set you back £8 to £12 per metre before you have even thought about lining, thread, or interfacing.
That does not have to be the reality for home sewers, dressmakers, crafters, or small business owners. With the right knowledge and the right retailer, it is entirely possible to source high-quality fabric at genuinely low prices and still end up with finished projects you are proud to wear, display, or sell.
At Pound a Metre, we have spent years supplying budget-conscious makers across Britain with fabric that punches well above its price point. In this guide, we are going to walk you through everything: the deal structures that save you the most money, which fabric types offer the best value for each project type, and how to shop strategically so your next sewing haul costs a fraction of what you might expect.
"The best fabric deal is not always the lowest price per metre. It is the lowest price for the fabric that is right for your project. Knowing the difference changes everything."
Why Buying Cheap Fabric Online in the UK Has Changed
Ten years ago, budget fabric shopping meant trawling through local market stalls or driving to a wholesale district. Today, the online market has transformed the landscape entirely. Dedicated discount fabric retailers now operate sophisticated weekly deal schedules, multi-buy pricing structures, and flash sales that rival and often beat wholesale prices.
According to the Office for National Statistics Retail Sales bulletin, online retail in the textile and clothing category has grown significantly year-on-year. That growth has created fierce competition among online fabric retailers, and for customers, that competition translates into real savings.
What separates a genuinely good deal from a false economy comes down to three things: the weight and hand-feel of the fabric, the quality of the print or finish, and the accuracy of the colour representation online. We will address all of these throughout this guide, specifically in the context of the deals and collections available at Pound a Metre right now.
The Deal Collections Explained: What Each One Offers and Who It Is For
Pound a Metre runs a number of distinct deal structures simultaneously, and understanding how each one works is the key to shopping efficiently. Below, we break down every current offer, including what kinds of projects they are best suited to and how to combine them for maximum savings.
Fiver Friday
Every Friday, a rotating selection of fabrics lands at just £5 per metre. Stock is genuinely limited and moves fast. Fiver Friday consistently features dressmaking fabrics, printed cottons, and occasion fabrics that would ordinarily retail at £10 to £18 per metre. If you are a regular buyer, setting a Friday morning reminder for this collection alone will save you a meaningful amount over the course of a year. The selection changes every week, so repeat visits always surface something new.
Less Than a Fiver
A permanent collection of fabrics priced below £5 per metre. Ideal for large projects where cost-per-make is a real consideration, such as children's clothing, home furnishing projects, or craft use. This is not a clearance pile of end-of-line remnants. New lines are added regularly, and the collection is maintained as an ongoing destination for budget-led shopping rather than a dumping ground for discontinued stock. It is one of the most reliable starting points for new customers visiting the site for the first time.
Weekend Freebie - Spend £10, Get Free Fabric
Spend £10 over the weekend and receive a free fabric bonus added to your order. It is a simple, honest reward for customers who are already planning to shop. There are no complicated hoops to jump through and no hidden minimums beyond the stated £10 threshold. This offer is particularly well suited to newer sewers who want to try a fabric type they have not used before, as the free addition gives you an opportunity to experiment without any additional outlay.
£3 Fabric
At £3 per metre, this collection represents some of the best cost-per-use fabric available anywhere online in the UK. Perfect for lining projects, toile-making, children's wear, craft projects, and any situation where you need a lot of yardage without a high spend. Toile-making - creating a test version of a garment in inexpensive fabric before cutting into your main material - is one of the most underused skills in home sewing, and having a reliable source of £3 fabric makes it genuinely practical to do this on every project.
Corduroy Multi-Buy Deal
Corduroy is one of the most enduringly popular fabric choices for autumn and winter dressmaking, children's wear, and soft furnishings. It has seen a strong resurgence in popularity across the last three sewing seasons, appearing regularly in ready-to-wear collections and fashion editorial. This multi-buy deal lets you stock up across colours and wale widths at a price that makes bulk buying genuinely worthwhile. Whether you are making a single statement garment or building a seasonal wardrobe, the corduroy multi-buy is one of the most compelling offers on the site.
Pick and Mix Deal
One of the most flexible pricing structures in budget fabric retail. Rather than committing to multiple metres of a single fabric to reach a deal threshold, you can mix and match across different fabrics, colours, and weights in the same order. This is particularly valuable for dressmakers working on coordinated looks who need a main fabric and a contrast in the same order, for quilters and patchwork crafters who benefit from variety without overspending on any single line, and for small business owners selling handmade items on platforms such as Etsy UK who need variety in their stock without committing to a single bulk purchase.
Weekend Bonanza
The Weekend Bonanza collection brings together a curated set of heavily discounted lines available only from Friday to Sunday. If you are a habitual weekend shopper, making the Bonanza collection your first stop on a Friday evening or Saturday morning is a straightforward habit that compounds into real savings over time. The selection is refreshed weekly, so the collection always offers something worth looking at.
Trending Products
This collection surfaces what other customers are actually buying right now, based on real purchase data rather than editorial curation or sponsored placement. It is useful for makers who want to stay current with fabric trends without having to research the broader market independently. High-velocity lines in this collection are often a reliable quality indicator. It is also a useful shortcut for gift buyers or makers who are new to sewing and want to start with something tried and tested.
Top Picks
A hand-selected collection of the lines the Pound a Metre team rate most highly across the current stock. Where Trending Products reflects what customers are buying, Top Picks reflects what the people who handle and know the fabric best actually recommend. A time-saving shortcut for anyone who wants quality without browsing the entire catalogue, and a particularly good starting point for new customers who want a curated introduction to what the site does best.
Drape Fabrics
Flowing, fluid fabrics purpose-built for garments and interiors that need movement and softness. This category includes viscose, chiffon, satin, crepe, and jersey options across a wide range of prints and plains. Excellent value for dressmakers working on eveningwear, blouses, wrap dresses, and flowing skirts, as well as for makers working on lightweight curtains and home accessories where soft movement is a priority.
A Closer Look at Drape Fabrics: What They Are and When to Use Them
Of all the fabric categories on the site, drape fabrics are among the most searched and most misunderstood. The term "drape" refers to the way a fabric falls and moves, rather than a specific fibre or weave. A fabric with good drape flows gracefully; one without drape holds its shape rigidly.
According to Threads Magazine, one of the world's most authoritative resources on sewing technique, drape is determined by a combination of fibre content, yarn weight, and the tightness of the weave or knit. Generally speaking, fabrics such as viscose, silk, chiffon, crepe, and lightweight satin score highest on drape tests.
Which Drape Fabrics Are Best for Dressmaking?
For dressmaking, the choice of drape fabric depends heavily on the pattern you are working with and the season.
Viscose jersey is soft, stretchy, and comfortable against the skin. It is excellent for wrap dresses, maxi skirts, and relaxed-fit tops. Slightly more forgiving to sew than woven drape fabrics, it is a good choice for intermediate sewers moving into drapey garments for the first time.
Chiffon is sheer and lightweight with excellent movement and flow. It is ideal for overlays, floaty sleeves, and eveningwear. It requires sharp scissors, fine needles, and a degree of patience, but the results at even a budget price point are genuinely stunning. If you have not worked with chiffon before, it is worth cutting a test swatch to get comfortable with the handling before starting your main project.
Satin-backed crepe is one of the most versatile drape fabrics available. The satin side provides lustre and flow; the crepe side offers a more matte, structured look. It is effectively a reversible fabric and works beautifully for occasion garments, tailored eveningwear, and anything where you want the option of two finishes from a single material.
Lightweight cotton lawn sits at the lighter end of the woven cotton spectrum, but fine-woven lawn has enough movement and softness for blouses, loose dresses, and children's summer garments. It is also one of the most beginner-friendly fabrics in this weight range, pressing beautifully and sewing easily on a standard home machine.
You can browse the full range of drape fabrics at Pound a Metre here: Drape Fabrics Collection.
The Smart Buyer's Guide to Corduroy
Corduroy has had a serious resurgence over the last three sewing seasons. The tactile, ridged texture is back in fashion across clothing, home interiors, and accessories, and the fabric is more versatile than its traditional associations with autumnal trousers might suggest.
The corduroy multi-buy deal at Pound a Metre is one of the most cost-effective ways to build a wardrobe or fabric stash in this material. Here is what you need to know before you buy.
Understanding Corduroy Weights and Wale Counts
Corduroy is measured by its "wale", which is the number of ridges per inch of fabric. Higher wale counts produce finer, more supple fabric; lower wale counts produce wider, more textured ridges.
Fine wale corduroy (16 to 21 wale) has close-set ridges and a softer hand-feel. It is suitable for blouses, children's wear, and lighter garments where you want texture without bulk. Standard wale corduroy (8 to 14 wale) is the classic variety most people picture. Versatile for trousers, skirts, jackets, and soft furnishing projects including cushion covers and home accessories. Wide wale corduroy (4 to 7 wale) has a bold, chunky texture best suited to outerwear, statement pieces, and interior projects where you want the fabric to make a real impact.
The Sewing Directory, one of the UK's most respected independent craft resources, notes that corduroy remains among the most durable natural-feel fabrics available to home sewers, which makes the multi-buy pricing at Pound a Metre particularly compelling for anyone building a long-term stash.
How to Get the Most From the Pick and Mix Deal
The Pick and Mix deal rewards customers who are working across multiple projects simultaneously or who like to keep a varied stash. Rather than committing to multiple metres of a single fabric to hit a threshold, you can mix across different types, colours, and weights in the same order.
This is practical for dressmakers who need a main fabric and a lining or contrast fabric in the same purchase, for quilters and patchwork makers who benefit from variety without overspending on any single line, and for small business owners who need to keep material costs low while maintaining a broad product range. The Pick and Mix deal is also one of the most sensible routes into fabric stash-building for newer sewers.
Weekend Shopping Strategy: How to Combine the Offers
If you shop at Pound a Metre regularly, building a weekend shopping habit is one of the most effective ways to maximise your savings. Three of the most compelling offers overlap at the weekend: Fiver Friday, the Weekend Freebie, and the Weekend Bonanza.
Check the Fiver Friday collection as soon as it goes live on Friday morning. The most popular lines in this drop sell out within hours. Add your picks to the bag before browsing further. Supplement with items from the Less Than a Fiver collection if needed to reach the £10 threshold for the Weekend Freebie. Before checking out, review the Weekend Bonanza for any additional discounted lines, and check Trending Products to see what is moving before placing your order.
Fabric Type Guide: Matching the Right Material to Your Project
A common mistake among new sewers is purchasing fabric based on appearance alone, without confirming it is suited to the intended project. A beautiful fabric used in the wrong application can result in a garment that does not perform, drape, or wash as expected.
For dressmaking and garments, begin with the drape fabrics collection and top picks for flowing styles. For structured pieces, the corduroy multi-buy offers excellent body and durability.
For children's clothing, the £3 fabric collection and less-than-a-fiver range are the most practical choices. Look for machine-washable fabric descriptions, as most cotton and cotton-blend fabrics in these collections wash well on a standard 40-degree cycle.
For home sewing and crafts, cushion covers, tote bags, bunting, and quilts all work well with the mid-weight cottons available across the deal collections. The Pick and Mix deal is particularly well suited to craft projects, which often require small quantities of multiple different fabrics.
For curtains and soft furnishings, the drape fabrics collection includes options for lightweight unlined curtains, while heavier cottons and velvets from the broader catalogue work well for fully lined window treatments. At Pound a Metre's price points, making your own curtains remains one of the most cost-effective home improvements a maker can undertake.
What Makes a Fabric Deal Genuinely Good Value?
Not every cheap fabric is a good deal, and not every discount label represents real savings. Fabric weight listed in GSM (grams per square metre) tells you how substantial the material actually is. For dressmaking cotton, 130 to 160 GSM is a good functional weight. Fibre content should always be clearly stated, as it matters for care instructions, behaviour when sewn, and end-use performance. Width should also be clearly stated, typically 112cm, 145cm, or 150cm, as wider fabric provides significantly more usable material per cut. Real product photography in natural light gives you the most accurate colour representation available.
At Pound a Metre, all product listings include fibre content, width, and care guidance. If you have a question about a specific fabric before ordering, the team is available at contact@poundametre.com or by phone on 01274 317457.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often does the Fiver Friday collection change?
The Fiver Friday collection is refreshed every Friday with new lines. Some fabrics remain across multiple weeks, but the most popular lines sell out quickly. Check back every Friday morning for the freshest selection.
Is cheap fabric the same as low-quality fabric?
Not at all. Pound a Metre's pricing reflects a direct-supply, high-volume buying model, not a compromise on quality. Many of the fabrics in the Less Than a Fiver and £3 collections are the same fabric types used by professional dressmakers and fashion students. The difference is in the supply chain, not the material itself.
How does the Weekend Freebie work?
Spend £10 or more in a single order over the weekend and a free fabric bonus is added to your order. Check the Weekend Freebie collection page for the current terms and to see which fabric is available as the free addition that week.
Are drape fabrics suitable for beginners?
Some drape fabrics are more beginner-friendly than others. Viscose jersey and cotton lawn are the most forgiving starting points. Chiffon and very lightweight silky weaves are more technically demanding. The product descriptions in the drape fabrics collection will help you identify which lines are most suitable for your experience level.
Can I return fabric if it is not right for my project?
Full details of the returns and shipping policy are available on the Shipping Information page. For specific questions the customer service team is available at contact@poundametre.com or on 01274 317457.
The Final Word: Shop Smarter, Sew More
The days of having to choose between buying fabric you can afford and buying fabric you actually want to work with are over, at least when you know where to look and how to shop with a plan.
Set a Friday morning reminder for the Fiver Friday drop. Build weekend orders around the Bonanza and Weekend Freebie offers. Use the Pick and Mix deal to diversify a single order across fabric types. When buying in volume, the corduroy multi-buy and the £3 fabric collection offer the best per-metre value available online in the UK.
For a curated starting point, the Top Picks and Trending Products collections are the quickest route to quality, especially if you are new to the site. However you shop, the goal is the same: more fabric, better projects, and a stash that makes every sewing session something to look forward to.
