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Dress Fabrics for Dressmaking

Dress Fabrics for Dressmaking

Explore our collection of dress fabrics, sourced from mills across the UK and Europe. From cotton lawn and linen to silk, Italian wool and viscose, each fabric is chosen for quality, drape and durability - ideal for dresses, blouses, tailoring and occasionwear.

Browse by fibre type to narrow your search, including linen dress fabrics, silk dress fabrics and wool dress fabrics. You can also shop by fabric type - crepe, satin, jersey or cotton poplin - to find the right material for your project.

Much of our range includes ex-designer and mill-end pieces, including Italian-made fabrics and deadstock finds alongside everyday staples. Whether you're sewing a wardrobe staple or something special, you'll find natural fibres, blends and statement prints all in one place.
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  • Made in Italy+ More colours Silk Crepe - Wild Stem Italian Lightweight Floral Dress Fabric Silk Crepe Wild Stem Roll
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    Silk Crepe - Wild Stem

    137cm wide, very fine and soft 100% silk crepe fabric with a floaty floral and leaf design.

    (1)
    €21,90 per metre
  • Hump - Cotton Stretch Jersey Hump Camel Cotton Lycra Jersey Dress Fabric Mannequin
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    Hump - Cotton Stretch Jersey

    Wide camel cotton jersey fabric with stretch and a soft drapey finish.

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours BA - Embroidered Lawn - Addison Ba Addison Cotton Embroidered Broderie Anglaise Floral White Dress Fabric
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    BA - Embroidered Lawn - Addison

    Stunning 146cm wide, white cotton lawn broderie anglaise fabric embroidered with a floral design.

    (3)
    €11,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Golden Plaid Italian 100% Linen Check Dress Fabric Golden Plaid Roll
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    Golden Plaid

    154cm wide, 100% linen dress fabric with a warm plaid check in red, yellow, brown and green.

    €27,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Burnt Umber Italian Wool Melton Brushed Coating Fabric Burnt Umber Fold
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    Burnt Umber

    153cm wide, Italian 100% wool melton brushed coating fabric in a russet brown and black blend.

    €29,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy InWool - Cavo Knit Inwool Cavo Knit Viscose Pale Pink Cable Knitted Jersey Fabric Fold
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    InWool - Cavo Knit

    Italian, deadstock cable knit coating fabric in pale pink made from viscose, perfect for jumpers.

    (1)
    €23,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Bertie
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    Bertie

    154cm wide, wool suiting fabric with a brown & black houndstooth check, made in Italy.

    €31,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Valerie Italian 100% Cotton Black Velvet Fabric Valerie Roll
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    Valerie

    150cm wide Italian black cotton velvet fabric with a soft lightweight drape.

    (1)
    €17,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Columbia Columbia Cotton Twill Dark Green Olive Woven Trouser Fabric Roll
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    Columbia

    Italian cotton twill fabric in dark olive with a lightweight tailored finish.

    (1)
    €17,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Gauze - Pink Double Gauze Fabric Blackberry Pink 3021
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    Double Gauze - Pink

    135cm wide, cotton double gauze fabric in pink, 130gsm, breathable and Oeko-Tex certified.

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Gauze - Forest Green Double Gauze Fabric Forest Green 5031
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    Double Gauze - Forest Green

    Forest green double gauze fabric in soft breathable cotton, 135cm wide.

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Gauze - Royal Blue
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    Double Gauze - Royal Blue

    135cm wide, cotton double gauze fabric in royal blue, 130gsm, breathable and Oeko-Tex certified.

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Gauze - Denim Double Gauze Fabric Denim
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    Double Gauze - Denim

    Soft denim blue cotton double gauze fabric with a lightweight crinkled texture.

    (1)
    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Gauze - Turquoise Double Gauze Fabric Turquoise 3030
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    Double Gauze - Turquoise

    Soft turquoise double gauze fabric in breathable cotton, 135cm wide.

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Gauze - Sand Double Gauze Fabric Sand 7005 Fold
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    Double Gauze - Sand

    135cm natural sand cotton gauze fabric with a soft airy double-layer weave.

    €9,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Bewarm
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    Bewarm

    154cm wide, soft lightweight wool coating fabric in very dark brown. Woven in Italy and 380gsm.

    €35,90 per metre
  • + More colours French Terry - Grey French Terry Fabric Grey 0837
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    French Terry - Grey

    Grey French terry jersey fabric, 150cm wide with cotton stretch for hoodies and joggers.

    €13,90 per metre
  • Stof Cotton Poplin - Blue Willow Stof 100% Cotton Poplin Floral Dress Fabric Blue Willow Fold
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    Stof Cotton Poplin - Blue Willow

    150cm blue floral cotton poplin fabric by Stof with white background and soft handle.

    €11,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Growing Wild Growing Wild White Blue Red Green Floral Leaf Print Viscose Italian Deadstock Lightweight Dress Fabric Roll
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    Growing Wild

    142cm wide, ex-designer viscose fabric with a wild cartoon like floral design in bold colours.

    (1)
    €17,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours Finest Silk - Bronze Finest Silk Bronze Brown Plain Italian Deadstock Lightweight Dress Fabric Fold
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    Finest Silk - Bronze

    136cm wide, ex-designer washed silk fabric in a rich bronze colour. Perfect for luxurious blouses.

    €33,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Sumatra Sumatra Wool Viscose Pink Italian Deadstock Abstract Dress Fabric Fold
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    Sumatra

    149cm wide, ex-designer wool and viscose dress fabric with a beautiful large-scale abstract design.

    (2)
    €25,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy Morning Glory Morning Glory Viscose Elastane Black Stretch Italian Deadstock Fabric Fold
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    Morning Glory

    97% viscose, 3% elastane densley knitted, fine soft mid-weight dress fabric in black which offers a smooth, elegant drape with a subtle stretch. This is a heck of a cloth.

    €21,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - Notalot Ita Collection Notalot Wool Alpaca Honey Brown Brushed Coating Fabric Roll
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    ITA Collection - Notalot

    Honey-coloured Italian wool and alpaca coating, with soft texture and light structure.

    €43,90 per metre
  • + More colours Double Scallop Lace - Wine Floral Corded Polyester Lace Dress Fabric Lace Red 2
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    Double Scallop Lace - Wine

    Beautifully made 145cm wide soft and heavy corded dressmaking lace in wide red. Made with a double scalloped edge.

    €13,90 per metre
  • + More colours Monaco Crepe - Black Polyester Plain Woven Dress Fabric Monaco Crepe Black Hang
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    Monaco Crepe - Black

    Black polyester crepe fabric, 180gsm. Smooth drape and structure for dresses and tailoring.

    €19,90 per metre
  • + More colours Interlock - Blush Interlock Cotton Blush Pink Lycra Dress Fabric Roll
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    Interlock - Blush

    Pink cotton interlock jersey fabric, 165cm wide with stretch for dresses and polo shirts.

    (1)
    €9,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - Cashmere - Cestino Ita Collection Cashmere Cestino Wool Grey Black Herringbone Basket Weave Coating Fabric Fold
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    ITA Collection - Cashmere - Cestino

    Italian wool and cashmere herringbone coating, 148cm wide. Ex-designer deadstock in grey and black, soft and refined.

    €37,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - Cashmere - Lusso Ita Collection Cashmere Lusso Wool Black Grey Brushed Suiting Fabric Fold
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    ITA Collection - Cashmere - Lusso

    Italian wool and cashmere coating in deep near-black, 152cm wide. Ex-Valentino deadstock with a soft brushed finish.

    €47,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - Bracco Tweed Ita Collection Bracco Tweed Wool Grey Black White Ex Designer Deadstock Houndstooth Check Coating Fabric Fold
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    ITA Collection - Bracco Tweed

    Italian 100% wool tweed, 154cm wide. Ex-designer deadstock houndstooth jacketing in black, grey and white.

    €33,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - Brushed - Navy Ita Collection Brushed Navy Wool Fleece Woven Coating Fabric Fold
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    ITA Collection - Brushed - Navy

    Italian brushed wool jacketing, 160cm wide. Ex-designer deadstock in deep navy with a soft, lightweight handle.

    (1)
    €31,90 per metre
  • Omega Superfine Wool Suiting Fabric Black Omega Roll
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    Omega

    150cm wide superfine wool suiting fabric has a gorgeously soft hand. Features an interesting birds-eye weave in shades of black, dark grey and navy.

    (2)
    €15,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - A Hint Ita Collection A Hint Wool Check Tweed Black Red Woven Coating Fabric Fold
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    ITA Collection - A Hint

    Italian wool melange coating, 135cm wide. Designer deadstock with subtle sparkle and rich mixed yarn texture.

    (1)
    €37,90 per metre
  • Made in Italy+ More colours ITA Collection - Bracco Suiting Ita Collection Bracco Suiting Wool Woven Houndstooth Check Black White Ex Designer Deadstock Suiting Fabric Fold
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    ITA Collection - Bracco Suiting

    Italian 100% wool suiting, 145cm wide. Ex-designer deadstock black and white houndstooth with a soft, refined finish.

    €33,90 per metre
  • + More colours Sewing Room - Micro Dot - Cream Sewing Room Mirco Dot Cream Cotton Fabric Cud
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    Sewing Room - Micro Dot - Cream

    113cm wide superior quality cotton poplin in a small cream and brown polka dot.

    (1)
    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Candy Crepe - Pale Ice Green Candy Crepe Pale Ice Green Polyester Dress Fabric Fold
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    Candy Crepe - Pale Ice Green

    145cm wide, polyester double crepe fabric in pale ice green. Perfect for special occasion garments.

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Pima Cotton Lawn - Gustav - Brown Pima Cotton Lawn Gustav Brown Abstract Dress Fabric Brown Green Nude Orange Roll
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    Pima Cotton Lawn - Gustav - Brown

    Retro geometric Pima cotton lawn fabric, 140cm wide in brown and rust colour palette.

    €15,90 per metre
  • + More colours JK - Marmaris - Black Jk Mamaris Black Cotton Stretch Twilled Trousering Dress Fabric Close Up Fabric Photo
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    JK - Marmaris - Black

    Black stretch cotton trousering fabric by John Kaldor, 150cm wide for smart tailoring.

    (1)
    €15,90 per metre
  • + More colours JK - Scuba Crepe - Navy Jk Scuba Crepe Navy Polyester Scuba Knitted Stretch Crepe Fabric Close Up Maneqiun Drape Fabric Photo
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    JK - Scuba Crepe - Navy

    This is a lovely polyester Scuba crepe fabric in Navy from John Kaldor, which has a slightly textured surface and is of beautiful quality with great draping!

    €15,90 per metre
  • + More colours JK - Salso - Navy Jk Salso Navy Viscose Linen Swirl
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    JK - Salso - Navy

    135cm wide, mid-weight linen and viscose blend dress fabric in navy blue. Perfect for summer wear.

    (1)
    €15,90 per metre
  • + More colours Crepe De Chine - Black Crepe De Chine Black Chiffon Roll
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    Crepe De Chine - Black

    Black crepe de chine easy care dress fabric. A lightweight versatile fabric which drapes beautifully.††

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Crepe De Chine - Soft White Crepe De Chine White Chiffon Fold
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    Crepe De Chine - Soft White

    Easy to care for soft white crepe de chine dress fabric. A lightweight versatile fabric which drapes beautifully.††

    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Coast - Lime Coast Lime Light Green Polyester Linen Like Dress Craft Fabric Drape
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    Coast - Lime

    The look of a lime linen with the benefits of polyester by John Kaldor.

    €11,90 per metre
  • + More colours Coast - Petrol Coast Petrol Linen Look Dress Fabric Petrol Blue John Kaldor Close Up
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    Coast - Petrol

    The look of a petrol blue linen with the benefits of polyester by John Kaldor.

    (1)
    €13,90 per metre
  • + More colours Cotton - Sunflower Field True Craft Sunflower Field Yellow 100%Cotton Roll
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    Cotton - Sunflower Field

    Sunflower print cotton quilting fabric, 150cm wide for dresses, patchwork and crafts.

    (1)
    €9,90 per metre
  • + More colours Riviera Lawn - Ivory Plain Cotton Lawn Dressmaking Fabric Riviera Lawn Ivory
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    Riviera Lawn - Ivory

    Ivory cotton lawn fabric, 145cm wide with soft lightweight handle for summer sewing.

    (2)
    €9,90 per metre
  • Viscose Crush - Teal
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    Viscose Crush - Teal

    100% Viscose Rayon dress fabrics with a wrinkle finish great for hiding creases. Breathable and light-weight so good for summer garments.

    €11,90 per metre
  • + More colours Sewing Room - Patchwork Blue Poplin Print Patchwork Blue Hexaon Floral Patchwork Design Fold
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    Sewing Room - Patchwork Blue

    Patchwork floral cotton poplin fabric, 114cm wide in blue, pink and ivory shades.

    (1)
    €9,90 per metre

Choosing the right dress fabric

The right fabric depends on the garment you're making, the season, and how the finished piece should move. Lightweight fabrics like cotton lawn, voile and silk work well for summer dresses and floaty blouses. Mid-weight cottons, linen and viscose are reliable all-season choices for structured and relaxed styles alike. For tailored pieces and occasionwear, crepe, satin and wool suiting give the finish and body that lighter fabrics can't.

If you're working from a pattern, check the recommended fabric type and weight first. Most patterns list suitable fibres, and using the right weight makes fitting and construction much easier. When buying online, ordering a sample is always worthwhile - colour and handle can differ from what you see on screen.

At Croft Mill, much of our dress fabric range is ex-designer or mill-end stock sourced directly from textile mills in the UK, Italy and across Europe. That means quality that's difficult to find on the high street, often at a fraction of the original price.

What's the most popular fabric for making dresses?

Cotton and viscose are the most widely used dress fabrics for everyday makes. Cotton is easy to sew, available in a huge range of prints and weights, and comfortable to wear year-round. Viscose drapes beautifully and suits wrap dresses, shirt dresses and anything that needs movement. For special occasions, silk and satin are the go-to choices.

How much dress fabric do I need?

For a simple shift or tea dress, 2–2.5 metres is usually sufficient up to a size 16. Dresses with full skirts, pleats or long sleeves will need more - typically 3–4 metres. Always check your pattern's fabric requirements before buying, and allow a little extra for pattern matching or nap direction.

Can I buy dress fabric by the metre at Croft Mill?

Yes, all our dress fabrics are sold by the metre. You can buy as little as half a metre on most lines, with fabric cut in one continuous length. If you need a larger quantity or have a specific project in mind, contact us and we'll do our best to help.

What's the difference between woven and knit dress fabrics?

Woven fabrics - cotton, linen, silk, crepe - don't stretch along the grain and are best used with standard dressmaking patterns. Knit fabrics - jersey, viscose jersey, ponte - have natural stretch and are designed for patterns that call for stretch fabric specifically. Using the wrong type will affect fit and how the garment behaves.

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