Fabric can usually be purchased from Missy Rose in one of two ways: buying a print that’s already in our stock, or buying a pre-ordered print that’s in the process of being printed by the manufacturer. We live in a culture of instant gratification, so when shopping for fabric, many people choose to order immediately available stock, not realising that by doing so, they’re missing out on a number of benefits that come with pre-ordering fabric.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the benefits of pre-ordering fabric, and why you might consider switching.
Get the exact length you want
With a fabric pre order, we sell a batch of prints within a specific timeframe (e.g. 1st — 14th May), and then once the cut-off date has passed, we send the total order through to our fabric printers. This is essentially a made-to-order process, which means that you can order as much fabric as you like, only restricted by the amount you’re willing to spend. In-stock fabric, on the other hand, is limited by whatever we have left over in the warehouse after a previous pre order has shipped to customers, so if you typically order larger fabric sizes, pre-ordering is a better option for you.
If you’re a seamstress or running your own sewing business, you’re likely to be ordering larger quantities of fabric so that you can create multiple items for your store. By pre-ordering the fabric, you’re guaranteed to get the exact amount that you need, and there’s less stress about being able to make enough stock from the limited amount of in-stock fabric that is available.
New and original designs
Perhaps the biggest benefit to buying pre-ordered fabric is getting your hands on original, never-seen-before designs, to be fashioned into an adorable dress, a cute pair of pants, or to extend your ample collection of awesome fabrics. Pre-ordering gives you VIP access to the latest and greatest that we have to offer, whether for your personal sewing hobby, or to create brand new designs for your burgeoning clothing business.
Bigger choice of bases
Pre-ordering opens up a brand new selection of fabric choices, broadening the range beyond the standard in-stock options. With a bigger selection of fabric base choices, you’re more likely to find a fabric that you like, allowing you to fashion something unique and beautiful. Your work will become more interesting and varied, and if you’re selling the items that you make online, potentially more sought after.
Guarantee that you'll secure a certain fabric
Nobody likes to miss out on something they love, and because in-stock fabrics are limited by the amount of stock leftover in the warehouse, they’re liable to sell out at any moment and leave you disappointed. With pre-ordered fabrics, all you need to do is place your order within our timeframe, and you’ll secure that delightful fabric that you’ve had your eye on.
If you’re a business owner selling clothing or other items, being able to secure fabrics is an important part of planning, allowing you to manufacture the exact product that you had in mind, rather than settling on leftover in-stock fabric. Pre ordering is the only way of getting your fabric cut to order.
Delayed gratification
We may live in an era of instant gratification where we expect things right now, but studies show that people who consistently delay gratification have better careers, relationships, health, and finances. Pre-ordered fabric is made-to-order and takes weeks to arrive, which makes purchasing fabric in this way an auspicious opportunity to practice delayed gratification. Plus there’s the anticipation of waiting for your luscious new fabric to arrive, and the excitement that goes along with it.
Payment options
We currently offer “pay later” payment options for pre-ordered fabric, from services such as Afterpay, Humm, Latitude or Paypal’s “Put it on Lay-Buy.” Many of these services are quick to set up, interest-free, and stagger your payments automatically over a set period of time. By paying off your pre-ordered fabric slowly, you can keep your hard-earned money in your account for longer, allowing you to cover essential costs like rent, mortgage repayments, and food without worry.
In-stock fabric may arrive at our door faster, but pre-ordered fabric comes with a range of benefits, more plentiful designs, to layby payment options that spread out the cost. You may need to do a little pre-planning to get your fabric when you need it, but once you get into a groove, you’ll become an ardent pre-orderer with an ever-growing collection of awesome fabrics.
References
- Ilene Strauss Cohen, 2017, The Benefits of Delaying Gratification, Psychology Today
Join our friendly community of fabric lovers!
We’ve built a community of over 15,000 fabric enthusiasts, who support, encourage, and inspire each other daily. If you’d like to get regular and valuable feedback on your work, help others with their designs, and chat to our members about all things sewing, you can join our Facebook group here. You’ll get a sneak-peek at Fabric by Missy Rose’s upcoming fabrics too, so that you never miss out on our latest designs!