Bobbinly. Find fabric. Sew more.

For people who sew their own clothes

Find fabric for your pattern in minutes, not hours.

Tell Bobbinly the sewing pattern you want to make. It reads the pattern's fabric requirements, then finds fabric that suits it, in stock, at independent fabric shops across the US, with the yardage worked out for each fabric's width.

Coming to iPhone and AndroidEarly 2027

Less time searching, more time sewing.

Example screen, drawn from the app. Pattern envelope image: McCall's.

Why I built Bobbinly

Hi, I'm Michelle. I've been sewing for more than 30 years.

When Joann closed, I lost the place where I could walk the aisles, feel the fabric and find everything my pattern needed in one trip.

Like a lot of sewists, I started shopping online. I'd spend many frustrating hours searching for that perfect fabric for my pattern. If you're anything like me, you want to start a project while the idea is still exciting!

So I built the app I wished I had. Tell it your pattern, and it shows you fabric that will work for it.

Michelle, founder of Bobbinly

How it works

Start with the pattern, not the search box.

  1. Enter your pattern

    Type the brand and number, paste a link, or photograph the envelope. You don't need to own it yet: check what fabric is out there before you buy the pattern.

  2. Choose your view and size

    Bobbinly reads the pattern's own yardage chart, suggested fabrics and notions, so you see what your version needs at each fabric width.

  3. See fabric that works

    In-stock fabric from independent US shops, with the price per yard, the yardage for that fabric's width and what your project would cost. Tap through to buy from the shop.

Example screen. The fabrics and prices shown are for illustration.

What it checks

Trustworthy beats impressive.

Bobbinly shows what the pattern and the shop actually say. If a shop doesn't state a fact, Bobbinly leaves it out.

  • Yardage for the real widthYour pattern, view and size, matched to each fabric's own width. A 54-inch fabric gets the 45-inch yardage, because it's too narrow for the 60-inch layout.
  • Suitability before looksWoven or knit, stretch, weight and drape come first, then color and print.
  • Prices you can compareEvery price is shown per yard, including shops that list by the half, quarter or eighth yard.
  • In stock onlySold-out fabric stays out of your results.
  • Real fabric shopsIndependent US garment-fabric shops. No Etsy, no Amazon, no quilting-only shops.

The details sewists notice

It reads the notions too.

Some notions are really fabric. A bomber jacket's rib knit trim comes in a size that can be hard to find ready-cut, so many sewists buy rib knit by the yard and cut the strips themselves.

Bobbinly spots those lines, lets you shop for the rib knit like any other fabric, and shows the sum so you can check it against your envelope.

From the pattern's notions

7" × 38" rib knit trim: three strips for A, two strips for B.

ViewStripsRib knit to buy
A3 × 7" = 21"⅝ yd
B2 × 7" = 14"½ yd
A and B5 × 7" = 35"1 yd

Strips are cut across the fabric, where rib knit stretches, so the fabric needs to be at least 38" wide. Rounded up to the nearest ⅛ yard.

Example screen, drawn from the app.

Inspiration

Saw something you'd love to make?

Add a photo of an outfit. Bobbinly lists each piece it can see, describes the fit, and says what fabric it looks like.

  • You choose the pieceThe jacket, the waistcoat, or one after the other. Nothing is searched until you say so.
  • You can correct itThe fabric is a guess from a photo, and Bobbinly says so. If it's suede and not corduroy, tell it.
  • Real patterns to start fromFrom pattern companies and independent designers, matched on shape and fit, with what you'd change to get the look.

Our promise

Bobbinly works for sewists.

No money from shops

Bobbinly doesn't take commissions or payment from fabric shops or pattern companies, so results are never tilted.

You buy from the shop

Bobbinly doesn't sell fabric. Every result links to the shop's own page, and your order is with them.

Nothing invented

No made-up stock, widths, fibers or yardage. When something can't be confirmed, Bobbinly says so.

Questions

Good to know

When can I get it?

Bobbinly is being tested now and is planned for iPhone and Android in early 2027.

Is it for iPhone or Android?

Both. Bobbinly arrives on iPhone first, with Android close behind.

Which patterns does it know?

Simplicity, McCall's, Butterick, Vogue, New Look and Burda Style, plus many independent designers. You can also photograph an envelope.

Do I need to own the pattern?

No. Many sewists check what fabric is available before buying a pattern.

Which shops does it search?

Independent garment-fabric shops in the US, with more being added. Marketplaces like Etsy and Amazon are left out.

Does Bobbinly sell fabric or patterns?

No. Bobbinly helps you find them, then sends you to the shop or pattern company to buy.

How do I get in touch?

Have a question, or a fabric shop you'd like Bobbinly to search? Email me, Michelle, at michelle@bobbinly.com.