Frequently Asked Questions

Core Fabrics is an online-only store. That being said, as makers ourselves, we understand that touching, feeling, and experiencing a fabric is an essential part of the creative process. If you want to get up close and personal with a textile before purchasing, you can always order a swatch on the product page.

If you are located in Montreal, choose local pickup at checkout and you can stop by our Villeray studio to get your package!

We also occasional in-person events, often in September as a part of Montreal Fashion Week where you can shop in person, snag some discounted remnants and connect with members of the Montreal sewing community. Be sure to join our newsletter to hear about our in-person events (sign-up in our website footer!)

You can order swatches by clicking the “Add a Swatch” button found on each product page. Swatches are $1.00 each plus shipping charges. Since our inventory is constantly changing, we recommend acting fast if you fall in love with a fabric – we do restock select inventory, but in some cases, sold-out textiles are gone with the wind.

We offer a Designer Program where you can sign up to get bulk ordering discounts on orders over 30 metres, in addition to special Designer promotions.

We work hard to source textiles from artisans, mills and wholesalers around the world who are committed to producing fabric in environmentally and ethically responsible ways. We are continually reviewing our sourcing practices to identify and implement areas of improvement, and acknowledge that true sustainability is a lifetime commitment to meaningful and ongoing actions and education.

We try our best to source locally as much as possible, but it can be challenging since most textile manufacturing has left North America.

Our shop is in metres. If you're used to yards, a metre is just a little over 3 inches longer, so think of it as a tiny fabric bonus! To make shopping easier for those used to seeing yards, our handy yardage converter is right under the quantity selector if you ever need a quick conversion.

No problem! You can get new links for every pattern you've ordered from us by entering your email address here. If that doesn't work, double-check any alternative email addresses you may have used when checking out.

Alternatively, if you have an account in our shop, login to access your past orders.

If you still can't find your download link, please email us with your order number or other proof of purchase and we will try and re-send your download link. Please note we cannot resend patterns that were purchased more than two years ago, or that exceed our limit of 10 download attempts per file.

First, we suggest creating an account in our shop so you can access all your files in one place at any time!

After you place an order, you will land on a page with a custom download link. You can download your pattern then, or use the link included in the order confirmation sent via email. If you don’t receive a download link via email, please check your junk mail as it may have been rerouted (and add us to your safe senders list so it doesn't happen again!)

Our digital patterns always come with the following files:

- A digital instruction booklet in Letter/A4 format. Depending on the pattern, it may include hyperlinks to supplementary online content. You can print this, but we prefer to follow along on a phone or tablet to save paper.

- Print at home pattern: letter/A4 paper. This format can be used on any home printer, whether you're using imperial or metric paper.

- Copyshop pattern: 46"x48"/A0 paper. This is the file you'll send to your copyshop to print on a large scale plotter printer. It will work on imperial or metric paper.

- Copy Shop File Directions:  This will explain how to print our files at a copyshop, and give you permission to print it.

You will be allowed 10 attempts to download your file. Please save your file in a safe place. We suggest Dropbox, a free online cloud service.

Please visit the Closet Core Patterns Help Centre! Chances are they've answered it there.

All Canadian shoppers will be charged HST, GST and PST, as is required depending on where they live in Canada. These taxes are added at checkout.

Customers based in the EU and UK will be charged VAT on all purchases. VAT is included in the price shown on the product pages.

In recent years, regulations have changed, and VAT must now be collected based on the customer’s location (as opposed to the company’s location). So, even though we are a Canadian company, we are legally required to collect and remit VAT. You can read more about the VAT regulations here. 

If you have a discount code, it will be applied to the total price before taxes.

Starting May 2, 2025, the U.S. government will end duty-free (de minimis) treatment for goods from China and Hong Kong. This means that all products of Chinese origin imported into the U.S. will be subject to applicable duties, tariffs, and taxes, billed at or after delivery, and will be the responsibility of the customer.

Orders under $800 USD that include only non-Chinese-made items will continue to ship duty-free to the U.S. for now. Please visit this page for more info.

Yes! From our studio in beautiful Montreal, Canada, we are delighted to ship to makers worldwide. That said, all additional customs and duties that may be collected at the border are the sole responsibility of the customer.

We leave a 24 hour buffer to allow for cancelled orders. Once your order is cut, it is final. After your order is prepared for shipping, you’ll be sent a confirmation email with a tracking number (if applicable).

Below you'll find average shipping times once you've received a shipping notification. Please note we are not responsible for delays due to carrier, customs or border issues. Once your order leaves our warehouse, we have little control over its journey to you!

Canada: 3 to 7 business days

United States:Fedex 7 to 10 days

International: Fedex 7-14 days Canada Post 30 business days ( depending on location and delays).

Please note that shipping and processing times increase during sales.

Once your fabric is cut, we are unable to provide exchanges or returns. If we sent you the wrong fabric, or if your order arrives damaged or defective, please contact us right away so we can remedy the situation. After 30 days from your original invoice date, we will not be able to accept returns on any item, and we do not accept returns for fabrics that have been cut or altered by the customer.

We are committed to investing in sustainability initiatives to counteract the environmental impact of shipping. We know that transportation used to ship our orders burns fossil fuels and generates carbon emissions. Those emissions trap heat, leading to climate change. To minimize our carbon footprint, we subscribe to Planet, which helps neutralize our shipments' carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Planet uses industry models to determine the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere for each shipment and then charges us an amount per shipment to offset those emissions. The funds are used to back the development of technologies that accelerate carbon removal from the atmosphere. You can learn more about the initiative here.