Making Your Own Fabric: A Review of Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Sometimes I get tired of searching for the perfect fabric for a project. All I wanted was a Halloween fabric with a ghostly cemetery nature vibe, yet most options I found were either cartoonish or downright tacky. Frustrated with the limited choices, I decided to create my own custom fabric. While there are several websites that offer fabric printing services, I had a less-than-stellar experience with Spoonflower in the past. This time, I did my research and read about Raspberry Creek Fabrics. So, I thought I would try them out and make a review.

Designing My Fabric

First, I created my own Spooky fabric design in photoshop, in a repeating pattern of course. It was quick and easy to upload the design onto Raspberry Creek Fabrics' website. I even made the design available for public purchase, in case anyone else liked it. I created two versions of my whimsical ghost fabric: one in pink and one in orange. The orange design, named "Haunted Flowers," is featured at the top of this page for reference. I wasn’t sure which fabric would work best for my project so I ordered test pieces of their three cotton options.

Unlike Spoonflower, which took over two months, Raspberry Creek Fabrics had a fast turnaround time. In less than two weeks, my custom fabric was in my hands. I would keep in mind that this might change during peak seasons, like December, when custom prints are in high demand. After receiving the fabric, I was happy to find that there was no unpleasant smell, which can sometimes happen with custom printed fabrics. The fabric also felt normal unlike Spoonflower fabric which feels like stiff cardboard even after a wash. I decided to put the three Raspberry fabrics through some rigorous testing to check if they were worth the price: a hot water wash followed by high-heat drying to check for bleeding, fading, or pilling. I then ironed/pressed the fabric and lastly tried stretching and scraping them to check for durability.

Cotton Twill: The clear winner

My favorite among the three fabrics was the Cotton Twill, which was in my "Haunted Flowers" (orange) design. The fabric felt similar to Kona Cotton, although a bit less soft and with less stretch. I would describe the twill as comparable to a quilting cotton. The printed image on the fabric was crisp, clear, and the colors were spot-on. The colors seemed deeply embedded in the fabric fibers and didn't fade or flake when subjected to some abuse. Even when I stretched the fabric, the image maintained its integrity and you could not see the white fabric underneath. It ironed and pressed well without issues. In short, Raspberry ‘cotton twill’ is by far a much higher quality fabric than the ‘signature cotton’ from Spoonflower and I would buy it again.

Organic Cotton: Soft and cozy with some problems

Next up was the "Spooky Flowers" (pink) design printed on Organic Cotton. This fabric had a lovely softness and quite a bit of stretch. While the image looked great, it was slightly less crisp than the Cotton Twill. The colors remained vibrant after washing, and there was no pilling but I do wonder if there will be over time. However, I have concerns: first, the colors faded when scratched with a fingernail, and although the image itself didn't come off, it was visibly noticeable. It makes me think the colors will fade quickly over time. Second, when fully stretched, the white fabric is visible, and more concerning, the fabric stayed stretched and warped. So, I’m worried about the fabrics ability to hold shape over time.

Brussels Washer Linen: A nightmare in fabric form

The "Spooky Flowers" (pink) design on Brussels Washer Linen initially looked good. This specific linen is actually a blend of 55% linen and 45% rayon, so I didn't expect it to perform like 100% linen. Unfortunately, the fabric was a disappointment. The fabric constantly shed tiny fibers, even after washing. The printed color sat on top of the fabric and could be easily rubbed off. After washing, it already showed signs of pilling. On top of all these issues, the fabric arrived with multiple print defects, including double-printed ghosts and white streaks where the print didn’t take. However, Raspberry Creek Fabrics' customer service was really helpful. I sent them an email with photos of the defects, and they offered a choice of refund or reprint the very next day.

Final Thoughts

Raspberry Creek Fabrics delivered a mixed bag of results. While the Cotton Twill was wonderful and I would buy it again, the Organic Cotton had some durability issues. The Brussels Washer Linen, unfortunately, was terrible and I would not recommend it for any project. This is why it’s so important to buy test pieces when purchasing from new shops or ordering custom fabrics. Overall, I still think Raspberry Creek Fabric is a much better option than Spoonflower and I may use them again for other designs in the future.