Thread: Did quilt cotton fabric get thinner?

I buy online from quilt shops in the US so no chance to feel the fabric in person. If anyone knows an online shop that still has old stock thick Fairy Frost?

Originally Posted by ManiacQuilter2

Manufacturers will do anything to keep the price of yardage down.

....or their profit margin high.....

I still don't understand why fab is so much more expensive outside of the u.s.

I had a robert kaufman from 1985 that was only 42 inches wide. A lot of the so-called better brands have been 40-42 inches wide for decades.

I learned the hard way to check fabric widths!,

I think they are getting thinner... picked up 3 different fabrics at my LQS this week and when I got home really looked at them they are thin enough you can see through them. All different manufactures.

I look at the end of the bolt to see how wide the fabric is out of curiosity. Often I see 40 instead of 42. Why I buy more than a yard at a time or atleast add a 1/4 yd to my required length. The extra helps with after pre-washing and shrinkage to make sure I have plenty.

I believe you're right, fabric is much thinner than it used to be. Seems that this is the result of the cotton crop problem from a couple of years ago. The problem has been resolved, but fabric is still very thin, and, of course, the prices are still increasing. As with everything else, we're paying more for poorer quality products.