LadyElisabeth

Once in a whle we need to splurge and go to LQS so they don't all go out of business. When we buy "in person" we can feel the fabric to help check the quality.

MistyMarie

I am so sorry for posting that Connecting Threads is a US company. They used to advertise that their fabric was manufactured in the USA. Obviously they changed that because they no longer make this claim. Regardless, I love their fabrics and their prices. I apologize for my error. No more need to pounce on me for it, okay?

ghostrider

I wasn't meaning to pounce, MistyMarie, I was trying to clarify. They are still a US company, but so are all the other distributors, just as Don said. There is no reason not to buy their fabrics if you like them, no matter where they are made. My apologies for hurting your feelings.

quiltingdragon

I've been trying to mostly use my stash, but I am running low on things after almost a year of doing so. Splurged with this week's unemployment check and bought some fabrics on equilter, it was really expensive but nobody else had any of the fabric I wanted left. Going to try and sew all of my Christmas gifts again this year, but mostly trying to limit my fabric choices to stash. Going to have to buy some backing and I'm working on a quilt for myself that will need batting. I love bright color tone-on-tones which are easy to find and on the lower end of the scale. Finishing up a swap that was in batiks and that cost me = I thought I had enough to do it and had nowhere near enough that went together. I will pay full price for something I really like, but will try and get things on sale if possible. My per yard is on the high end, probably about 9 a yard, because if I am going to spend the money I will buy quality! I hit the sales when I can, but since I have just been buying pieces to finish projects it has cost a little more to match what I already had as some of i is older and getting harder to find.

pinecone

I used to give much support to my LQSs but alas the economy has hit hard. My one splurge is the make your own scrap bags at the tent sale at one LQS. My cost is about 86 cents a yard for $11-12 a yard goods. Just can't say no to that one! BTW, I have a fabric room that is stuffed so I shop there.

piney

Favorite Fabrics

I don't know how many people noticed, but the last time USPS raised their rates, they did not change the cost of a first class stamp (because people would fuss!) but they DID raise the prices on all their package rates, including their flat-rate items. Ironically, because I think it is the package part of their business that's actually paying its way!

As to merchants charging extra for credit carrd payments... gee but it would be nice not to have to eat the 3% - 4% fees! But I wouldn't have the nerve to pass on those costs to my customers. I'm very interested to see if any merchants actually do! I think it would be suicide, in terms of customer relations. But time will tell...

ghostrider

When I lived in Michigan in the 80's and 90's, many merchants routinely gave 'cash discounts' if you did not use a credit card for your purchases. I'm sure it was merely 'marketing from the positive side' (not to mention the legal side) of the swipe fees, but it was very effective. It's all in how you present things.

QKO

I don't think you'll see many online shops giving discounts for cash or adding surcharges for using credit or debit cards.

Most online shops are, by definition tied to debit/credit cards, and it's very difficult to accept cash for an online transaction. So far we haven't seen any movement by our merchant services company to lower the rates they charge us for processing transactions.