With all the many discussions that have been on the forum in the past year about prices, may I ask if you have an upper price threshold for buying fabrics, that you will not cross?

And - because we all have different budgetary considerations - I would be delighted if everyone would feel free to answer without worrying about whether someone else thinks that their number is too high or too low.

That said, do you have a price limit? Or three - for regular cotton, batiks, and backings?

Non-US quilters, feel free to answer, too. We all know your numbers will be different than ours.

Nope. Not if it's something I really, really want. If it's really expensive I might rework the pattern or pick a different pattern that requires less of it but in the end, no I don't.

Now this should be tempered with the fact that most of my fabrics are purchased on sale, at garage sales, off Craigslist and from Goodwill.

I don't have a limit yet, if I really want it I will buy it.

"If you build it they will come"

On average, my price limit has passed.

That being said, I just went to your site and saw the perfect paisleys. What to do, what to do!

My budget is very limited so I try to stay under $5.00 a/yd.

I think it really depends on the amount of the fabric needed- for a half yard of something special used as a focal point, I would spend quite a bit- up to 15-18 dollars a yard. But I would just buy that small amount. If I need several yards of something for a project, no way will I spend more than 8-9 dollars. Of course, the final project will make a difference too- something for my daughter's wedding quilt would be a lot different than something for a baby quilt or placemats!

I'm a bargain shopper, rarely paying more than $4/yard for nice quality cotton and $5 for batiks. Love sales, coupons, and free shipping offers! :mrgreen:

However, if there's a fabric that's absolutely outstanding, I'll pay as much as $8-9 a yard. That's rare, though, and usually only for fabric that I plan to make into a gift. :)

I have literally thousands of remnants and don't buy for stash building anymore. I only buy yardage when there is a specific need - in that case, I don't have a budget at all. I want what I want. When you only need say 5 yards for a back, what's a $10 difference in the overall scheme of things? What gets me in a tizzy is shipping!

I'm on a no buy moratorium until I use up what fabric I already have which probably will take the rest of my life but I will buy if the price is right.
In the last couple of months I have bought fabric from a few going out of business sales on line $2-$4 a yard for quilt shop fabric.
I couldn't resist the sale recently for pre cut pieces which I think were about $3 a yard sale price.
I did just order something at $8.50 yd because I really, really wanted it! Got 4 yds. Ouch!

I shop sales only anymore but a real sale. I visited a shop where $9 fabric was on sale for $8.50! Not a sale in my book.
Buying online I stick with $4-$5 a yard because taking into consideration shipping it adds to the cost.
I'm retired, fixed income so that does make a difference in what I'm willing to spend.

My very first online fabric purchase was bought from you several years ago! I agonized over the price so much. $8.50 yd if I remember right. Hoffmans Christmas Cardinals with coordinating fabric. I even had you measuring the distance between the birds! You were so patient with me! I'll always remember that great customer service.
:-D

Most of my stash comes from Joanns with coupons for the higher price stuff. example the Fall line I gathered as many coupons as I could from family and work Went everyday and only spent 4.00 yd. I buy a lot of the red tag especially when it 50% off. Built up a huge stash with that. I haven't spent over 9.00 a yd for material

I have Adjusted my per yard threshold up to 10.00 but that now must include the shipping. That being said I did pay 11.50 per yard for one outstanding piece. But I would only allow myself 1/2 yard.
I have adjusted down the yards i will purchase on speculation ( ie no specific project). I never ever purchased under one yard. Now I will purchase 1/2 yards more than I ever have in the past. Many online companies will not allow 1/2 yard cuts , so I do not purchase quite as much on line as I used to.

I *try* to only shop sales. Online, I've never spent more than $4/yrd. In my local place, I've spent up to $10/yrd. Actually, every time I try to buy more expensive fabric at my local fabric land, they tell me about a 50% off members sale coming up, so I wait! lol That usually brings my expensive fabric down to $7-8/yrd...

I'm so frugal, I usually shop the on-line sales in the $3-4 range. Most of my fabric has come from a friend who knows how to yard sale! Recently tho, I spent $8 @ at my LQS. My DH was with me and he commented on a particular fabric about how pretty it was. He NEVER does that. I went back later and go a yard of it and that was made up into a tablerunner for him for his birthday to set his halloween village on. (His birthday is on Halloween) To me, that was money well spent!

It depends on if I really have to have it, lol! I know I have spent more than my limit on some really great batiks.......

Well, thank you for your kind words, Susiequilt! You know, Hoffman is *still* printing that wonderful cardinal fabric. I think that there was a quilt pattern out that called for fussy-cutting the cardinals, and people wanted to know how many bird squares you could get out of a yard.

BTW we only raised the price a dime/yard since you bought it. We - and a lot of other shops out there - are doing all we can to keep quilting affordable.

This is my basic way of thinking too. The Bouquet Gallery that I have on order from you is WAY WAY WAYYYYYY above my usual price point. But I loved it so much, I decided that it was for me and that I am priceless. I don't think I have EVER bought an entire line of fabric. Usually one or two and then fill in the rest with solids/blenders.

I do tend to spend a little more if it is planned as a specific gift, depending on the person it is going to. I do tend to use a lot of solids in my quilts. That way I can spend the money on the piece that I really want and make up the rest of the quilt with high quality solids/blenders. That is one reason that I LOVE Connecting Threads Mirages. Great quality fabric and great colors without the huge expense of the blenders which seem to cost as much as the higher price prints.

We are a cash only family. Not even "emergency credit card" so if I see something I want at LQS and not enough cash, I ask if they can put it back for me. If it isn't one I usually shop at and I don't have the money, I get all the fabric info and search online or save up and hope I can find it again. If I don't find it again....I have money saved for something else.

I'm blessed to not have to worry too much about a budget but I don't buy fabric unless it's a good sale price. My stash is built up enough so I can buy most any color or print that's on clearance and it will blend in with what I have. If I bought the new fabric lines for full price I wouldn't have made anything from it before I could find some of it on sale later on. I buy 95% of my fabric online.

Jane, when buying for the store, I hardly ever buy the whole line either. (I did for Bouquet Gallery, though.)

Usually the "whole line" includes three "feature" fabrics and then a whole bunch of coordinates. What typically happens, for us, is that the feature prints sell quickly and the coordinates slowly... and by the time that the feature prints are gone, the maker has no more. They try to entice the stores to buy entire collections by giving us a 15 cents / yard price break if we buy 'em all. But do the math! At a wholesale cost per yard of $5 / yard, you would need to order 500 yards - about 33 bolts - in order to get enough of a discount to give you one bolt for free. And there's usually at least one bolt in every collection that I actively do NOT want.

I always buy fabric on sale, from the remnants basket, clearance, and also from thrift stores. I bought 6 yds of green velvet and 4 yards of green satin from a thrift store for about $20. Made myself a cape to wear to church and still get compliments on it. Wont try sewing those two fabrics together again anytime soon, it was too slippery.

I don't have a limit but I do watch for sales.

I do all my actual quilting by hand - it's a strategic move so I have time to save money for the next project before I'm done with the one I'm working on. For example, by the time I'm done with the quilting on the pillows I'm working on, I should have enough saved for the fabric for the quilt top to go with them.

That said, I work at a fabric store where the MOST expensive quilting-type fabric is about 4.99/yd (you might pay 5.99 if it's like a sports team print, but that's mostly for flannels), so I never really shop much elsewhere. I'll go look online, but there's no point going to a quilt shop here in town with those prices, and we have a good enough selection I can always find SOMETHING I like. The most expensive fabric we have is a faux fur type deal at 13.99/yd - even the apholstery and drapery fabric tops out at 8.99/yd! I love my job...

I would have to say no b/c I'm such a bargain hunter that I allow myself to buy something that is costly if I "have to have it".

The only fabric I've (so far) declined purchasing because of price alone is the most gorgeous faux chinchilla that my LQS has had for quite some time now (they're on their second bolt so it IS selling). Talk about a fabric worthy of fondling!! It's 54" wide and sells for $35 a yard. *sigh*

at $35 a yard, i'm not surprised its going slow. thats crazy. but chichy's are so soft, i'm not surprised people are buying it anyway, either.

No limit except what's in my pocketbook.

My limit.....I do not pay full price what ever that is. I'm a scrappy quilter so not as picky on fabric choices.

Being in the Pacific, finding fabric for less than $5 can be difficult. Though I always look for the sales, discounted or remnants, if I really love the fabric on the bolt, I will pay as much as $10 a yard but that is a fabric I have to absolutely love and have to have. I refuse to pay more than $10 a yard and seldom shy away from looking at the LQS or the expensive fabric stores.

I try to keeo my fabrics at about $3.00/yd I have on ocassion bought higher priced fabric when its for someone special - (I was going to make my brother a STL cardinals quilt for his spare room but I backed out couldnt really see the price - went with an older fashion prints with baseball one with bats ome with baseball gloves and one with little stars-may do some kind of embroidery block with it ) I have all the fabric just no time lol Wanted it for xmas but he may have to wait for his bd in Feb!!!

I must admit that I am very delicate with my fabric choices. I always try to find material that works best for my hand quilting and this is of course not the cheapest one.
I try to find solids of my favourite brands for under 10 Euros per meter - this is about 12 $ a yard. My price limit for printed cottons is 16 Euros per meter/23 $ per yard! As you see there is a big difference in the prices between US and Germany....

I sure couldnt afford to shop there!!! I bet you might be able to get quality fabric her on board alot cheaper even at high shipping costs!!

I definitely look at cost and more so then ever. I have been by passing or buying just a smaller key piece of fabric. Once it hits the $9-10 range I most likely leave the fabric or only get a small piece. This means I mostly shop off the sales shelf at the LQS or look online for $6 or lower a yard. I am also buying more tone on tone, solid, Civil War and 1930 because they seem less time sensative fabrics.

Yes, this is probably right... but I'm lucky to buy some of my materials at the wholesalers. We own a little online shop here and buy our material a the wholesaler.

And, to be honest: I try to support our German quilt shops as well... I think you understand this!

:wink: ;)

$8,50 for a really sweet fabric is not unreasonable. I would fortify THAT fabric with others in the $6-$7 range. Plus, I shop sales so some things that are "on their way out" are first quality but $4 a yard.

Batik? It would have to be REALLY stunning to get in the $8-$9 range. Otherwise, $6-$7 for everyday use.

when i buy quilt shop fabric i expect to pay 8-9$. i seldom buy just because but i do try to buy a little extra of what i need. i like to applique and my mom does scrap quilts so she seldom has to shop!i usually shop online because i live a very long way from ANYWHERE so i buy enough to get free shipping

That would make a fabulous throw! I've seen super soft fake fur throws sell for over $100 and some as high as $400 or more. Two yards for $70 is a bargain when compared to what you pay for ready made.

My fabric purchases are all over the place. I just paid in the $9 range for fabrics for a special quilt, but that's a first. I've paid that for apparel, but not for quilting. I can keep it around $4 by using coupons and sales. A limit?? I would hope the $9.49 is a max.

My most expensive purchase - $99.99 a yard for fabric that was not even 40 inches wide. Even at half price, it was $50 a yard. Not for a quilt - the bodice and sleeves of a wedding dress. I laid the pattern out and knew to the inch how much I needed, but with those 1990 puffed sleeves, it was over a yard and half. Luckily, it was small size. Beautiful stuff - hand beaded with iridescent beads. The sewing machine found it interesting, but my Elna will sew anything.

My new abrupt retirement and limited income will change some things - maybe I'll get my stash back to one room.

Yeah, I dream of making a throw from it and snuggling up on the couch, and I'm sure the cat would demand one all for her very own as well. I'll probably grab a couple yards as a birthday gift to myself next year. I can only covet something for so long before I give in to it! :roll: One of the LQS ladies actually used it for the BACK of a quilt! Employee discount no doubt. :lol:

What is the name of the Hoffman cardinal fabric? I searched, but don't think it came up (or perhaps I didn't recognize it).

Hoffman only gives their fabrics numbers, not names... the pattern number is 8821. This is the cream/gold colorway (33G) but it does come on dark green and also black... and they did a tonal gray one too this year.

http://www.favoritefabric.com/cgi/co...on&key=HFCARDJ