most of the time you can pick up a flyer right at Joanns that had coupons in it. This is what I have done.

I have noticed prices increasing at JoAnn's too. Sometimes I'll find the same line of fabric for 8.99 at JoAnn's at Walmart for 4.99. I think they just tend to price high though to compensate for the 40% coupons.

I wish my local shop would give us 35% off coupons! She does have reasonable prices for a shop, $8-$8.5o a yard, but I'd spend a heap load more there if she had more sales! :) I have two young children at home so I really have to budget as best I can.

We have a Beverly's shop here and they have coupons in the paper alot, and also accept Joann's coupons, which I think is very good of them. Their material is pricey, quilt shop quality.

I signed up for the mailer that lets me know what and when the sales are. I try to shop when they have a sale. I find that the coupon doesn't do me any good-everything is always "on sale". Once in a while I get to use the coupon but not often. This week they had warm and natural batting 50% off. I stocked up.

You can sign up online to receive their regular flyer with coupons in the mail and also get it online with printable coupons.

if you shop online, you can find most of those $9+ per yard fabrics for much lower prices, even when you factor in the shipping. i've seen prices vary by as much as $4 per yard for the same exact fabric.

if you see something you like for $9 per yard, go hunting online. 99% of the time you will find it for much less somewhere. :wink:

With gas prices headed for $4 a gallon, and diesel already at $4 a gallon, you should not be shocked that the price of everything is going up! It is far from over! This is the time for y'all to be making scrap quilts and doing the Quilt Challenge for 2008!

I believe most of Joann's fabrics are PB Textiles. I know that a lot of their fat quarters are, and the quality is not that great on many of their fabrics, even the $6.99 a yard stuff.

When you shop at a big store like Joann's you are paying for freight (diesel gas, not unleaded,) salaries, insurance, utilities, advertising, and lots of other costs that you are not paying if you order online from a small shop. A lot of the shops on the FabShopHop seem to be out of private homes. Those owners have wholesale or retail licenses, so they get to buy bolts of fabric from the manufacturers at very low prices. Same prices Joanns gets, but without the overhead.

Like Patrice said, even with shipping, you are going to pay less doing business with a small business owner.

Thanks folks, hopefully I'll pick up a flyer in Joann's on the day.

We have a Fabricland store where I live. In September you can buy a membership for $20.00 and during the year they have sales open only to membership, like this week, for three days there is 50% off in most of the store. I bought some fabric and nice pinking shears today. I have save quite a bit this way. On the other side of the river there is a Joann's store. I watch for sales there and don't find it too expensive that way.

You really have to check out http://www.thousandsofbolts.com it's an excellent shop although not much sale pieces.... Watch the board someone is always posting good sites and usually great prices.