Hi,
I made my first quilt in 1992. It was queen sized. I spent $90.00 just for the fabric for the the top. Growing up in a "cotton mill" town in the South I saw prices at .50 and 1.00 all the time in the 70's and 80's. There are no mills here now and yes. the prices are awful.
It is the same as what happened with the price of tennis shoes in the 80's. We stopped making them because the imports were cheeper, soon shoe prices went up 600%.
I shop sales and support the LQS when possible, also thrift shops, and the net.
Blessings,
Sharon