Originally Posted by sewgull
Are manufacturers trying to cause us to stop buying new fabric?
This is an issue of commodity prices. You know, Wall Street stuff - and that is not an area that I understand well. But remember, the fabric brands we know and love - Moda, Hoffman, Clothworks - any of them - though we think of them as manufacturers, they only arrange for the printing of various designs and the sale of those fabrics to stores around the world. They don't actually manufacture the cloth itself. That is all done overseas (mostly in Pakistan and China).
You know how anytime there's a freeze in Florida, there's always talk of "orange juice is going to cost more"? Well, it's the same thing here. Commodity prices, supply and demand... more demand for less available cotton (or oranges), and the price goes up.