Bluechicken, I TOTALLY feel your pain. I LOVE this board but am green with envy every time I read a post about how cheap someone got their fabric.
My Aunt is an all round sewer, she says that the price of Fabric in the UK reflects
A) the people who buy it - tends to be more 'mature' women who are usually retired and have a comfortable income of life savings + pension, kids have left home, mortgage is paid off, not a lot of financial outgoings. I.E They can afford it!!
B) Popularity: fabric shops and haberdasheries used to be commonplace, as it used to be cheaper to make your own clothes. Now clothes are made in Asia and cost next to nothing, no one needs to buy fabric any more.
I wish I lived about 30 years ago!