Originally Posted by Eliebelle
I'm developing a (what I consider to be) a LARGE stash because the fabric "talks" to me and I just have to have it! My LQS owner told me that because of the huge increase in the cost of cotton, many companies are not making as many "runs" of a fabric pattern, so when it's gone, she can't reorder. If you don't buy what you love now, it may not be available later...
I think this is true. The price of cotton lint (the raw material fabric is made of) peaked in March, but it will take a while before the cost of the greige goods (unprinted cloth) comes down. In the meanwhile, consider what it must look like to the fabric manufacturers. They don't want to commit to printing on cloth that costs them the highest price. That would be like "buying high" on the stock market! So they are probably being very, very conservative about how much they print, not wanting to get stuck with high-cost goods. Remember, for every bolt they haven't sold, they are tying up more money than ever before. And yes, the same is true for your LQS.
As case in point: you might remember the "most beautiful floral for 2011" that I posted previews of last fall:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-68880-1.htm. We received the collection this week, when I called the maker to try to order more of the packed all-over floral, I was told that it is already sold out. Actually, they are oversold by about 400 yards. And they are not reprinting. :-(