I knew to brace for higher prices ... but kept hoping it was not going to be quite so bad... some predicted 15.00 - 18.00 per yard in the US.
I had my first sticker shock in Feb ... saw a drop dead gorgous fabric ... it was $12.95 per yard. Most of the LQS near me have been $11.50 -$12.95 for awhile. As much as I like to support the LQS ... when ever I go to Buffalo I stop at Favorite Fabrics .. great prices on current fabrics.
Rediscovering the "art of the scrappy" is my new going forward method of picking fabric.
I love looking at the scrappy quilt show message thread , there is enough insipration to keep me busy for a long time. I hope people keep on posting there it is so motivating to use what I have.
On the bright side ... cotton futures have been trading down from the all time highs....( March 7 2011 cotton trading hit an all time high of 2.20 per pound , this was double from a year prior) but it needs to trend down for a few more months to impact the market. .. then it will be a matter of what will the retail market support price wise..... if you were a buyer at $11.00 why would they sell it to you for less. So it will be interesting to see who passes on the lower prices first.