Macra

Normal priced quilting fabrics are between $18 and $25 here. Some are nearly $30.

Sale prices are from $10 upwards.

Not a cheap hobby; though I admit I really enjoy using the remnants of blouses I make for myself, the good pieces from my menfolks old cotton shirts, old tablecovers and such like, in my patchwork & quilting.
Something satisfying about not wasting perfectly good offcuts.
Much I suspect as the original ladies who pieced did.

Mary

oldtnquiltinglady

I, too, find myself shopping in my stash more and more. I've made some lovely quilts lately without having to buy a scrap of new stuff. But it is wearing down, so what am I to do--I absolutely would HATE to pay $18.95 for a yard of material. My feelings would then be like that of one of my GDs--"you buy that big piece of material and cut it all into little tiny pieces, Grannie. Howcome?" But she did win a blue ribbon and best of show ribbon at our recent county fair on a quilt that she made--so I guess she is beginning to see the light.

jeanharville

We were on vacation in Montana and we stopped at a quilt shop in Lexinton. Her fabrics were gorgeous and some were designs I had not seen before; but those had a sticker price of $18 and $19 per yard. Needless to say I didn't buy any of it. My quilts don't call for that expensive fabric. I enjoy the hunt for cheaper ways to acquire almost everything including fabric.

Jratcliff

I just returned from a trip to Bali which was absolutely incredible. I went to the factory where the big batik companies have their fabrics made, you know the one's we pay about $18/yd. It was a real eye opener. The working conditions are deplorable, and the workers work at least 12 hours a day (day light hours). They get a cot to sleep on which were above the dye vats, and meals.
The finished yardages go to a warehouse to be packaged for shipping. While I only paid $2.30/yd there, my guess is the big companies pay much less. Then the quilt shops buy from those companies, and then us from the shops. All along the way there are markups so everyone can make a profit. And then there is shipping at every point.
I am not trying to defend anyone and hate to pay the markup at every juncture, but I do understand how it works. If I had a quilt shop, I'd have to pay the price and do the markups as well.
Goodwill is a great place to look for fabrics. Not always what I want but occasionally I make a great find, and the money is going to a good cause.

Treasureit

Next time you are in LA - try the garment district for shopping!

yngldy

Please let me know where the best places to go are. A friend and I went last year and the prices were the same as LQS. Did not find any bargains, at least not quilting cottons.

ebony

When I first was introduced to quilting I was told it was an expensive hobby. My thinking was how expensive could it be--Grandma quilted and I never saw anything expensive in her home. Well she made quilts out of used clothing that people gave her. She would spend hours cutting 'fabric' for double wedding ring quilts that she hand quilted. I started with Wal-Mart fabric (that I refuse to buy now) and moved up to LQS. Guess where I shop for fabric now---your right---I shop at Goodwill. Brand names like Moda, Robert Kaufman, Northcott, etc. along with brand new flannel sheets for backing fabric. Yes some of the prints are 'out of style' but why does a scrap quilt have to be made of 'current style' material.
Living on a limited budget means cutting corners but not quality. I have never and will never spend $18 a yard for fabric. Grandma was frugal and wise---use it up or do without.

MargeD

I might have had huge sticker shock at those prices. Regardless of how my DH and DS felt when we downsized, I drew the line when I had purged nearly 50% of my fabrics, as they wanted me to get rid of nearly all of it. Not happening, especially since we were moving to a 2-bedroom apt. and my sewing "room" was a corner of my bedroom. My DH did say that my clear totes stacked in our dining area made a colorful wall. Last year I made a full size quilt for our DGD and only had to buy backing fabric, the entire top was from my stash and I felt pretty good about that. Although I try to keep my trips to JoAnn's to a minimum, I haven't found any quilt shops so far in this area, but if I find a fabric that I just can't leave on the shelf, I buy just one yard to add to my "stash" and that keeps me happy.

maxnme01

If anyone is ever in So. Calif. in the Orange County Area (Disneyland, Knox Berry Farm) there's an amazing fabric store a stones throw from there. There fabric starts at about $2.49 a yd. A great of it is flat folds that are stacked HIGH, but they have fabric on bolts too. This is a great road trip but take lots of money. You won't be sorry.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/m-and-l-fabr...-store-anaheim

Lafpeaches

I have been buying very little from the LQS's because of the cost. I tend to splurge when we go out of town though because of the different fabrics I see. I have so many focus fabrics with little to with them so locally, I look for blenders, tone-on-tone, neutrals that are on sale.