New prices at Joann Fabrics are exorbitant! I was so pleased to see their advertisement that they were "the new quilt shop in the neighborhood" (or words to that effect), and that they'd added 1000+ new fabrics. I couldn't wait to take a look!

Alas, while many of the new fabrics are lovely, the prices have gone through the roof! Some quilting fabrics were priced at $14.99/yard. Yikes!

Here in CA we have Beverly's, which is a chain fabric/craft store but has LQS brand fabrics (Moda, Kona, Hoffman, etc.) for $2 or $3 less per yard than you'd pay in a smaller LQS. I shop there a lot, especially since they often have tables with bolts of fabric for $5/yard and sometimes less. Occasionally they'll have a $3/yard table, and it's good fabrics, just older lines or stuff that's off-season. Great if you don't mind stocking up on Halloween or Christmas fabrics in March. :)

I've said for years that quilting is not a cheap sport.

Last year, a quilt shop in our area had fabric for $15.99 a yard and up. This year it's down to $10.97 a yard. Supply and demand. Or greed.

As a longtime quilter, I can't say enough about how much I LOVE MY LQS!

They are experts and educators in the sewing/quilting field, are there to answer my questions including the difference in threads, help me in figuring yardage out, provide me w opportunities to get together w others for quilting, look into special orders, guide me on what I may/may not need for a project, and more. I can even take fabric there that I buy on vacation elsewhere, and they'll help me find coordinating ones to work w it. They carry beautiful fabrics, offer both full- and sale-priced, and I buy what I need.

I can't get any of this from the internet or big box chain. And even though there's a lot of info on the internet, there is a lot of wrong/incomplete information.

My LQS has worked on developing a relationship w me, and I trust/value them. They are running a business, and as costs of inventory, freight, etc. increase for them, they have to raise prices to be profitable and to remain in business. Personally, I feel like I am getting much more than just fabric when I buy from them, and I value it.

I am grateful they're around and I want to do my part to keep them in business. I would not feel right going to them expecting free guidance/help if I didn't buy from them.

I recently went on both cites and saw that they had good deals on fabric, since shops are having to compete with online sales you would think they would try to keep there prices low so we would buy more fabric from them.

At thrift stores, check in the linens section, near the sheets. Last week I found a yard of Moda fabric for $3. I use a lot of sheets in my quilting, both tops and backs. The white sheets are not see through like many quilting cottons and make excellent background fabrics. No piecing the back if the sheet is large enough. Shirts, skirts and men's pj bottoms have all been made into quilts here.

Business-wise, it costs significantly more to run a LQS than an online site. In most cases, the LQS would go out of business if it went head to head with online sites on pricing.

Connecting Threads, Thousands of Bolts, certain sellers on EBay (can give a list if needed), and Hancock's of Paducah. I always check the sale pages first and see if I can get what I need there. Just recently ordered a mixed pack of batik remnants and 1 yard of sale fabric from Hancock's. Got 40 cuts of batiks, most were 13"x18" for $20 and the yard of very nice designer fabric was on sale for $5/yard. The batiks were beautiful and I got a great assortment. Used a $25 gift card someone gifted me, so all I had to pay was the $4.95 shipping.

JoanneS, I see that you are in AZ at least part time. When in the Phoenix area, you should check out SAS fabric. There's a location in Phoenix and one in Tempe. I have only been to the Tempe shop, but they said the Phoenix one is even bigger. It is NOT your local LQS! more like a warehouse with all sorts of fabric and notions. They have several looooong tables piled high with quilting cottons. You have to pay attention to quality as it is a mixed bag. I look for the better name fabrics (Moda, RJR, Kaufman, etc). Prices are from $4/yd to $10/yd. I stick with the $4-$6 dollar range and have come home with very nice fabric for that price.