I was talking with a friend, who just informed me that fabric prices that are currently $9-$12/yd, could be rising to as much as $27/yd! Has anyone heard prices will be jumping? Heard an idea how much an avg yard? Any explaination as to why? I know price of gas is speculated to be about $5/gal by summer, which means fuel surcharge on shipping for everything. Crops have failed and prices are already climbing in grocery stores. Wendy's has a sign out that tomato's are much higher, if you want a slice on the burger it will cost more. Our daughter works in a grocery, and lettuce and tomato's have climbed more than 3x higher than a month ago. So, so we hurry and buy for our fabric stash now? Or do we retreat to using from our fabric stash and count our blessings for having it now?
Or is this just a horrible rumor? Hope someone has honest truth to share with us. I know the economy will be getting worse yet before we see recovery, but this is a huge price jump in fabric if this has any truth to it, hope not. Debbie

I don't know. But even though I just bought a whole roll of cotton batting in January, I decided to buy another whole roll today with my 50% off JoAnns coupon just in case. I have fabric a plenty to hold me for a while if it comes to that but I would need more batting to continue my quilting. I don't want to have to quilt giving quilts away just because I can't afford to put batting in them!!

Our economy would never be able to support that.
However, my wholesale costs went up in Jan, and are now $5.00 for the very lowest solid fabrics and up to $8.00 for top name prints....that is wholesale!

I know fabric prices are going up, but had not heard about any jump that drastic. Heard there was a cotton shortage. Oh well, guess we will all be forced to use our stashes

Wow, that would be terrible. And I think $10.00 is high!

Can I ask what those $5 & $8 prices are retail then?
I agree, our economy can't support this big a jump if it was true to the $27, I believe it would put a lot of independent quilt shops out of business, they couldn't compete with big buying chains. But I also agree, unfortunately, my pocket book can't afford big prices either, and would look toward coupons like mentioned in the previous post, about JoAnn's. I also never thought about it, but maybe I should stock up on threads, batting & backing basic fabrics. We tend to buy beautiful fabric's at a whim to add to our stash, and at least I neglect to consider the batting & backs, to finish them. I have hundreds of patterns, and fabric I could sew 30 yrs before I saw the bottom of my supply...but could I finish them, and afford to??? I would like to know what your retail prices are after these wholesale prices, if you could share it. I hope quilt shops can stay open, we have few to choose from in my state as it is, and I love the "fancier" fabrics we can find at these shops vs chain outlets. Debbie

We were discussing this here a few weeks ago, as warnings had gone out from manufacturers and retailers. Fewer cotton crops, higher demand.

I'm really concerned about food prices. For the first time in years DH and I are planting a good size garden. It's always been much cheaper to buy at local farmer's markets, he thinks that won't be the case this year. I pulled out my pressure canner, had it checked out, found my boxes of canning jars stored in the attic and I told my girls it was time they learned how to can this summer, want to or not.

We may be forced to "repurpose" fabric like in olden days. I've been getting nice blankets at garage sales, thrift shops etc , wash them really well and using them for batting. Much cheaper and make very nice quilts. Maybe not for competitions, but for giving and using everyday. You can usually get them for just a little money also rou quilts can be pieced on both sides. Think about it as two for one. We have to start being a lot more practical. Double the pleasure, double the fun.

I am so affraid some of our LQS will close if it goes anywhere near those prices!

those wholesale prices are no longer 50% of the suggested MSRP but more like only 35% now...so quilt shops have to really stick close to the MSRP to get any money out of their inventory. that means NO sales... SOlids are running about $7.00 per yard now and top prints are at about $ 12.50 retail. of course a shop can charge what they want...and most are going over the MSRP these days so that they can offer SALES...which brings in customers..who do not know that the 25% off sale is really FULL price!

BellaBoo, me, too. I am also trying to buy a few extra food items every week. Tuna is 3 for a dollar this week, I aleady bought 30 of them, always a cheap protien.

Oh my. I have not considered building a stash of backing, thread or batting. Better get with it or I'll end up with a stack of pieced tops and no batting or fabric to use for backing. Thank you for calling this to my attention.

I noticed the other day that Joann's FQ's are now $2.49...less than a year ago they were only 99 cents...so they have almost tripled in price..the online ones are priced at $2.99 now..so they are climbing...
I too used to can...I have tons of jars and am thinking I will be doing so again. ..DH wants to put in a garden. We have lots of room to do so..we live on 80 acres of land..BUT the critters are going to be the big factor for us...keeping them out of it..time will tell...

If it goes that high, I will not be sewing anymore. :(

if you have a county extension office contact them about you need to can and what you don't...lots of things do NOT need to be pressure canned!

it is estimated that one in 3 will close before the end of this year..that is up from 1 in 10 two years ago!

and the quality of the Joann fabric is really bad....worst than walmarts used to be

Javin22, you could always get thrift store clothes, or even hand me downs from others to sew. I even do that now!

gardening is not cheap or easy....GOOD seed that is heirloom or organic and NOT a Monsanto GMO is harder to get these days and they are spendy...BUT if you buy Burpee, the other box store seeds you will get seeds that are from lab created veggies...sprayed with so many chemicals it barely resembles food when you are done....

do some reading here
http://www.rareseeds.com
just search Monsanto and you will be get a real eye opener as to what is happening to our food resources....

This will have such a ripple effect. I was thinking the other day about people who make things from cloth to sell at craft fairs. The general public is not going to be aware of how much fabric has gone up...and is probably not going to understand the reflection of that in the prices.

$27 seems too high, my guess is that many places would be shutting down as to lack of sales.
I know some have raised prices $2 - $3 per yard, with the price of wholesale going up, that was reasonable.
$27? That would be a death wish on any shop!

agreed :)

I keep dry beans, dry pasta in mason jars.

Every year I stock up battings at JoAnn after Thanksgiving sale they always have batting 50 percent off and then an additional 20 percent off every thing coupon. At 50 percent the queen size battings of Warm and Natural are about $10.00 so the extra 20 makes it well worth my while.. and I end up with a cart full.
Well a few weeks ago they had battings again on sale for 50 percent off and the same warm and natural batting was now $16.50 .... with the 50 percent discount. The effects are being felt ... we just do not know exactly how high and when it will stop.

I'm going through my stash and making a note of what fabrics I'm low on as I'll be in Lancaster PA in a week or so for the quilt show and shopping at the many fabrics shops in the area. I'm trying to stay on the No Buy kick this year and will be picking up 'allowable' purchases, backgrounds, backings and blues, yellows, reds, etc. for borders for my scrappy quilts. Their prices are always much lower than my LQS and with so many shops in the area I can always find what I'm looking for at a good price.
Sauders always has some precut fabrics for 2.99. Last year I picked up about 5 yds. of a good quality cream fabric at that price because it had a dirt mark, washed the dirt out when I got home. Zooks is my favorite for variety and prices and I always check the wide backing section. I've curtailed my time in Lancaster this year due to knee problems but I'm making sure I hit my favorite stores. May in Jersey

I am going to the Dallas show and my vendor friends have already said they know people will have sticker shock..the prices are crazy...imagine FQ's on sale for $3.00!

Be Prepared, the good Boy Scout Motto, has lots of truth.
It's not hording if it's organized.
There are many professional food storage companies out there, with freeze dried or dehydrated, which prepares the same way as a Betty Crocker pkg of potatos or Brownie mix. I've taste tested, and they are very good. You can dress it up a little with home grown herbs, a few spices, but I think it's well worth the buy. We bought enough for their deluxe pkg supply (includes everything down to pudding), for 10 people for 1 yrs (Hubby & I, 3 Daughters & 3 sonin laws, grandkids). Supposed to have a storage life of 30 yrs, so if we need it in the next 5, I'm glad I have it.

Then we buy bulk from Sam's Club, what we can, extra each time. Then I have 4500 sq ft of veggie gardens, several varieties of berry patches a few ND tough fruit tree's.
I do home canning & 3 chest freezers full (freeze veggies & fruits) & (Can sauces, syrups, jams, pickles). We have 2 hunting daughters & my husband & I to help with meat.

This next year, we're adding laying hens, meat chickens & turkeys, and a couple miniture cattle for meat. We're trying to become self sufficient, which I know is harder for most. I have a daughter who lives in a fancy neighborhood in OR, and started to raise chickens for eggs beside her garden..IN a high end neighborhood, no objections, other's are doing it to. I think we'll see more of that, people learning and turning to the ways of their grandparents.

As for any novelty store, clothing, shoes, kitchen wares, or fabrics. I fear we'll see more and more going out of business signs. Our local shop closed, and didn't do the end sale, she kept it for her own stash instead of losing money to reduce inventory? I believe Ebay & Garage Sales & Local Auctions will be the place to shop soon, discount stores like Target over Gap, Walmart fabric over quilt shops. I think we'll sacrifice quality for ability to afford.

I do recycle a lot now, I love scrappy quilts. But I also collect wedding gowns with pretty fabric rather than sequins, bride maid & prom gowns. Men's silk tie's & hankies & wool suites, men's flannel shirts, asst color denim's, ladies hankies, embellishments, anything I find at a yard sale that's usable. Just need to add more wool blankets for batting, and good solid blankets work for batting also. I'd rather use fabric, but if I have to, I can use old bed sheets for blanket backs too. Our grandmother's quilted with what they had, items that wore out and got used up a new way, and what didn't work there became cleaning rags. I like the idea of a double sided quilt, make it spring/summer side bright...and winter/fall side neutral. Fun way to change the look in a room. I'm also learning to braid & weave rugs, they sure come in handy in a bathroom & back door esepcially winter boots.

I used to sell home parties, to afford all that I wanted, but they are way down in sales. If you get them to come, it's to visit and be entertained, not to buy these days.
ND has a strong economy, very low unemployed, solid housing market, but also very cautious people.

Another idea, if your in the market, we moved an old house then it was gutted to the studs & rebuilt. We added a huge hot water tank, ground source heat pump system, basement floor heet, wind generator, started planting as large tree's we could afford, and just kept adding a few here and there for win break. Hauled in very old manure from local farm & have lush lawns & very productive gardens now. We have the space, and fence in a big back garden. We've created raised beds for gardens around the house, which will help as I age, I've had a lot of surgeries. We hay the land, looking maybe doing a wheat crop then back to hay for cattle. We free range the chickens in a movable coop across the field (protects them from preditors also). And I grow literally everything you can imagine. Sometimes we have to be resourceful. I had a 30x30 garden in town, grew 18 tomatos and got 800 lbs that summer, and lots of other grops too. Partner with a friend, if you have the land, share buying tools, let her buy seeds (you have the water too probably), and get together to work the garden once a week and a lunch. Same at canning season, get together and rotate homes, and put up all you can, split the lug of peaches & cost of a case of jars for jams, etc. Buy at warehouse grocery centers when you can. Seems higher priced, but broke down, is cheeper. Save a smaller bottle to refill from the bulk bottles to easier handle at the laundry, cleaners, shampoo, etc. Get creative (like we do with our fabric stash) and store toilet paper under the bed, cases stacked in closet under clothes, or under couch.
Even in an apartment, you can put away 6 mo to 1 yr of complete storage. Never know when you have employment changes, and prices go too high to afford, or accident or illness strikes and money is needed other places besides necessities. When we were unemployed 9 months, I had enough toilet paper, laundry soap, shampoo, etc. to last and still had a couple bottles left when we got the next job. That saved our unemployment money to pay the house & medical insurance, we needed, and free'd us from needing to buy basic groceries. We simply never have cable TV, watch only local channels, and usually stay busy enough not to watch much tv (quilting, gardening, reading, games). We don't use credit cards, pay as we go, or go without. Not to proud to have items I bought at an auction, garage sale, or ebay. I have a beautiful home, hardly anything was bought new. Hope my tips can help some. And no, I do not have disability, no unemployement or workers comp... just unlucky to have lots of surgeries and currently unable to work, but I do push myself at our home and work hard here. My husband works 200 miles from home, has an apartment there, and last 2 months only got 30 HOURS off, literally. You do what you have to, so I do the local yards, gardens, etc. Debbie

I think I will go cover my head for an hour or so.... Dang, well I guess we have lived "high on the hog" long enough....

I think lots of people won't be sewing if fabric is this high.

im thinking i better stock up a bit on thread and batting pretty fabrc i have enough to sew for about 2 yearsor maybee three if im not to picky. im planning a garden this year as well food has already gon up might have to toilet train the kids soon to save on dipers.

stevendebbie25 I completely agree with you. We are putting money into Red wheat berries for bread, 100lb's sugar, flour, beans, etc. packed in mylar bags and stored in 5 gal. pails. My son and I are already canning as we go. I have a pressure canner for my meats and stews and chicken is absolutely delicious after it is canned. White solid tuna goes on sale 10 for $10.00, we bought 100 cans. Watch all sales on #10 cans of everything. My DH does consulting work for the govt. and has brought home papers suggesting everyone should have a 6 month food supply. I guess if the govt. is telling their people to do it so should we.

There is no end in sight yet as to price increases on fabric. Nor will there be, at least until the 2011 crop is harvested so we know how much cotton (supply) is available.

The longer the manufacturer - or retail store - or customer - waits, before placing their order, the higher the price will be. There is only so much 2010 fabric left to be sold at the wholesale level, and after that supply is exhausted all shops will have to buy new goods at the current higher prices.

That said... I don't see prices doubling. My best (semi-educated) guess is that unless something new and awful happens, wholesale prices are likely to go up another 50 cent - $1 by the end of the year. Which would translate into (USA) retail prices for new prints being about $13 / yard in those stores which charge full-price.

It's not the end of the world, and we will still sew, but we will make our choices more carefully and probably will not do so much buying "on a whim".

If you do not have sufficient backing or batting to finish all the projects that you HONESTLY think you will complete in the next year-and-a-half or so, then it probably would be wise to stock up on those items if you have the funds (and storage space) to do so.

If cotton prices do come down again, it will take a while before that will be reflected in the retail price of fabrics. And the prices will probably never come all the way back down again. (Gasoline never did...)

Interesting discussion (again). I have heard that fabric is going up about 30% That means that $9.00 fabric will cost $12.00 I was at my LQS today and they said that they have not seen a price increase as yet. Stay tunes---------.

I will definitely be using the JoAnn's coupons to stock up on batting and will be checking into backing materials. Getting thread is also a good idea. Luckily, I have a couple of gift certificates to use at a couple of different qult shops so I'd better get those out and use them.
I don't really believe we will see $27 a yard for fabric, but it will surely go higher than it is now.
I hope, hope, hope we have decent weather for the garden this year. The last two years haven't been too good around here and we didn't get as much from our garden as in years past. May even have to turn one of flower beds into another veggie garden. Now if it would just warm up around here!!