Fabric prices
 

Saw $14/yd at the LQS this week. Couldn't believe it ... walked away and looked at other stuff, then came back and it was still $14/yd. It wasn't batik, either! When I first started quilting 10 years ago, fabric was about $7/yd at the LQS ... I cannot believe it's gone up so much!

What is the average cost per yard in your neck of the woods?

When I went shopping for fabric a couple days ago at my LQS the prices I saw were around $10-11 a yd. But I was looking at basic quilting cotton fabric. I'm sure the novelty fabric cost a little more as it usually does.

I only have one LQS and her prices are $11.95 for most fabrics. YIKES is right. I do shop at Walmart and JAF but I check each fabric to make sure it is at least decent. Can't believe I bought fabric for over $8 a yard at Walmart, but it was a pastel aqua with white scattered dots that is going to be perfect for a charity quilt. Going to have to watch my budget !!

I don't usually fall for a "line" of fabric, sort of do my own thing, but I found a Snoopy Army print (for Quilts of Valor) and really fell for it. Bought 5/8 yard pieces of 5 prints, 4yds for back and a 2 1/4yd piece for binding a border. $136!! I was floored. I know it is for a great cause, but I am on a limited budget and let my heart get ahead of my budget-minded head! I got it, and I will sew it up, and I will love it, but I might be eating bean for the next month! lol

I think it was 12.99 yd, and I don't usually do that!

prices range from $10-$20 a meter.

these threads are really starting to chafe. i wish people could understand the slavery economy behind fabric production, and the reality of what it would cost should the true costs of fabric be charged back to the consumer. the environmental impact of industrial cotton production is truly, truly horrifying.

we pay a small fraction of what fabric really costs, both to the humans who make it and to the planet that we take it from.



aileen

I paid 10.00 and change for fabric at an online store the other day. I usually go for the discount wall at LQS if they have one, and make it work. I like Hobby Lobby for fabric with a coupon, or JAF with a coupon.

Stillclock I understand your point. I just wish we could bring fabric production to the U.S.

I bought some material at Carolina Cotton for 8.99, saw the same thing at JoAnn's for 8.99,
same thing at Walmart 5.99.
Guess where I'm buying my material now. I still like Marshall's Dry Goods for 3 and 4.99. If I can't find what I want there, then I'll go to the other stores.

Isn't that the case with almost ANY product, though? I mean, I get what you're saying, but fabric isn't the only thing like that. It doesn't matter where something is produced, or how, there's always a knock-on effect to the environment. But that doesn't change the fact that I have a limited amount of money with which to buy those products, nor does it change the fact that the cost has doubled in 10 years.

I also wish they would bring back the production to the US....I see some at Walmart that is great and others that is very cheesy. I love buying from Marshall's, very reasonable. How can they do it??

Most of our shops are ranging in the $11-$13/yd range for cottons and more for batiks. We are lucky in that Fabric Fanatics (all batiks) is in our area and I believe they are currently at $9.75 for current fabrics and around $7ish for closeout/older fabrics.

The cost of the backing will kill you every time if you use the designer fabric. I have found that the wide back white or cream muslin works fine with just about every quilt I make. If I want a darker fabric, I buy a Kona cotton solid from Hobby Lobby for $5 a yard.

The unions destroyed the fabric production industry in the US, as they have done with automaking and steel making. It's not the hourly wage that is so exhorbitant, but the bennies and retirement plans that put such a burden on the manufacturer.

However, this forum is not for political opinions, so I will get off my soapbox and continue reading.

I use muslin on a lot of my quilts for backing too. I buy the 108" by the bolt from Joann's with 50% off coupons, which makes it about $6.50 a yard.

I was shocked recently when my total was rung up. I think it was ~$12/yd for the fabric I purchased. The good thing is I could piece and quilt to my heart's content with all the fabric I already have! See, I don't need to purchase anymore fabric. Ever.

My LQS prices are usually $11.95 and have been for awhile-- hope that large of an increase isn't on the short term horizon!!

It runs $12-14 in my area too. That's why I do most of my shopping either in the clearance or online. As much as I would prefer to give the money to a LQS, I can't afford to spend that much, but am not ready to give up my hobby. I do shop local for thread and patterns sometimes.

I too have seen the 13.99 price a lot lately at my Local shop... that and the almost 10 percent tax .... OUCH! I remember when prices moved past the $5.00 mark and thought this is getting expensive... But I can also remember $1.25 for cottons... but back then 100 percent cotton fabric was not popular.

I'm not sure if other LQS are this expensive, or just this one. I was at another LQS that's further away a couple weeks ago and I don't recall seeing prices quite that high, though there were many $12-13/yd bolts. I love to support the locals but it's cheaper for me to buy fabric online, even at $10.75/yd when shipping is free. Considering the number of yards it takes to make a quilt, I end up buying a good bit of fabric online.

I am so afraid they are about to price themselves right out of business. As long as I can buy by catalog or on line cheaper that is where I am buying. I love going to the shops and seeing and feeling the fabric I buy but I can only buy what I can afford. When it gets up to 13 or more I will walk away. Thank goodness for my huge stash.

I think that we can still find deals out there...like JoAnn's coupons - sales - Walmart - thrift stores - I buy my more expensive items - backing, batting when i have a 40 or 50% off coupon. We are all trying to be thrifty....but then again - i don't smoke any more - don't really drink but the occasional beer - don't eat out much - do my own yard work and house work and cooking - shop my stash more often than not -- so, my vice is to budget in the occasional fabric purchases/splurges. You only live once !!!!

I can remember fussing when yardage went above $5.00 a yard - can't believe how high it's gotten now. I simply can't afford to buy yardage at $12-14 per yard. Sad.

Let's just say....I am VERY glad I have a HUGE stash...I could sew for the next five to ten years.and not buy an inch of fabric.....no exaggeration. When I am ready to buy or need to it is for small projects these days. When I buy, for me, I choose to buy at LQS, not online. LQS are working hard to keep there prices between $9-11 a yard in my area. So I really try hard to buy from them.

P.s. Also kinda old fashion...I like to feel my fabric before I purchase :)

I have seen it around 11.95 to 12.95 - its a bit shocking - I am buying online more and more - I look for sales and coupon codes - then I can get the fabric I like at a decent price.

This could probably be said about just about anything "produced," esp. if it involves Asia or Africa.

This is a great point. Many people don't mind paying $25-$50 for one meal (for two people) at a restaurant, but gripe and complain about the high price of something that actually has a much more lasting value than 4-5 hours of a full stomach.

In Poland one store has a few cottons for about $7/meter for the cheaper fabrics. There are some higher quality cottons that people use for making the folk costumes out of it. They are $15/meter--but they are gorgeous! They come in about 4 colors--black with pink flowers, blue with pink flowers, off white with pink flowers and green with pink flowers.

I've seen on line the more expensive imported fabrics from big names for probably about $5 for a fat quarter.

Over here in Germany you'll get of real high qualitiy "patchwork fabric" no meter ( about 1.1 yards) under 15€ which is about 20$!!!!
Often you find today prices even higher: 18€ -- 25 $ or 19.90€ --- 27.60$!!!
And I was really shocked when I saw last week fabrics with this price: 25€ ---- 34.60$ per meter!!!!!

I mostly buy online at Connecting Threads, Fabric.com or Thousands of bolts. If I can find a good sale for material about $7.00 or under I sometimes buy what I want. Getting really hard to have enough $$$ to make a quilt...has to be a labor of love now.

I like to buy from Whittles, $5.00 a yard for most fabric and shipping is great also!!

Ditto on Whittles! I think most of their fabrics are "last year's" lines, but quality is first rate!

Batiks are about $11-12 here. Have found some nice prices online though. I've heard people over the years say that quilting is so nice because it is not expensive. Oh boy, could I tell them a few things.

Around here, it's common to see 10.99 to 11.99 for most quilting cottons. I was in a shop in Kansas City yesterday and almost fell over when I saw 13.99. Sadly, that's why I do most of my shopping on line. I will buy at the LQS when I must have it today, or they are having a sale.

most places 12 bucks a yard, my old shop has 9 bucks but she doesn't carry nearly as much fabric as she used to so its hard when you are looking for somethin particular. You might be able to find 10-11, but there are just not many shops near me any more, when this one goes I will either have to drive far or wait for quilt shows or buy online which I don't like doing unless I have seen it first. Its about twice as much in europe so count you blessings

I had sticker shock also. I was in San Francisco last weekend and thought I would take a look at one of the downtown fabric stores for cotton velveteen. They had many beautiful colours BUT they ranged from $29 to 70.00 a yard. I just needed a bit so got 3 pieces of 1/4 yard and spent 26.00...............gasp

I have seen fabric at LQS for $14.25 per yard. Need to wait for sales/specials on that fabric.

I, too, have noticed the price of fabric has risen. I'm paying $3.50 for fat quarters at the LQS which works out to $14 per yard! Yikes! I've noticed some people prefer online buying, but I wonder if with shipping if the cheaper prices really are that much cheaper. Some of you also have to pay sales tax on your purchases. Ouch! (Glad I live in NH - no tax except on meals and lodging.) JAF and Hobby Lobby will have more of my business now and occasionally Walmart, too.

Anita

I can't pay full retail of $12 to $15/yd for premium fabrics. I shop the sales and use coupons to get what I need. I also buy pieces at thrift stores when there's something I like. Some of my favorite fabrics have come from them.

The east coast used to have a lot of textile mills. It became cheaper/ more profitable for the manufacturers to move overseas just like a lot of our other industries did. We can complain all we want but we're all a part of that problem. We can complain about unions too but when you look at the wages and working conditions in many of those old mills something had to be done. We accepted the corporations' decisions to move overseas and bought their products instead of refusing to. Now the mills are pretty much gone and there are no other choices. Also poor quality isn't necessarily the fault of the overseas producers. It's the fault of the people requesting the product to be made. Many of them ask "How cheaply can you make this?" instead of "How well can you make this?". It's a complicated issue and there are no easy answers. Also fuel prices are high and the cost of energy drives the cost of everything else.
I think there will come a time when fuel prices outweigh cheap labor and we will start producing more goods at home again.
My 2 cents,
Rodney

Our LQS fabric is $18.99/metre. I am happy to pay it as quilting is something I love.
I also love cross stitching and my last project kitted up was $60. 3 skeins of silk threads, hand dyed linen, pattern and a bit of fabric to finish it off. It took a week to stitch. I find joy in my hobbies and purchase what I can afford when I can.

My LQS averages $11-$13 per yard. They also have a huge selection of sale fabrics averaging $7. I give them quite a bit of my business just because I believe in supporting small local businesses. I also shop online, there are so many nice online quilt shops! Many of them have great sales (like 50% off!) and often free or very reasonable shipping...plus I can shop in my PJ's!