I heard on the news last week that the price of cotton is going up.

Yes everything seems to be going up in price except our wages...LOL! Gas here averages $4.60to $5.05 a gallon once you convert the metric. I tell my DH, that's alright... it gives me more incentive to stay home and quilt rather than go out galavanting LOL.

I just did some maths, and our petrol/gas comes out at just over $6.30 per gallon. I wonder how far you US citzens would go if you had to pay all that for a gallon?

I've been hearing about the fabric prices being raised too. However, I'm personally combating that by the following:
This past weekend I scavanged at a bunch of village wide garage sales for 100% cotton shirts and was able to get a lot of fabric for very little cost. I also bought woven belts to take apart and use for handles on my tote bags and some adorable Partylite tea candle holders that I'm making pin cushions from. There are ways to save money if we look.

And yes, Lacelady, we complain too much. However it's not because of the prices so much but because we know that it's the middle men, government, and the fat cats that are getting richer and richer by gouging us at the pumps. If someone in an oil rich country gets the stomach flu our gas prices jump 20cents a gallon. Saturday they raised 25cents in one day----just from morning to evening.

I just filled up in the VA. suburbs $2.43 gal. Here in MD $2.57 DC $2.55. I just discovered that the majority of our cotton here in the US comes from China. Due to their horrible weather this years cotton was terrible thus much higher prices. Fine cotton for shirts etc is long staple cotton comes from Africa and Egypt. Our cotton is short staple cotton and is for more industrial use. With shipping cost going up monthly, we could be paying $12.00 per yd. before spring. China is a long way so the shipping is the major cost not the cotton plus it is shipped to a textile mill from China to be printed. Shipped again. Then it is put on the boards and packaged for brokers to sell to LQS's, and shipped again.

Here in Uk the average price in dollars is 1.76 a litre

Watch those sales everywhere....in your own towns, cities and of course on the internet. Pass the word on this board when you find those fabulous buys. There will always be good buys in many places. Glean all the knowlege you can from the ladies like Raptureready and many others here using clothing to make quilts. It's just another challenge for each of us and will bring about a deep sense of satisfaction when we do find those great deals and don't succumb to a dreadful fear over something we cannot change.

We love creating and being very savvy shoppers...this challenge will just keep us on our toes and in turn most possibly help us turn out the best quilts ever.