Have you thought of having someone in the US buy for you and send it, or would you have to still pay a fee on the package.

When we were posted to The Hague in the Netherlands, my friend and I would take the train to Antwerp that had a quilt shop with an ad advertising it as the largest quilt shop in Europe! We so enjoyed the two hour train ride, enjoying a good cup of coffee. We could walk to the quilt shop where we discovered this lady used to live in the States. She had brought most of her fabrics, quilt tops, threads, etc. with her when she moved to Belgium. Her prices were much more expensive than in the States so we didn't buy much, because we could order from the States. However, this lady was a wonderful person who enjoyed all the Americans who crammed into her shop. It was a small shop by our standards, and it made us realize how much space our own stores have. I found twenty quilt squares, pinned together, that were handmade by a church group in Tennessee. Need I write that I bought them, so their story is that they crossed the "Big Pond" twice--going to Belgium and then returning home to America. By the way, after shopping, we would hit the wonderful cafes to get fruit beers and Belgian Waffles. Then on to the wonderful chocolate stores. Finally, we would be zigzagging our way to the train station where the conductor had gotten used to the two strangely funny American women, so he would yell out in Dutch "Hurry or you two will have to spend the night in Antwerp!" I agree that we had the best of both worlds. :lol:

My Christmas present this year is Barnes & Noble's eReader, the Nook. Amazon.com has the Kindle. Most of the books that can be downloaded are only $10 which is only a dollar or two above the price of a paperback, now-a-days. Best yet, you don't have to buy the hard back to enjoy a new book right away.

For those of you not in the USA, do you have access to a Nook or Kindle? Or, is the downloading capability limited to only the USA?

In Tassie, cotton quilting fabric is $22 - $25 per metre. A metre is roughly the same amount as a yard.

Spotlight has some at $12 - $19 per metre, but not as nice fabrics. Our Spotlight here is small with limited selections.

Our government whacks a 17.5% import tax (on amounts over $1000) on fabric when it enters the country, then sticks another 10% gst on top of that. They are not doing small business here any favours with that sort of taxing!

I've already bought from the USA online and am thrilled with the fabrics. Postage cost is a problem, but even with that it's much cheaper to buy overseas.

CAnadian prices of 15-18 dollars a metre are the exception rather than the rule. Cranston Prints (mostly what Walmart carries) is 9.00 a metre here in Newfoundland. Fabricville runs from 6.00 -15.00 but they often have great sales. My LQS is 7.00 a metre to 10.00 a metre. And there's a discount type store where they sell fabric by the yard at 5.95.

And of course all these places also have sale and some fabric will be lower. I visited one store that had ridiculous prices. I smiled at the lady bought a fat quarter and haven't been back.

And I always think of my metres like this, if I buy 8 metres I have an extra yard over and above if I bought it in yards. Adds up after a while.

In Brazil fabrics costs a lot, same level as in Norway.
Just checked - Amy Butler quilt fabric --> U$26,00-28,00 - decor fabric --> U$ 51,76 !!!! Hoffman, Benartex, P & B, etc starts at U$ 25,00. Pre quilted --> U$ 33,00 :roll: I order online - a flate rate env. up to $50 goes through customs at no taxation.
Have bought fabric in Europe cheaper than here :?
Prices are :evil: I use to buy books, rulers, notions, everything quilt related online. I´m glad I can read/write in English, that I know how to use a pc, that I have my own credit card , that I´m not afraid of buying online :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I bought my DH a kindle for xmas. We don't have access to as many titles (different selections for different countries did you know?) but it's brilliant. Not good for quilting books with coloured pictures though! I buy books from Amazon at less than half price than here, in most cases.

I did not know that! Interesting that they have a different selection of books. And, yes, my Nook is only B&W so I know what you mean about using it for quilting books. Not! Thanks for the info.

[quote=QBeth]
Nook and Kindle are available in Brazil

Fabric in Australia is $27 per metre. That's why I buy ALL my fabric online from the US. Even with the US$14.00 postage for 6 yards, it is SOOOOOOO much cheaper ... and I have never been disappointed with my choice.

Mamagus,
I am origianl from Newfoundland I want to go back...
Our Walmarts here in Quebec have all but stopped carrying...almost nothing out - I went to Fabricville here on Sunday - FQ's are $4.99....there was a selection of fabrics at $10.00 - but not must you would want to bring home...the better cottons were all $15-18.00....the local quilt stores are all within that price and higher....

How about here in Japan? Fabric made in Japan (not really, probably made in China!) is about 800-1500 Yen per meter. So about $9-16 US per meter. American fabrics can be more expensive, but there are some great bargain spots. I went to Nippori (on the Yamanote Line in Tokyo) with a woman I met in the chat room here ( Hi, Youme!)and there was a huge selection of discounted fabric mostly from the U.S.

Katrine, Send for an email address through Quilting Board and I'll see what I can afford to send you in the way of fabric or thread.Barb

Interesting what French quilter says about thread. Here in USA we are being introduced to a fine cotton thread from Spain called Presencia. Do you not have it there?

Aprox. 33 inches :-)

craft shows here in australia show the finished products as well as craft stores from all over the country (even a couple from New Zealand) have a stall there to show and sell their products. I have only been to 2 shows, and had a lot of fun there but I would never go with my credit card as I would buy and buy and buy and buy....... :P

No, never seen it in France. I have seen Presencia 60 wt only at one large UK online supplier. As an example I put 3 cones in the shopping basket and total with postage to here is £72 - that's $116 !!

I buy Superior King Tut, Masterpiece or Bottom Line from 2 small UK suppliers, I pay about £5 each for them, but these 2 ladies will post to me at cost which is only letter rate for a couple of reels. I also bought thread shade cards, which is great for matching up.

No, it's 3" more approx than a yard, at 39"

Choke me, gag, gag!! :shock: You paid $116 for three cones of thread?!! Mama!

And, I thought the price you paid for fabric was outrageous! My hats off to all quilter who live outside the USA. Takes dedication.

Here's the "official" conversion, straight from Google, the all knowing source :-)

1 meter = 39.370079 OR 39 47/127 inches

No, no way would I pay that!!!! I just did the bag just to see how much with shipping as an example.

Bless those who can afford to pay that much but I'm not in that league! If I were able to afford it, I'd change my name to Lady Up Lush! :-)

It has been interesting to read through all the posts here. I know the midwest seems to be less expensive than the coasts. (Groceries used to cost a lot more when we lived in AK.) But our LQS just upped prices - now we are paying $8 - $12 for good quality quilting fabric.

My hat is off to those of you outside of the US. It appears you spend a lot more on supplies than we do.

I think I will start working on miniatures! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I met a gal living in Italy a few years ago that said mail delivery was bad, at best! She said her Mom would send her fabric from Michigan, USA, and there was only a 50/50 chance she would ever get it. Do those of you in Europe find the same problems or is it just an Italian thing?

I think there is a problem with theft in Italy particularly Bonnie, because I have noticed that alot of US sites will not mail there, and I have even seen it on one or two UK sites as well.
I've been buying my stuff from the UK for 6 years since I started quilting and (touching wood!) have had no problems at all. Some suppliers now though will only post "insured" from UK and that usually puts the rate well above the cost of what I'm purchasing, so I don't go that way - just trust normal mail.
If I know of anyone coming from UK by car, I will ask if I can have batting sent to their UK address to be brought out - something we just can't here, well anything decent at least!

We've had trouble shipping to Italy, too, though we still do it. It's probably a 75% success rate. And it's SLOW... it takes 6-8 weeks for Priority Mail International (PMI) to be delivered, and even Express Mail takes 3 weeks or so. To protect our customers - and us - in the case of "lost" packages we buy third-party shipping insurance (through Shipsurance). The US Post Office will not insure those budget-priced flat rate envelopes.

Now, Brazil... that's even worse, in terms of shipping. There was one reader from Brazil who posted on this thread and I'd love to hear what her experiences have been. For us, probably two out of three packages to Brazil never get delivered, and apparently the theft problem is so bad that even Shipsurance will not insure packages sent to Brazil. So... the only option there is to send via USPS Express Mail (EMI), because you *can* insure EMI shipments. However... they cost more than twice as much as the PMI.

I think a meter is about 39 inches. Anyone know for sure?

You are correct; a meter is about 39 1/2 inches.

You are correct; a meter is about 39 1/2 inches.

I don't know how this posted twice! Never had that happen before.

[quote=Favorite Fabrics]You are correct; a meter is about 39 1/2 inches.[quote]


I posted this earlier -- you must have missed it...

Here's the "official" conversion, straight from Google, the all knowing source

1 meter = 39.370079 or 39 47/127 inches or approximately 39 1/2 inches.

I'm trying to wrap my mind around how quilters overseas afford supplies. Have you sold your kidneys?????? :shock:

I buy sale fabrics from the UK, usually in January - and from 1 or 2 suppliers having liquidation sales - and only from those who will mail at a reasonable cost. I have only twice bought "must have" for a specific quilt for ourselves. The sale fabrics I look for are those which will marry similar prints or colours easily, or they are tonals etc. I buy natural calico (muslin in US) from UK for backing in various widths. Only very occasionally will I look for a print backing and once or twice have found a 60" print in the childrens fabric section at lower cost.
Threads and notions are necessary from UK for whatever they cost as it's metric here and I work in imperial.
I think we pay double US prices for batting.
Books not too bad, this Co. cheaper than Amazon and ship worldwide free
http//:www.bookdepository.co.uk

Our partners are very understanding - we are lucky!!
We're a dedicated lot!!

We in the US must count our blessings. I can't imagine paying that much for fabric! Average at a LQS is $9 per yard and we have an abundance of LQS nearby. One that recently opened in my hometown carries a lower quality than the typical LQS and they sell for $5 a yard.

Agreed! As important as it is for Americans to support our domestic travel industry, I think it would benefit everyone to travel, at least once in their lifetime, to another country. One of my brothers is rather narrow-minded and I've suggested several times that he should travel. So far, he hasn't. With apologies to whomever, it's not always fashionable to be a redneck!

What part of the island are you from?
With prices like that I won't be shopping there this summer.!

NO WAY! 39 inches not 33

Years ago I lost my first 4 orders.
Merchandise+shipping over 50,00 are held for taxation.
At this point it goes to a warehouse where they sit for 2 or 3 days. Dishonest people know that those are not trackable.

Since I learnt that Flat Rate Envelopes up to 50,00 goes through untaxed no one was lost .
When the order is more than 6yds. or include high priced items I split in 2 envelopes.
My friends and I have been buying a lot online and following those rules have not counted a single loss.

Our prices here in Oregon seem to be about the sames as other states. Guiterman thread is supposed to be a very good quality thread. I have also heard that thread with deteriorate after a few years. I am wondering if this is true or if they just want to sell more thread!

When I lived in Taiwan, we went to a special fabric area near old downtown Taipei to buy fabric. The vendors gave us a choice of yards, meters, or some Chinese unit of measure-all for the same price per unit. I used to laugh to myself when other Americans insisted that they would only buy yards, effectively cheating themselves out of several extra inches of fabric per unit purchased. Inches or centimeters- it doesn't matter if you have a good ruler and know how to use it!