Two Christmases ago, I fell in love with a beautiful red fabric in my LQS. It did have a fair amount of gold on it, and I know that always brings the price up, but I was shocked when I looked at the price. It was the equivalent of $19.79 a yard!!!!!
Needless to say, it stayed in the shop. It's the dearest I have seen, but this LQS is one I rarely go to, because of the prices.

Yep...Sewaholic is spot on...I paid $11.00 for two fat quarters the other day (from our LQS). I shop there at least once every couple of months, for small bits and notions mainly because she is such a sweet girl, but I can't afford the $20.00+ per metre when I need larger pieces. I wait for the larger stores Spotlight and Textile Traders to have sales, and I have a loyalty card with Spotlight which gives us 20% discount on presentation and Textile Traders (think it's only in Perth?) often do a two for the price of one deal.

I don't think you are cheap...it's just the way of the world!

I get sticker shock too. When I shop with a younger quilter, she's probably wondering why sometimes I gasp while we are browsing. But I have definitely noticed a change in grocery prices too.
And, I do feel for our international friends.
Quilting can be a very expensive hobby.

Fabric is going up almost everywhere. It's not the LQS, they're having to pay more for it. As GrammaNan says, "Quilters will always find a way to quilt" Women used to save Bull Durham bags and used them as the "white" in their quilts, cut the best parts out of worn out clothing, piece scraps together to make a big enough piece of fabric to put in a block, etc. Many of us still today scrounge through garage sales, thrift stores, auctions, and estate sales for our "goodie buys." I'm an avid garage sale person.

I've purchased the majority of fabric for one or two projects at a LQS in the past and had sticker shock when everything was added up at the register. I learned my lesson though.

Now I look for fabric at garage/rummage/thrift sales. At Joann's 50% off clearance I've found decent fabric that cost about $2.00 a yard.

It works for me.

The nearest fabric shop, with a quilt fabric counter, about 1 hr from us - anything with gold or sparklies on from there is 26 Euros/metre - or $32/metre at today's rate. No wonder they cut at 20cms (under 8") minimum

The prices here are getting higher, also. There is the GSQA quilt show this weekend in Slidell, LA. There are going to be 11 vendors there. Two of which are the LQS that I regularly go to. I'm interested to see if the prices are the same or if they have raised them for the show.

I recently went to Joann's in Metairie (which is about 45 minutes awaay). I have heard a lot of quilters talk about it. I will never go back to that one again. One of my LQS calls it "The Dirty Joann's". It was horrible. There is another one that they recommended. I hope it is better, but now I have to get the courage to go.


To answer your question, you are not cheap. You are just trying to be thrifty, we all are.

I still shop my LQ shops in my area, but we in Maine are so lucky to have the surplus store that has everything from furniture to fabric. The fabric is quilt shop quality and name brands and is 2.99 (or lower)to 4.49 (for batiks) a yard. If you were looking for a particular fabric you probably would not find it, but at 2.99 yd you can find something else!!! It does not do on-line, but if you ever get to Maine, you should check it out! It is called "Mardens" and is in quite a few towns in Maine. Local qilt shops are pricing themselves into closing, but they are paying more too.

The ladies from Australia and France (not to mention the folks from Canada, etc) said it best ... we are lucky to be able to go down the street and have choices on high much we are willing to pay for our fabric.
I have been known to scrimp on my grocery list in favor of fabric (don't tell DH - he hasn't notice the difference yet). And the lights haven't been turned off. And I shop serious sales. So I can afford to fall in love every once and a while at $10 plus a yard.
I remember the days when I would pick a fabric and say - give me three yards. Months would go by and I would find the fabric and wonder why I picked it. I would end up burying it until I needed to donate some fabric at guild or give it away at the yearly swap. Those days are gone.
I will buy only what I will use.

I only shop online. I don't feel like traveling 150-250 miles to get to a "LQS". I also only shop the sales and have yet to find any good ones here in Canada. I also have bought my new sewing machines online. I saved $1,000.00 on the last one I bought and that was after paying the duty and exchange. There are bargains out there you just have to search.