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oh for the days when you could buy cotten for 39 cents a yard and the better stuff was 59 cents. I guess that rather dates me doesn't it. I too shop my stash a lot more.
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Here in the UK the average price per yard now for a good quality cotton fabric is about £10.00 which is about $15.00. Because of this I buy nearly all my fabric online from American firms, even with the high cost of postage it still works out cheaper for me, especially when buying the likes of Moda or Kaffe Fassett. Although Thousand Bolts prices have gone up a bit. I used to be able to buy from them for about $2.95 a yard but now the same type of fabric is $1.00 more per yard, but its still a bargain. I also find that now I buy when I see it on sale even when I don't really need it at the time because who knows, this time next year it could be twice the price.
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It is so depressing reading all of your comments, and yes, realizing its true and frustrating. (Marsye, has Marshall's prices gone up?)Even WM's have gone up (the only one left that still has fabric; by the way, the clerk said they are getting a remodel next year and altho alot of the fabric is going to be eliminated, they will still have a downsized fabric section) I have so much fabric, but not as much as my friend who really doesn't sew the last couple years - picture to follow later today. Yes, everything is going up - but MEDICAL benefits are going down, retirement pay?..HA! Those of you in the workforce - did your employer give all of you a BIG raise>>---not so much?----Our income is surely alot smaller than our outgo, isn't it?
It looks smaller than I remember it! [ATTACH=CONFIG]88801[/ATTACH] |
I go to my quilt shop and prices havent really changed yet and she hasnt said anything about it we are really close friends and she trys to keep everything right so that she can stay in business in my area so far so good but i would buy it if i wanted it anyways have a great day
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I never call myself cheap...lol, but everyone else does..lol I am always searching ways to save on the costs of everything. I work hard for my money and want it to buy as much as it can. The grocery store is always my worst chore in life. Sometimes I just feel like crying all the way through the store..lol I don't cry over spilt milk, just over the price of milk. My job also has a limited budget for everything, so I will be visiting my local thrift stores, shopping sales, and asking for donations to get the quilt club started.
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just like prices for everything location matters...here fab's range from $7.50 at one lqs to $9.50 at one 20 miles away...and lots in between...went into our local JoAnnes and theirs averaged $9 a yard...and i will go to the lqs long before paying that or anywhere close to that for joannes fabric...there are as many price ranges as there are fabrics to choose from, thankfully we have the 'power of the internet' to allow us to shop around. i have a real hard time paying $9 or more for fabric...it has to be VERY special, and something i have not been able to find anywhere else..i find what i want locally then get on line and try to find it...have to remember though, if the fabric is available on line for $7 a yard... locally $9, remember to figure in shipping costs, some shops charge alot and it counters any savings. i love the shops that offer free shipping at $35. i can always find $35 worth to buy. :)
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Originally Posted by QKO
OK, from the inside, here's what's happening with fabric prices.
First, there are the grey goods, that's the base fabric before it's printed and finished. China has been undercutting the grey goods market for years, artificially holding down the prices with government manufacturing subsidies, until finally they have forced manufacturers in every other country out of the weaving business. Now almost all grey goods are manufactured in China. Now that they've cornered the market in grey goods, they're raising the prices astronomically and incrementally, since even people in China now want to make more than 12 cents an hour. Next, there's dye prices. Printing dye costs have been steadily increasing as have the chemicals used for finishing. Wax used in manufacturing batiks has also increased radically in cost. And so it goes. Also, as most quality fabrics are printed in Korea and Japan, they have to be shipped by ocean freight. You all know what's been happening with fuel prices, right? What all this means is that as retailers, we've seen our wholesale prices increase dramatically, this year especially, as the Chinese have put the squeeze on the gray goods market. Also, there's now a world-wide shortage of cotton due to droughts in several large growing areas. It's not a case of LQS being greedy, they're trying to survive. Bear in mind that the quality of goods at your local quilt shop and in high quality online stores is considerably higher and thus it is more expensive than the stuff that's sold at Joanne's, Walmart and other chain stores. LQS and quality online stores pay roughly double at the wholesale level what the large chains pay for fabric when shipping is figured in. Manufacturers also make "special" lines for the big chains, stated another way, they make cheaper goods to retail just in chains, using lower quality gray goods and lower quality printing and finishing. They also are having the goods printed in China where the cost and quality of printing is much lower. Most top quality fabric printing is done in South Korea and Japan. Check the ends of the bolts next time you're in a fabric store, that will tell you a lot about the quality, just based on where it's printed. Most quality small retailers are quilters themselves, and we check the quality before we buy the fabric, and if it's lower quality than expected when it arrives, we send it back. Then it goes to the big chains and the big chain online retailers at closeout prices. Also, your LQS provides a place to hang out, quilt, take classes and visit with your friends. Can you do that in the big chain stores? Not in any I've ever been in... And the space that that requires costs money. An earlier poster or two mentioned the fact that fabric in the USA costs a lot less than it does in most countries in Europe, Australia, etc. This is true. People can order from online stores in the USA, pay high shipping costs, and still come out ahead on prices. One of the reasons for this is that most of the design houses and large distributors are still in the USA. We sell a lot of British designed fabric to people in England. Why? Check a map sometime. It's a lot farther from Korea to England by boat than it is from Korea to the USA, and the VAT and other taxes added on to goods at each stage of manufacturing add tremendous costs to the product in those places. The bottom line is that with rent, advertising, furnishing, heat, electricity, phone, transportation, wages, government compliance costs, business licenses, supplies, equipment, and myriad other overhead items in addition to the fabric and shipping costs, $10/yd barely covers the costs of operation of a brick and mortar LQS. I, quite frankly, find it amazing that any of them can stay in business and indeed, dozens close down every week. With slightly lower overhead, we in online-only stores can make a profit at that level, but especially when faced with ruthless competition from huge online retailers that are willing to take a loss to drive competition out of business, we're being forced to operate at unprofitable levels just to survive. Many LQS have opened online stores that support their brick and mortar operations. Not to put too fine a point on it, there is no greed here. Shop owners, both LQS and online, try to do everything they can to hold prices down. I don't know anyone in the industry that artificially increases prices, and I don't know anyone that's getting rich selling fabrics at the retail level, except maybe the big chain retailers. Running a store is a crap shoot, you buy and pay for product up front and hope that you have a selection that people like, if you don't, or if people don't know that you have it, you sit on it for months and years and then finally sell it at a loss. Like we always say, "We lose a little on every sale, but we make it up in volume." :mrgreen: Hey, support your local quilt stores, and your family-owned online shops. It might cost you a little more, but you know they'll stand behind the product, sell you higher quality goods, give you better customer service, and if you support them, they'll be there for you in the future. And the bonus is, the product we sell will last a lot longer and look a lot better than the low-quality and second-line stuff you get at the large chains... [Note: I realize that we're new here, with just a few posts, but this is a subject that needs to be discussed from both sides, the customer side and the retailer side. Maybe when we all understand each others' problems and the realities of the business, we won't have as much animosity and distrust among us. Let's hope...] |
Quilt shops around here, that would be a low price, since $12.95-14.95 is pretty standard, that's why I stick to Joanns and Hancock, even if the fabric may not be as high of quality. I've registered for mailers from every shop in every town I ever drive through, so that I can hit them on the one or two times a year they have 40% sales. The only time I've paid above 10 is the Wizard of Oz quilt I made for the priest who married us, even my mom's table runner got sale-priced fabric!
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A friend of mine just bought some fabric at JoAnn's for me to make Belly Bands for the dogs. She was sticker shocked at $3 a yard. I showed her a fabric on line that was $8.40 a yard and she just about hyperventilated. LOL She is not a crafty person at all.
But didn't the thingy come out that said the cost of living went down compared to last year. Obviously whoever did it isn't living were I do. |
I use my JoAnn's coupons, too, and yes, the quilt shop prices are a bit high . . . . you are not cheap - just "price conscious"!
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Originally Posted by Nonna Judi
Hi everyone. I just had to get this off my chest! I know this has been discussed on the board before, but today was the first I saw it. I went to one of our local quilt shops today to treat myself and redeem a gift certificate my significant other gave me for Christmas. I WAS APPALED TO SEE THE PRICE OF FABRIC AT $10.59/YD.....Are you seeing this price increase in your area also? We live on a fixed income and I try to economize where I can, using my JoAnn coupons, buying online or buying in bulk at times. Am I just being cheap at being ruffled by these crazy prices or am I just out of touch with reality? Your thoughts?
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There are shops in our area where it is $12.00 for quilting cottons................. :roll:
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Originally Posted by Nonna Judi
Hi everyone. I just had to get this off my chest! I know this has been discussed on the board before, but today was the first I saw it. I went to one of our local quilt shops today to treat myself and redeem a gift certificate my significant other gave me for Christmas. I WAS APPALED TO SEE THE PRICE OF FABRIC AT $10.59/YD.....Are you seeing this price increase in your area also? We live on a fixed income and I try to economize where I can, using my JoAnn coupons, buying online or buying in bulk at times. Am I just being cheap at being ruffled by these crazy prices or am I just out of touch with reality? Your thoughts?
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I feel the same way. Always when a good craft becomes popular the prices always goes up. Just glad I have a very good stash. Here I thought this was a sickness, now it was worth every yard I bought.
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Hi,
I've just returned from a trip to the US, by bags absolutely brimming with fabric. Here is Australia we pay $24 per metre (which is a about four inches longer than a yard) for fabric. Given that when I was in the US the exchange rate was almost dollar-for-dollar, I went on a fabric rampage! :) |
Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics
IMHO Joanne's is playing price games recently. Being "in the business" I recognize some of their fabrics, and know what the real wholesale price is (for little shops, and you know the chain stores get a better deal).
I've seen some that are priced at $9.99, and I know the cost is more like $3.50. So if they sell it at 30% off, which is a common "sale" on their calico wall, then they're really selling it for the typical double-the-cost retail price. Wait for a sale, know your brands, be an educated shopper. Most of us are already doing this! I will go online before my shopping trips and check the price on most of my needed items. Then I know if I'm really getting a bargain. As for fabric, because of fixed income and a huge stash collected over many years, I only buy if I need a particular color I don't have. Today, my stash dictates my quilts, not the other way around. It's amazing what you come up with when you think "outside the store". |
One thing my LQS does is always have a rack of $5 fabric...the owner understands that not everyone can afford the $10 fabric all the time. And, it is not bad fabric...just a little lesser quality. She also always has a couple racks of clearance fabrics generally over 50% off (sometimes marked $2-4) and there is always something on it that I can find. One probably would not find enough coordinating fabrics on it for a quilt top, but there are often bolts that are fabrics I have used and wished I had made pillow shams, or something from...so I am able to do that cheaply. She also has good sales every couple of months.
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Yes prices are going up.
When the gas prices go up everything goes up, everything is deliver by gas. The LQS has to pay for the rent/loan, employee's and their benefits if any, utility bills, all kinds of insurance and of course don't forget those lovely quarterly TAXES. These are all going up so it is passed on to the consumer like it or not. |
I know fabric is expensive....I have a very small fabric shop, which I will be closing at the end of July. I do live in a small town, but I am the only place outside of WM that sells fabric, thread, etc. WM says they are closing there fabrics and notions soon (whatever that means)
I mostly carry Moda fabrics. Since I opened last Sept. my wholesale prices have increased by $.50 per yard, but I have not gone up on my prices. This lowers my "profit" to $3.00 a yard. From that $3.00 I must pay $800 a month rent, four months of winter weather sent my electric bill to $500 per month, add on insurance, a little advertising, city charges for water, trash and sewage is $50. a month, credit card machine charges, internet ad charges, maintance fees, repayment of start up financing, and on and on. I need to sell about $3000 a month before I can even buy a Coke. I am my stores only employee, and I work for free. Lately, I have even been paying for the right to work all day.lol So this is why the retailers have had to go up on their prices and this is one the reason why I will be closing in about 4 weeks. It has been a very hard lesson. I still don't understand my town. The citizens here would rather drive 60+ miles into San Antonio to maybe find what they are looking for at Joann's or Hancocks, then to support their local, hometown merchants. Ok....got that off my chest. lol Virginia, soon to be a 71 year old ex-shop owner. |
I've been living in France for 6 years where fabric is very expensive and am soon moving back to the UK. While I will then buy online from the States, because I believe that import duty is differnt to the UK than France, read it somewhere recently, can't remember where. I still plan to support the English LQS of which there are several within an hour's drive of my new home in rural Somerset. Try www.cosman.nl to locate them, UK members. If we don't give the local shops our business, we'll lose them. As someone else said, this is a luxury not a necessity and I'd rather have less and quality than quantity. Also, I'm really looking forward to being able to see and stroke before I buy.
PS Didn't mean to imply that US fabric and/or online stores are lesser quality than LQS, just that in person, I can judge that better. :-D |
Virginia, is there any way we can help you?
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Virginia, I can't help you personally, a bit too long a commute! LOL But what I was trying to say above was that I want to try and help ppl like you. Shop locally where possible and that's not only fabric. :-D
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Here in AZ all "quilting" fabric what Joann's call Good material is $9.95-$10.95 a yard. At the Quilts store all their material runs $9.95 all the way up to $12.95 a yard. I stay away from that material..or wait for it to be discounted.
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I just received a Hancock notice for a 1 day sale June 22 fabric on sale cheap!
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If gas goes up to $7.00 a gallon, as predicted, the only thing we will be able to buy is gas and food. Guess we will all use up our stash.
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[quote=Favorite Fabrics]Judi,
The prices are inching up everywhere. I would say that the wholesale prices have risen about 50 cents per yard in the last year, so that would likely translate to $1 / yard at the retail level.] Even Wal-Mart's $1/yd bargains are now $2.00 and $2.50. Prices are inching up. |
Thanks for the offer, but the decision is already made. I decided to not renew my lease for another year. Can't afford all that fun. I will be moving my longarm machine back home and hope to keep my customers that I have for that. That part of the business is the only that that kept me from closing 6 months ago...that and the lease.
I taught school for 40 years and always dreamed of having my own fabric shop. Thought I could just quilt all day long...that was a joke...quilting keeps me pretty busy and I don't have any time for personal work. Quilting business is good but it doesn't pay the all the bills. Now to get busy for all the close out sales....I hope they are big. Don't want to store all this fabric. Thanks everyone. Virignia |
I agree, the prices are going up. We are lucky here in San Diego.We have a quilt shop that still sells most of their fabrics for $ 7.50 to 8.00 per yard. You can get all the quality fabric,even batiks. She has thousands of bolts. You can order some on her web site. The shop is Rosie's Calico Cupboard.Check it out.
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Yes, they are expensive. However, if my LQS didn't exist I would never have taken quilting lessons and become sucked up by this obsession! I constantly take classes there, go on their shop hops, meet new friends and take any quilting problems I have (always get them resolved). Recently I completed a quilt top but needed somewhere to lay it out to assemble the batting and backing. They let me use their classroom, helped me push tables together and then helped me stretch out the fabrics and helped me spraybaste - all at no charge - just friends helping each other. This week I'm taking one of their mystery travel all-day classes. They pick a country (Egypt, in this case), put together a surprise quilt package for participants to make in class, provide snacks and lunch and information about the country we're "visiting." All for $45. I rarely buy fabric or supplies elsewhere, even though I know I'm paying a premium. I figure it's worth it.
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As most, we have had to figure out how to survive the higher costs of everything in the last few years. And it seems a never ending battle for retailers and consumers. We have lost 2 local quilt shops in our area and that hurts us all in some way.
My husband makes thread stands and I was going to ship to a friend in Australia and a few quilting books. For an eight pound package it was $68 to send. Sadly the shipping price was more than the value of the gift so I did not send. When our income changed with retirement, my shopping had to change also. |
I am on a fixed income and cannot afford the prices that are being shown out there in the fabric shops either. I don't know why the price has to be DOUBLED from the wholesale price. I am sure that profit can be made on less.
I have been buying online lately because there are many places that have excellent fabric for much less. I just bought a bunch of Kona fabric for $4.79/yd for example. I also know that Thousands of Bolts has prices in that range or below and there are some good brands there. I spend time searching around online. If you are careful about the brands select you should not have any trouble. I am blessed in that I also have a dear friend in Georgia who is an experienced quilter and guides me in the right direction also. That is how I found Kona fabric. BE appalled and DON'T consider yourself cheap! We CANNOT be paying these high prices and we MUST NOT stop quilting. I apologize if this offends anyone on the board who has a shop, but this is how life is for some of us. |
Originally Posted by Nonna Judi
Hi everyone. I just had to get this off my chest! I know this has been discussed on the board before, but today was the first I saw it. I went to one of our local quilt shops today to treat myself and redeem a gift certificate my significant other gave me for Christmas. I WAS APPALED TO SEE THE PRICE OF FABRIC AT $10.59/YD.....Are you seeing this price increase in your area also? We live on a fixed income and I try to economize where I can, using my JoAnn coupons, buying online or buying in bulk at times. Am I just being cheap at being ruffled by these crazy prices or am I just out of touch with reality? Your thoughts?
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Originally Posted by OmaForFour
I am on a fixed income and cannot afford the prices that are being shown out there in the fabric shops either. I don't know why the price has to be DOUBLED from the wholesale price. I am sure that profit can be made on less.
I have been buying online lately because there are many places that have excellent fabric for much less. I just bought a bunch of Kona fabric for $4.79/yd for example. I also know that Thousands of Bolts has prices in that range or below and there are some good brands there. I spend time searching around online. If you are careful about the brands select you should not have any trouble. I am blessed in that I also have a dear friend in Georgia who is an experienced quilter and guides me in the right direction also. That is how I found Kona fabric. BE appalled and DON'T consider yourself cheap! We CANNOT be paying these high prices and we MUST NOT stop quilting. I apologize if this offends anyone on the board who has a shop, but this is how life is for some of us. But please don't accuse shop owners of gouging. We're not. Most of us are barely keeping our heads above water, and many of us have invested our life savings into this effort. If we can't charge what it takes to keep ahead of the bill collectors, we'll have to go out of business. If enough of us go out of business, who will buy the first-run fabrics that drive the market and make it possible for people to buy seconds, overstocks and old goods? |
Try Connecting Threads. First class quilt fabric at $5.96 a yard. They have their own fabric manufactured so you are not paying much above wholesale. The fabric collections change several times a year. The thread is a total bargain at $1.99 for a small cone.
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Some of the classes from well known quilters charge around $350 per class. Congrats if you can AFFORD that! I can't! I can't even afford the BOM's that are offered everywhere - at least $25 per month PLUS everything else?? Myyyy I really think there are less $$$ ways of doing it. How many are subscribed to BOM's??
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Originally Posted by MistyMarie
Originally Posted by gail-r
I just finished looking at the "Fabric Frenzy" at the Ellenor Burns "Quilt in a day" website. Lot os fabric from name brand textiles on sale for mostly $3.75 a yard. Some collections on sale. Get your fav beverage and plan to stay a while.
Hugs, Gail I have to admit that I buy way too much fabric on speculation of a future project. As prices go up, I am thankful that I have a large enough stash that I will have many future projects to do. However, I have to agree with an earlier post about limiting what I give away because it is too expensive to buy more, so I am going to have to make do with what I have. We are very blessed here in America with our prices (and spoiled :wink: ) |
I was told at a shop yesterday that prices could reach $15 yd by the end of the year. The floods in China have affected the cotton supply. I won't by the cheaper grades at Wally World, Joann's, or Hancocks. If I am spending my time I want the nicer fabrics. I guess this is when we use our stash.
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Originally Posted by stitchinwitch
Some of the classes from well known quilters charge around $350 per class. Congrats if you can AFFORD that! I can't! I can't even afford the BOM's that are offered everywhere - at least $25 per month PLUS everything else?? Myyyy I really think there are less $$$ ways of doing it. How many are subscribed to BOM's??
Originally Posted by QKO
But please don't accuse shop owners of gouging. We're not.
Most of us are barely keeping our heads above water, and many of us have invested our life savings into this effort. If we can't charge what it takes to keep ahead of the bill collectors, we'll have to go out of business. Everyone has to work within the budget they have. Congratulations that you have the ability to be the boss and work in an industry you obviously have such a passion for. Been there, done that. Many of us only dream of experiencing that reality. Personally I can't afford to shop at a LQS. I've sewn for over 40+ years and even if I had a $100,000 fabric budget I really don't think I would change the way I shop. |
Seems to me that if they cut the price and took less than 50% up from their wholesale they would get more customers because of the lower prices and then would make more in the long run. Just how it seems to me. I also think they know that people that go to the quilt shops expect to pay more than Joann's.
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Are our LQS's, there's not a lot worth buying under the $15-18.00/Meter..and that's only 3in more than the yard :-)
I took a course at a LQS a few years ago - for a Table runner...doesn't require a lot of fabric..but the course and the materials (that we had to buy at the store) was almost $125.00..... I've paid as high as $10.95 + tax for 1 spool of cotton thread (and I'm not talking cones)... :-) I have purhased some fabrics from Connecting Threads...whom I love.... I am checking out some on-line stores from the U.S. - have to be careful because as some stated - the shipping costs are so high that it can cost more than the order just to have it shipped and then we need to pay duty when it crosses the border...(Connecting Threads takes are of that and shiped via the Canada Post System which is wonderful). I have even started to look for books and patterns from on line stores...actually, now purchasing books out of England....and having them mailed to me in Canada...especially sewing books printed there because the books are costing a lot less that way - even considering the postage..... I am amongst the quilters who believe that the American Quilters and sewing are so fortunate to have so many shops and so many avenues to shop......I would love to have the opportunity - I did get to a Jo-Anns yesterday to pick up some Calico's that I needed for a project - it was almost 2 hours each way just to get there (upstate NY)....the prices were great - and a there was a sale there on the Calicos yesterday.....but even with the travel - the extra expenses for gas, meals and whatever,,it's still worth it and costs a ton less - and the variety in the U.S. stores is just so wonderful.... |
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