I knew to brace for higher prices ... but kept hoping it was not going to be quite so bad... some predicted 15.00 - 18.00 per yard in the US.
I had my first sticker shock in Feb ... saw a drop dead gorgous fabric ... it was $12.95 per yard. Most of the LQS near me have been $11.50 -$12.95 for awhile. As much as I like to support the LQS ... when ever I go to Buffalo I stop at Favorite Fabrics .. great prices on current fabrics.

Rediscovering the "art of the scrappy" is my new going forward method of picking fabric.
I love looking at the scrappy quilt show message thread , there is enough insipration to keep me busy for a long time. I hope people keep on posting there it is so motivating to use what I have.

On the bright side ... cotton futures have been trading down from the all time highs....( March 7 2011 cotton trading hit an all time high of 2.20 per pound , this was double from a year prior) but it needs to trend down for a few more months to impact the market. .. then it will be a matter of what will the retail market support price wise..... if you were a buyer at $11.00 why would they sell it to you for less. So it will be interesting to see who passes on the lower prices first.

Is is time to do as our grandmothers did, re-use fabrics from old clothes, sheets. Do we need to bring back the flour sacks?

Glad I don't live in Australia; I wouldn't be able to afford to quilt. Glad my stash is so large - I can shop from it. Have noticed the price of fat quarters is way up.

If they are trying to discourage us from quilting they might as well give up right now!!! We win hands down,agreed ?

I am sooooo glad I have stash!!! I knew there was a reason for me to be collecting all of that fabric.

I agree with Suebee Mulqueen's is the only reasonable LQS in AZ that I know of. All the rest are at the top on the scale and if you live on a fixed income you just can't afford to support the LQS's unless it's a big sale. :-( :-( :-(

Fabric in our LQSs is running $10+ but one of our LQS had their annual BIG sale today. Over 1800 bolts priced at $4.88/yd. I walked out with 32 yards of fabric and 9 charm packs for $215!! What a great deal. This was my first time to be able to make it to the sale. Some of the veterans were there with shopping carts and furniture dollies to carry their bolts.

Yes...and I remember when I dreaded the thought of paying that much per yard for the wonderful wide backing fabric!
I consider myself lucky to have Fabric Depot so close, they always have at least a 25% off fabric then the 35% off days. Then there is their 40% off coupon on any one item..which comes in handy if I want to get 5 yards of something.

Ack!! those prices are terrible...I am afraid I would not have but one set of clothes...hubby, too....because I would have to use all the others to quilt with!! :-D ...seriously, I think that is awful for the fabric to be that expensive...at the lqs around me, most are $10.00+ a yard...the shop I am a member of their guild has the best prices, usually $8.99 a yard and under...but with the terrible drought we are in around here, and how it is affecting the crops, makes the price of cotton go up, which trickles down to increased prices on fabrics...everything seems to go up, but wages...

That's why I don't buy at LQS'...Maybe the fabric is sprinkled with gold dust ??? LOL