After reading this thread I don't feel guilty anymore about the 18 yards or so I bought this morning at Jo-Anne's...for $2 a yard! Had to be careful of the quality in picking through the bolts on sale 50% off, but with my extra 20% off coupon (from JA's email) just had to look! Even though I have no room to store the fabric I already bought this year, this was just too good a deal for the Project Linus quilts I aim to practice on before deciding on my first "for me" project.

BTW, I've seen some really nice modern-style quilts on various blogs lately, and some of the fabrics used in them go for $25+ a yard, U.S. $$! :shock: No, I won't be making those.... :-(

AGREED!!! LOL

Besides the wholesale prices of the fabric going up the price of freight is going through the roof. When the fabric is shipped clear across the country it costs more than shipping a shorter distance. All that plays into the retail price.

Really have to shop around anymore with the prices so high. Good ole stash is being used.

Have to add, this is another reason I am a fan of Connecting Threads!!!

I was told that the Wal-Mart in Ft. Morgan, Colorado has bolt fabrics again.!!!I'll have to see it to believe it.

FQ's were $3 apiece at the Maine Quilt Show, and was told fabric was going up again in August by one of the shop owners. Glad I have a stash!!

I heard not only is fabric price going up but the mills are going to "shorten" the width a bit and loosen up the weave to save on fiber. We'll see.......

I live in AZ, retired, and can't afford the high prices so I just buy on sales or coupons. I see beautiful fabrics I would love to but, but have to wait anf hope it will still be there later on sale.

With the prices of cotton fabric skyrocketing, I also will be using more from stash. How about people who are NOT quilters squabbling about our quilt prices??? They want a hand-made quilt for $50 and act like we must get our supplies free from a fabric genie!! Not to mention the time and effort (and love) that goes in a quilt. I like making quilts for charity. No expectations and no grumbling!

I also hit a great buy at Hancock's Fabric -- they had bolts of $6.99/yd on a table for $1 - 3/ yd. I found 100% fabric and bought 22 yds for $1/yd. (I must have been the first to check it out right after they put on the table! What a buy. That's the only way I'm buying nowadays, as it seems many other quilters are, too.

I also visit thrift stores. I recently got a 100% cotton sheet for $.97. It was in very good condition and I was able to use most for backing on a 50x60" charity quilt and had enough to also make binding for it. It matched the colors perfectly. Also, if you're making garments and need buttons, thrift stores are a good place to check on. Even if you use only the buttons, it's a good buy.

Unfortunately, along with the high fabric, thread is higher and all quilting notions and accessories are horribly high. Sigh!

We can always do like Bonnie Hunter & buy those great all cotton men's shirts at the thrift stores to make quilts with. Her quilts are always just so interesting. LOL

You should try quilting in Bendigo Victoria.
Fabric FROM $19.95. help !!!!!

They didn't used to be that high, but there was a cotton shortage and all fabrics are going up up up!

I think Connecting Threads has great prices compared to LQS.
I buy a lot from them & have never been disappointed.

My lqs is trying to stay as low as possible and stay competetive with JoAnn and so on, so far prices are staying around $9.00 a yard.

Well, I thought I was done buying more material, unless I needed a wide backing, or a fabric that did not live in my extensive stash...........until this past Friday.

If any of you live near a Sun City or Retirement Communities.....look to their never ending supply of Yard Sales and Estate Sales. In AZ, the temps have been in the 110-117 for a good part of the summer....last count was 29 days I think, 13 of them consecutive, so it's put a monkey wrench in the yard sales, but you can usually find them here and there. Now that it's suppose to be cooling down to the lower 100's and eventually the 80's-90's, and the Winter people are coming back there will be a ton of yard sales until about late May. Estate sales go on every week, and there are usually anywhere from 3-5 of them. We are in an over 55 Community and people die, go into nursing homes or assisted living and their children get rid of the stuff they don't want themselves.

If it's families selling fabric and craft items, they often consider it just a bunch of junk and you can get it rather reasonably. If it goes to an estate sale, you will have them mark the prices much higher.....although I've gotten a plastic bin a little bigger than a shoe box full of scrapbooking stuff for $5, and when I got home and added up the prices of the things in it, it was well over $100 of stuff if you paid full price for it....so the bargains are out there. This past Friday, I picked up some good WOW fabric for $5 for about 7 yds.

So don't rule out the Yard Sales for bargains.

The price of cotton has gone thru the roof so the price of fabric has too according to my suppliers. I was told it was suppose to come back down this Fall. We shall see

But it's not only fabric that has gone up in price...have you priced thread lately. I always use Superior's Bottom Line thread in the bobbin of my long arm. It is $13.98 for a 3000yd. spool. When I started long-arming in 2005 it was $6.95 for the same size spool. Plus everything else that is related to quilting is higher. Binding clips, needles, and have you priced blades for you rotary cutters? Wow, it is becoming a rich persons hobby. I'm gonna hang on as long as I can!!! :thumbup: :wink:

thats why I love Mardens, most fabric is 3.99 and its brand names too

Our store charges 19.99 for that same spool of Superior Bottom Line.....I can buy it cheaper online.

Cotton went up.Stock market controls it.........