Our Joann's is getting out of hand too. Some of there batiks were up to $19.00 to $24.00 a yard the last time I was there. Don't understand how they think people around this area can afford to buy it at that price. We are a low income area. Connecting threads has a really good clearance price on batiks right now.

Our Joann's is 75% craft now and have raised their prices (Arizona)

Know what you mean. In New Zeland it is $25 - $30 per meter at the quilt shops. I'm sure you will find a way to fill your hearts desire. I buy fat quarters here and there and take time to build up my fabric for making a quilt.

just check out the fabric at WallyWorld. It's have went up too...so I imagine so have the quilt shops. FAbric like everything else has gone up so much in the last few months. Just look at the grocery store next time you are there!!

Hancock Fabrics had one old and one new bolt of the same pattern fabric but allowed me to purchase at the lower price.

yes and JoAnn's are getting more expensive fabric also

my local Joann's raised the prices on all their old bolts when the new started coming in at higher price and I've found that I have watchnto make sure I get my end of bolt discount because sometimes it rings at regular price.

Cut them up, my foot! I'm looking for them to wear. froggyintexs

What kind of fabrics were they? I know some batiks are reaching that level.

One of the quilt shops that I receive a newsletter from just had this as their lead item: "Why is the cost of fabric increasing?
(Check out the 'Blog of the Week' in our catalog to read the complete articles.)

If you are wondering what is behind the recent increase in the retail prices of your quilting cottons, here is a brief explanation to help you understand the situation.

Cotton is a commodity and like all commodities prices are increasing. Most of the increases are attributable to the weakening dollar. As confidence in the dollar erodes, commodities prices rise. Additionally, we are also wrestling with a worldwide cotton shortage. Historically, when cotton prices rise dramatically, mills could blend their way to a cheaper product. The quilting culture simply does not support a blended product, not to mention the fact that polyester (a petroleum derivative) prices are also rising.

As if this weren't enough, the industry is also dealing with other issues. Most greige goods (fabric before it is printed) are imported. As the cost of these goods increase, the import duty on these goods also increases. In the past, our farmers would increase their cotton planting and benefit from the increase. In recent years, our government has paid our farmers to plant corn instead of cotton. China and India have experienced massive losses of their cotton crops due to poor weather and heavy rains. This combination is forcing the costs of raw materials to rise dramatically. To add to the burden UPS shipping costs increased 4.9 percent in January 2011!

Most of us have reduced our profit margins by not passing each increase to our customers, as we are trying to minimize the shock to the retail market. In spite of this, the unfortunate end result is that the prices have gone up more than 10% on both a wholesale and retail level and retailers and consumers are upset. "

The article they're referencing actually came out several months ago.

All fabric took almost a fifty percent jump in early spring. I was told it is due to the price of cotton doubling in price...Better stock up it is bound to get worse....