I am one that supports my LQS. I find the fabric is a great quality and always works up perfectly. I'd rather buy less and have better fabric.

I keep on buying, but a little here, a little there. QSs have the best fabrics, hard to resist. I just try to watch sales, & not buy alot at one time.

I support my quilt shop on a regular basis. Let's look at it from the other side. The quilt shops need to support us. To explain: there are times we need help, maybe a special item or just a few extra inches of material. These are just a few of the examples. Those few extra moments or helps will make you want to come back and shop again. I belong to a club at my quilt store and we get little perks for being at part of it. We are really in this together and must support each other.

I know that quilters are struggling, arn't we all. Thats why the majority of our fabrics sell for $4.50 yd and we have a sale room strating at $3.49 yd. I'm lucky because I have the shop in my home and don't have to pay $1000 or more a month for rent and utilities.

We got to warehouses to purchase fabric and seldom buy from fabric reps. That means that our fabric is usually last years, but I don't think that quilters vare. What they want and look for is the pattern and quality along with a good price.

I'm afraid that some LQS will close this year, because they aren't as financialy stable as we are, and we all lose when that happens. I believe that the more LQS that are out there the better, and believe in working with my fellow LQS's to bring quilting to new quilters everwhere.

In our area we all fill a nitch and usually don't offer the same things.

We also ship throughout the US t5o quilters that live too far from LQS's.

WOW ... really surprised to see that kind of ratio ?! SURELY more than just 5% of us spend more at the thousands of LQS in the US - plus shops online. Quilting is a MULTI-BILLION $$$ industry, it's hard to believe that 95% of quilters spend mostly at chain stores vs LQS.
I used to work & teach at 2 LQS, and I'm lucky enough to have 4 shops within 30 min. and more beyond that. I always shop LQS first. 3 of the 4 shops near me have good sales and clearance fabrics. One does not - and seems to be hanging on "by a thread". We have a Joann's & HLobby but many of their fabric $ are just as high. Our LQS are holding prices at $9-9.50 max, most are still $9.
I hope that quilters continue to support our LQS through these tough times - however we can - for the service, the classes and social network they provide. You can't get that at the chain stores !! :)

My LQS are all at least 30 miles away in different directions. I do shop at all of them, just now often. I do a lot of shopping online and get awesome deals. I don't buy much fabric from Joanns, because, well I usually don't like it, but do buy notions and batting, etc. I have paid $9-10 a yard for fabric, but I have to really love it.

I love my local quilt shops. One sent me a card saying they were having all their fabric for $5.99 on Black Friday. Guess where I went! Bought way too much but they are just the greatest ladies. The fabric at LQS is so wonderful, I just want to roll in it. Would cry if I lost my LQS.

I agree! :D

I would have asked her what's wrong with buying remnants? It use to cost full price didn't it? And I would say I don't own a pair of snooty panties or idiot panties because I can afford to buy happy panties because I shop on the remnant table. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I agree with most of you. Individually we have to shop and save where we can. I like my LQS and frequent the chains.

These days there is no room for snooty retailers. You did them a favor, spending on remnants, happens to be a big profit center for them if you think about it, they already made their bucks off the rest of the bolt, and those remnants could just hang out forever if you hadn't come along. The only lqs that I know of around my parts is a gouge shop, so I do not shop there, it would have to be joanns or walmart, or online, not that I buy that much, but walmarts lately has had some nice fabrics worthy of the work:-D

I go to my LQS on a regular basis but I've not been spending as much on regular priced fabric as in the past. I now have a stash. However, I go for the sales and to get quilting thread. I go for the Marti & Me Club and, well, just to keep in touch w/ staff and running into other "quilty" friends.

That said - you know, the most expensive 44" wide batik I've ever seen is at Joann's for $12.99. The batiks at the LQS are so much prettier (to me) than the ones in the big box stores. I just picked up a yard a few weeks ago of a new arrival priced at $10.50/yd and that's the most expensive one I ever purchased at my LQS (it was marked down).

As a former LQS owner myself, my heart goes out to you! Owning a small business was a huge eye opener to me. I've come to realize that maybe I can get along with less. I've given up a few "non-essentials" in my life in order to be able to purchase things I need/want. And I've finally figured out that I don't have to have everything I want. (My depression era parents would be proud!) I'm not trying to judge anyone or any opinions expressed here. Just speaking from my own experience.

Those statistics sound about right. I'm afraid the LQS will go the way of the corner grocery store. Nobody will pay half again for groceries, even if they DO get personal service, and I'm afraid that's what will happen for fabric shops. And when the big box stores have driven competition out of businesss, don't be shocked to see prices rise. Or as some of the board members have found out, even big box fabrics are going away.

I usually support my local quilt shop, even if the fabric is
$9 or $10 a yard, but if they do not have it, I have had wonderful luck with Quiltshops.com. I get top quality from most of the shops
that I visit and the prices are less. Some of those shops do have fabric that is the same as my local shop. I avoid them and support my local one.Lately I have been trying to use up my stash. I'll never live long enough(I'm almost 75) to use it all up.ha,ha.

I don't think the "big box" stores will put many LQS out of business ... they can't offer the same fabric lines and choices. Moda, Westminster, Hoffman, Benartex, P&B etc don't sell to chain stores.
It's the ONLINE shops & sellers that will continue to take more sales $$ from the LQS.

It may be smart business for LQS to also do online sales (although it's very time consuming and you about have to be able to afford help) . . those shops I don't mind so much ordering from. The online merchants that bug me are the ones that are able to cut prices of the LQS on NICHE (not in chain stores) products because they are owned by corporations such as Amazon.com, but portray themselves as brick and mortar independent shops. Pays to do some research. And yes, I do buy online at times . . . quite good at searching for fabrics out of print fabrics actually (because I run out)!

I buy a little from everywhere. I love the idea of supporting my local quilt store, but truth be told, a lot of their fabrics don't appeal to me. (We only have 1 quilt store in town) I would also love to see a great selection of thread. Also, whenever I've been in to purchase I've asked about classes, etc and have given my email but I've never been notified. The people are friendly and helpful but they could do much better if they were better organized.

ETA: Just this week I have bought fabric on sale and subscribed to a BOM. All because the retailer sent me an email advising me of what they have to offer. This is money I could have spent at my LQS if they could have shot off an email or two to advise me of what they have to offer.

The suppliers to the LQS don't give deals to the LQS. The LQS has to buy every yard they get. They don't sell the first ten yards at one price and then the next yards at a lower price. The remnants cost the store as much as the fabric at the beginning of the bolt. They are probably losing money on them.

I go to lqs for actual quilt fabric. I have one in progress and two waiting to be started right now. But also spend plenty of time at craft stores, Hancock, Hobby Lobby,etc., for smaller fun projects. I love to get a bargain. Found cute Christmas fabric half price for hot pads, aprons. I think there is a place for all of these retailers and am lucky to live where there is a good variety of stores. On-line shopping is not something I like to do for fabric. I love to feel the fabric! Have only ordered once to fill in for not buying enough at the lqs and it was gone.

I do believe in supporting our local businesses and LQS but at the same time, I have to be careful with my finances.

I know there are many of women out there who spend lots of $ cuz they can, and will continue to buy what they want, as often as they want, with no concern for their finances.

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

I buy things I actually need to finish a project at the LQS. Does not stop me from shopping their sale tables though. Stash fabric usually comes from sale tables.

I buy what I can afford and I can tell you my budget just doesn't allow me to spend the kind of money LQSs want for fabric. I'm one of those who won't spend more than $3 a yard, so if an LQS can sell it for that I will be there. I don't buy it unless it's on sale. We all work within our means and my means means as inexpensive as possible and still be quality.

I rarely even go to JoAnns Fabrics anymore. Their fabric quality has plummeted to where I don't even bother looking at their fabric anymore. They don't have enough knowledgeable people working at one time, so you always have to wait in a line for anything. If you have a question about something, most don't know the answers or even where to find something. The Hancock's does have quilting fabric, but most is not the nice quality my LQS has. Prices are similar, tho. So I do go to my LQS at least a few times a month. They have lots of patterns/books, the other stores don't have. Also the LQS has very good people working there, that do make quilts and can answer my questions.

Yes, I'm discouraged with our Hancock's, which is closer to me than LQS. Their fabric has gone way up in price and way down in quality. As my mother used to say, "You could throw cats through it."

I love the sales at my LQS, a I said earlier, but there are about 5 shops, not all quilting but sell cottons, and I learned quickly which ones were out for a bigger profit. LQS pays about $4.65-4.95/yd from the mfr's so when you see their fabric marked less than that, they are taking a loss to make room for more new fabrics for us to oggle.

When I see fabric at Joanns and Hancocks that is priced the same, or more, as the bolts at the LQS, I go to the LQS. If I do buy fabric for projects at the box stores, I only do it with a coupon, a big coupon.

hi everyone, i have a question for you all. has anyone taken quilt class on-line??like from fons and porter?? if so, what did you think of class on-line??
all the classes around here seem to be at night,i don't see well in the dark anymore. puglover1

I shop at both LQS and Joann and Hobby Lobby. It sort of depends on where I want the finshed product to go. I have given some quilts and not even had the recipient acknowledge getting them, boy was I glad I used Joann fabric on that one. But making one for my husband I am using LQS stuff. If I am taking a class, I will usually buy most of my fabric at the shop giving the class. I live in a town with 7 quilt shops, so it is pretty tempting to frequent these, and the service is good at all the ones I have gone to. One shop employee spent an hour with me helping me find fabric for a class I was taking elsewhere, total fabric was only a few yards but in 12 colors. You won't get that kind of service anywhere else and I don't mind paying for it.

I am on an extremely tight budget, so i can only shop my local LQS when I have saved for a while. I do know that there are 8 or more quilt guilds in my county, and just 2 LQS, so I know that they keep them in business just so they are there when I can go.

Bottom line is we need both kinds of stores - without the Joann/Hancocks/Walmart options, imagine what the prices of fabric would be. Then the demand would drop and the variety of fabrics available would shrink.

What's likely to happen in the future is that the LQS 'storefront' will be gone but they'll still operate online. Less square footage and staffing woes should keep them in business for a long time.

IMHO

have you tried buying fabric on ebay. there are some nice shops with good prices and name brand fabrics, kaufman miller, hoffman and etc. a lot of it is" buy it now", where you don't have to bid on it. i buy there alot. just a idea for you. i'm in the same boat as you, a widow who lives on ss and a small pension so must be careful but so addicted to pretty fabrics..

I have been using my stash, as social security will not pay more for my addiction. All quilt shops are 50 to 75 miles from me. If I really need something, I have to order online.

Well said, and the price of quilt fabric is going up very soon. Some is already 11.99 a yard

Where do you find the fabric on your site? Do you sell on line?

I'd love to support my LQS, but on my fixed income there is no way I can afford $25 - $35 per metre for fabric. Instead I shop on line where I can by the same fabric for less than $8 per yard. One local online store charges a flat rate $7.95 postage even for a packet of needles!

Many LQS also have websites and will be happy to ship something to you in a kit if you know what you want. There is one I love here in Inman SC a tiny old town with a great LQS and she has a $5 coupon online. Others in the area do the same. So whether you can physically get to certain shops or not, you can always order from them. Many others also have 10%+ discounts for retirees etc.

I do support my LQShops because I don't want to see them go away. I don't mind paying a little more for the service and for the help, and I can always call with a question. :)

Several times I've been in my LQS and hear the sales gal take a phone call from a customer placing an order over the phone. Before that, I was unaware that they shipped fabric. I'm not sure what they charge for that service. But that makes it more available for everyone.

Everyone can't afford the best so sometimes next best is good enough. If I were making something to enter a show or contest or auction I would buy the best.
My quilts are sewn with walmart & Joanns and sometimes I buy the really wide fabric for the backs at the quilt shop.
My moms quilts were made from used clothes and they lasted a loooong time(untill her later yrs when she could afford better).
Long story short buy what you can/want to afford, just keep quilting and sharing.......

we live in the boonies and woods and there isn't a "L"QS for over 80 miles - when you have to drive that far to even get there, what 'help' are you going to be getting?
I don't like the tone when somebody says something like - 'you need to support the LQS come he^* or high water otherwise you're garbage for not keeping them in business'
Some people just flat out do not have the wherewithall to pay over $12 a yard for fabric - not when milk is over $3 a gallon and a loaf of bread $2.50...
If you are independently wealthy, have nothing else to do with your cash and feel like the world's most generous philanthropist - have at it, spend that money, good for you... enjoy it, because you can...

I can't, and even if I could I doubt if I would - I have never had the mentality that I had to buy my toothpaste at the highest price just so I could say I shopped at "Hoity-Toity Store"....

I buy good fabric, in fact, I have mostly "LQS quality" fabric in my stash - but that doesn't mean I paid "LQS" prices for it - it means I spend my money wisely.... Even in a quilt shop! Because as others have said, I shop the bargain racks, the outlets, etc...

And I really don't feel the need to apologize for doing so - when did it get to be in this country that we've been made to feel we're doing wrong by not spending money recklessly? By not "supporting" others? Made to feel its our responsibility to make sure "XYZ LQS" stays in business??

Remember the story about the old farmer in overalls who was treated like garbage at the auto dealer because he had dirty boots and looked like he had just come from the field..... he took his business elsewhere and paid with CASH for a car......
some LQS shops might try keeping that story in mind....