I have been looking for sales on basics and blenders. Seems I do a lot more shopping than quilting lately.

you're probably right. Tobad, huh?

Guess I'll resort to my stash more. If I cut the pieces small enough, maybe I won't notice how ugly the fabric was.

There is a site called 5bucks a yard and thousand bolts. their prices are reasonable.The thousand bolts site you can click on a color of the fabrics and it will bring up co-ordinating fabric to go with it if you click the little box beside the fabric you choose.And I think shipping is free over $30.00. Doesn't take me long to spend $30.00

HAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
:mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

You bet, that's just the case. A lot of the fabric makers have been resorting to printing in China, using lower quality greige goods and finishing, etc, to keep prices down.

Some of the brands that formerly put out decent fabrics are now just crap because of this price pressure. I won't name names because it seems to offend some people on this forum, but I will say that if you're buying stuff from the cheap outlets, you're getting marginal goods, old goods, or in some cases, counterfeit goods. When the old stuff is gone, it'll be just marginal and counterfeit goods.

Predictions now are that prices will continue to increase. We've already been notified that the wholesale prices will probably increase another 40% in the next year. Each quarter brings new and higher fabric prices. Oh, and if that doesn't make you feel bad enough, consider the fact that shipping prices, both into your store and out to you (if you're shopping online) are increasing all the time too.

Shops are trying hard to give you the best deals they can on fabrics, to get your business. If you want to buy the top quality fabrics online or at your LQS, you'll be paying more.

You basically have a choice; accept lower quality, discontinued, or counterfeit goods at the chain stores and closeout online shops, or pay more for quality goods. Either way, you're going to be paying more, because even the crap stuff is going up in price.

But it's all relative. Our neighbors in Europe and Australia have been paying double and more what we here pay for fabrics for a long time. Most of them look at the USA quilter and wonder what they're complaining about.

And I thought it was expensive here in Canada, depending where you live, I am in the prairies, where the LQS charge $17 to $ 20 a meter. You quilters in the US a meter is approx. 39" long.

quilt shop here says to expect fabric prices up by as much as a dollar a yard by years end. she also said because of the flooding in pakistan the wide backing will be higher and in short supply (pakistan is where most of it is made)

Quilt in a Day has a great $4.00/yd sale going on now.

Don't know how anyone (not just fabric manufacturers) can justify price increases when the economy is still in the tank. I'm finding the "sales" are on everything that has already been hiked up so the "sale" price is the old regular price. This way when (if) things return to normal that will be at higher prices all around.

Time to hit the thrift shops and start a new-deja vu-retro-brother-can-you-spare-a-dime chic trend. I predict plaid shirts will be in short supply...:)