Quality of Kaffe Fassett Fabrics
 

I finally bought some of these fabrics and appreciated the colors and designs, but was very disappointed in the weight of the fabric. It seems awfully thin. We had hoped to sell this quilt to raise funds for our church quilting group, but I hesitate to sell it as a bed quilt that would actually be used.
What are your thought about the sturdiness of these fabrics?

I have a lot of Kaffe quilt kits but I haven't made any of the quilts so don't know the quality of the fabric. I buy the quilt kits to put up and then sell on Ebay after that fabric line is gone. I can get triple the price for the kit so there are many who love his fabric and the quality.

I got a pm saying it was wrong for me to buy then resell at higher price. LOL First off that's the way business is done. Second all my profits minus the original cost goes to St. Judes or Shriners. That is how I give much more to my favorite charities then I would be able to if I didn't buy and sell high and I do get the tax deduction. Wouldn't hurt if a lot more people did this.

Can't attest to the longevity of the fabric. But it washes up well and so far so good. Think the quilt I made is 6-8 months old but doesn't get washed all too frequently.

Onebyone buying and selling at a profit is just business. As my husband reminds me of often, it's worth what people are willing to pay for it.

I too, thought the kaffe fabrics felt thin.

It may depend on the specific Kaffe fabric. I've made several quilts from Kaffe fabrics and never found any that I thought were thin.

As for not buying something and selling later at a higher price, hmmm... does that mean you would be willing to sell your house today for what you paid for it 20 years ago? Whether or not the profit is donated, I think it's a legitimate thing to buy kits (or anything else), hold onto them, and sell later at a higher price. I wish I had thought of it! I do have a friend who is selling parts of her huge stash on ebay. The old Alexander Henry prints, for example, go for much more than their original price.

Edited to add - I am quite sure the fabrics, even if they feel thin, will hold up after they're quilted.

I have found his shot cottons to be much thinner than the Peppered cottons and the Oakshott that come out of the UK.

As far as buying kits, holding onto them and selling them on ebay for a higher price, you go girl, why didn't I think of that....:p And Kudos to you for using your profit after expense and using it as your donation to the charities you have picked. To me the whole thing is a win win situation.

I have a quilt awaiting quilting made out of his flower prints--they feel fine and I don't anticipate any issues. Have used his prints before without problems.

I have used quite a bit of his fabric (bought a couple of fat quarter bundles and half yard assortments) and did not think it was any different than most of everything else I've got.

However - I thought that the company that was making his fabric went out of business a year ago, and then another started up and what I bought a few years ago may be very different than what is being sold right now.

Ditto, but mine were precuts. Does anyone know if there's a difference between the yardage and precuts? There shouldn't be, but maybe?

Yes, I think the fabric has gotten thinner. I recently purchased some, prewashed it and was very disappointed in the feel and weight of it.

To me, his fabric feels softer, more drapeable, but not necessarily thinner. Never had any issues with it.

While sorting thru a lot of Laurel Burch fabrics collected over a period of years I found the quality (hand) to vary a great deal. When I asked I was told that the pattern was purchased (or whatever it is called legally) but what quality of cotton goods it is printed on can vary. This may be what you're seeing.

Received a kit with some of his fabric. Some of it was very nice and other pieces were thin which surprised me. Definately difference in feel between the fabrics.

Just do not try selling it for a profit on this board !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think thinner is necessarily bad, and in fact, can mean a higher thread count. I love the thin, papery feel of some Art Gallery fabrics. I'd be more concerned about a fabric that felt thick and coarse over one that feels thin and silky.

There are definitely different weights of the Kaffe fabrics. I have a bunch made by Rowan and they almost feel like rayon, while others seem to be printed on regular weight cottons.

I've never noticed a difference in the ones I've purchased over the years. Just purchased a few FQ's of a new line last week.

Are you buying quilt store quality fabrics or are you buying Joann fabrics? There is a difference.

As to Onebyone—you paid for the kits, you can do whatever you want with them.....give them away or raise the price you paid. Why should anyone else care that you do that??? You should not have to justify why you do this!!!

If someone has ownership of a item---they can do whatever they want with it as long as it is legal. Buying low and selling high has never been against the law. And as explained in another post---an item is worth what the market will pay no matter what it is. Besides--I would imagine she can get a lot more for it on ebay!

Good for you! It's called arbitrage & there's nothing wrong with it. Buy low & sell high. Business 101.

It is why I own very little of it. Also it tends to be very pricey. Pitty as I love the design and colors.

I ordered a Kaffe Fassett backing fabric online and was disappointed that it was thin (especially for the price), but then realized that I had not read the description closely. It is sateen. It glided smoothly through the machine, which is a plus for backing, but I would have preferred a heavier cotton. I used it on the back of a quilt I made for my daughter's guest room. The colors were perfect for that quilt, and it will rarely need washing. So I don't know how it will hold up. I'm not usually into such wild colors and prints so don't have a lot of experience with his fabrics. Just mentioning this so that others will read the description more carefully than I did.

Now today I have tried to look up the same backing fabric and find that some sellers do not mention that it is sateen. It may have changed or there may be different versions of the fabric with that same print. I don't think his quilt fabrics are sateen, other than these wide backs.

Amen! My sentiments exactly. Too many people try to make "rules" for others.

The company, Free Spirit, that included Kaffe Fassett, Tula Pink and others, was going bankrupt so sold to Jaftex Fabrics (Blank Quilting, Timeless Treasures, Studio E and others). You can follow the information and new fabric lines on Scott Fortunoff's FB site (VP of Jaftex--which is a family business)

Then it's Charity. Sell it.

I see people selling fabric on eBay that I Know came off the $1/$2/$3 table at Walmart (because I have a piece I wanted some more of I got from Walmart in the 90's) in 1997 for $12 a yard. :D That I do find a bit ridiculous. I am not going to pay some of the "cloth of gold" prices I see on eBay and Etsy, but there is definitely a market for really popular desingers' OOP patterns. I want all the Ghastlies line, but I am not paying $25 for a fat eighth, for example.

As I understand, Kaffe Fassett fabrics are "lawn." It has a higher thread count, but thinner threads. Moda has been experimenting with lawn fabrics, and people seem to like them. They're softer, and lovely to do needle-turn applique with, because of the higher thread count.

I have Kaffe fabrics and they are wonderful. Not thin and so soft. I got them from Missouri Star I think.
As for selling higher- nothing wrong at all. On top of it she donates the money!
We need to stop telling others what they should/shouldn't do :)

[QUOTE=Ellen 1;8231090]Are you buying quilt store quality fabrics or are you buying Joann fabrics? There is a difference.

I don't believe Kaffe fabric is sold at Joann fabric. Anyway, I have never seen it there

I noticed a big difference between Tula Pink from Free Spirit and Kaffe from Free Spirit. I had ordered clearance fat quarter boxes mixed with different lines from each designer. At the time I wondered if it had something to do with the treatment on the fabric. Maybe less on the Kaffe? Used them for scrap quilts so it didn't really matter!

This is brilliant.

I bought the Kaffe Collective Spring 2017 layer cake from a MSQC daily deal 2 years ago :-) and I was disappointed in how thin the fabric is. I personally would not use it in a quilt for a child or someone who I thought would roughhouse the quilt and I wouldn't by any more Kaffe fabric if I couldn't see it in person first.

Kaffe Fassett’s fabrics feel more like Art Gallery fabrics, which is also thin. However, the thread count looks and feels much higher and it makes gorgeous quilts. Mine are frequently washed and hold up well.

I’d say it’s wrong for someone to stick their nose in someone else’s business. Supply and Demand runs economies all over the world. As supply decreases, the price goes up. If there’s too much supply and not enough demand, prices drop. Mr or Mrs Buttinsky probably shouldn’t try their hand in business or it’s doomed to failure.

I don't think it's wrong at all and here's why. Someone puts a certain amount of these kits together to sell. Folks like you buy the kits and sit on them (inventory) for future sales. In the meantime the person putting the kits together has gotten their money out of them ....so they can bring out a new kit and repeat the cycle. The fact that you donate the profits to charity is frosting on the cake...........good on you!

Jim

I recently saw a video interview in which Scott Fortunoff questioned Kaffe Fassett, Liza Prior Lucy, and Brandon Mably in her studio. I probably found the link on the Kaffe Fassett Collective FB page. I'm sorry I don't know how to locate it and post the link. Scott Fortunoff is an owner and executive of Jaftex Corporation which acquired Free Spirit Fabric after Coats announced its closing. During the very informal video, Scott mentioned that Kaffe prefers a different base fabric than other designers and Kaffe agreed. So that is what they use. I'm not remembering the terms and the specifics but they essentially print on different fabric because of the designer's adamant preference.
Scott has a blog that can be informative but sometimes is too specific for my time/interest. However is is amazing how little we actually know about the fabrics we all buy and enjoy and this man clearly has a different perspective than we as customers. He came to my attention when he gave a new sewing machine to a friend after she lost her home and everything in it when Hurricane Harvey blew through our area. It was a generous gift to a stranger form the goodness of his heart. I know he gave away quite a few machines. Hopefully some of these references will allow you to search for and look up whatever of it may be of interest to you.