on some web site today I read that the shelf life of fabric is only 6-12 months. Does anyone know anything about this? Does that mean that the clock starts ticking when it is in the shop?.................I must really be in trouble........... :shock:

Must be some kind of average for a LQS, sure doesn't apply to most of us LOL :D:D:D

Maybe it's the "shelf life" for the designer fabric at that moment?

Shelf life in a LQS ends when a piece of fabric is sold. But shelf life never expires once it gets home!

My fabric shelves have a very long life!!!
Never heard that one :)

never heard of that. I need to go tell my old 100 year old quilts that they have expired...

I know fusible does. stores keep it so long sometimes i've bought some only to find it no longer fuses well.

As long as fabric is clean and dry it should be good. I have fabric that my mother had years ago and it is still very strong and I will continue to use it.

Never heard of fabric having a shelf life if it does I'm in major touble.LOL!!!!

Oh, my goodness. Does that mean I am in danger of my clothes falling apart while I'm wearing them. I hope not!

Perhaps that is how long they are "popular" in a quilt store. After that, customers start thinking that the LQS isn't the place to shop because all the stock is "old". I have been in a few stores where the same fabric has sat for months and months. I understand keeping the TOTs and some of the basics in, but when they very obvious prints, they need to move quickly to keep a shop competitive with on-line stores. I won't go to the effort to shop in my LQS if I don't think I will be seeing new prints/designs relatively often.

Feeling lazy to look it up, but wouldn't that kinda cover the new lines that come out each year? New year, new trends, the cycle continues.

Looks like we were posting the same time.

I'll agree with the one who suggested the "shelf life" of a pattern a company brings out. Perhaps that's when they put it on sale, or can't reorder it because it's no longer made.

I was wondering this as well, how awful to have your clothes fall apart or disintegrate while walking around in public!

It sounds like someone who sells fabric thought of this one!!

Yes, I think this is about the trend life, not the fabric itself. Though I admit I'm a little confused even so, because that means 'retro' fabrics are already expired?

How funny. I never heard that one.

I have quilts made from my grandmother, who quilted with her mother in the late 1800's. Much of the material is strong, loved, and used even today.... shelf life? Give me a break!

I'll be happy to take all your fabric that has expired. :-D

I'd be outta luck. I hace so much fabric that is over 6 months old in my stash. LOL..A crazy person must have said that. LMAO

It could be the amount of turn around time that a fabric has at the LQS. Since it sits on the shelf and takes up overhead costs, there is a point when it is no longer cost effective. It's share of heat, lights and rent dictates that it should have been sold within so many months; now it is costing the LQS to take up space on the shelf with no turnover. If that principal is applied to our stash, we have some very expensive fabric!! Maybe even wealthy.

whew - so its unanimous - thanks for your input. we have a ...."fabric"... store in town that MUST have fabric on the bolts for over 20 years! It is still there..so maybe "trends" is the way to look at it..

that is not the Life of the fabric...that is the length of time any COLLECTION of fabrics is expected to last before a new collection comes out to replace it. lots of fabric designs are only ran once...then never made again, the fabrics go out to the shops...and if it is a good seller they may be able to re-order from that line again...but they may not be able to ... some fabrics are considered (BASICS) and manufacturers re-run the lines over and over...but they (the designers and manufacturers) expect new fabrics to be released and replaced by shops at least every 6 months :thumbup:

Waahaa, too funny. I got a good giggle out of this one. :lol:

That would be my guess too. How long stores keep fabric around - not how long it will last. If that were true, my scraps would be shreds by now.

Last year I saw an exhibit at Houston that included quilts from the 1700s, including one made by Francis Scott Key's wife! Let's see, that's 200 years +! No shelf-life problems there,I don't think!

Dana

Well, then I sure inherited a bunch of "dead" fabrics. Some of them, my mother had for 30-40 years! and they still look good to me! ;-)

I have material that I know is at least 30 years old. Nothing wrong with it. I do however have some of my mother's spools of thread that I think might be out dated. I use it mostly for basting.

What! Use by dates on fabric? What will they think of next to part us from our hard earned cash... My O My...

Ckcowl is correct. I talked personnally to a designer of fabric for RJR and she said they only print the fabric for a set number of yards. When it goes to the stores, if it is liked and sold out, maybe you will never see the fabric again. If you see fabric you like, get it soon because it may go out especially at that store. You may be able to get it at another store if you are lucky. That is the story of fabric. I like designer fabrics and appreciate what they can accomplish. I sometimes think the price is high but most of the time the quality is there and the prints are to die for. I buy what I like. I am thinking about buying the boyscout fabric now even though my grandson is a cubscout. Probably it will not be available later. I must get it soon if I can still find it somewhere.

On F and P yesterday. the guest was showing some BEAUTIFUL fabric that was 100 years old - it looked brand new - so that just blows everything out of the water..........what I am learning is that there are NO authorities anywhere and we can't believe ANYTHING! haha

I wouldn't be reading that blog anymore.