also i think that everything they sell here is discontinued. soooo?
they're not making my model anymore, either. the fabric is already cut in 4-yard cuts, but that's a good amount to share. 2 yards each. i have an ongoing stash and can use pieces this size for fronts and then for mixed cloth backs that match the front, and people overseas can build stashes with larger pieces. or they can share with their quilting guilds if they want to.

I ship things to South Africa and the best way is to use those flat padded envelopes.

those are a really good buy for weights up to 4 pounds.

I just got back from being away and saw this thread; I want to say publicly what a wonderful lady butterflywing is because this package was for me!!!

I feel kind of humble that all this discussion about how to get the package to me was going on and I was oblivious to how much trouble she was taking!

The fabric is beautiful - farmyard panels and coordinating fabric and yes, I already have several projects in mind! There were also some lovely animal stickers that the children are as I speak busy making into collages!

And completely my thing as we home produce most of our meat (pork and chicken) I know we're not supposed to get political but animal welfare, especially in farming is something I feel strongly about (mods - feel free to edit me out if I'm out of line!).

So thank you, thank you, thank you butterflywing, from the bottom of my heart, for your kindness and the care and effort you've gone to on my behalf:D

K x

I've never had any problems shipping packages to other countries and the people I send them to haven't told me of any problems they have encountered. I send ALL the things in Flat Rate Boxes. I always check GIFT on the Customs Label, and I put down that what's inside is Fabric, then put a price of $50 for the entire thing.
I've shipped to Spain, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, England, Thailand and Singapore. No one I have sent to has had a problem, that I know of. I send straight thru the Post Office.

great. my feelings exactly.

Butterfly, thought you'd like to see my kids' artwork with those stickers!

Love K x

I am a New York girl living in Argentina. I buy material over the internet all the time or mail to my family when a site does not do international shipping and they mail to me. The cheapest way is US Post Office. You can fit up to 10 yards of material in a International Bulk Rate, envelope. That costs around $12.00 US dollars. The next up is a Bulk Rate box, that fits a small quilt or up to 20 yards of material for about $23.00 US dollars. Make sure you label as a gift because if you don't who ever picks up the package will have to pay customs for the value of the product. Here anything over $25.00 US dollars I have to pay 50% of the value of the item. YUCK!!
I hope this helps.
Penny

the small flat rate box is $41.95. it holds 20 lbs or 33 yds +/-.

when they got through laughing at me, the post office told me that the flat envelope could only take up to 4lbs. maybe they changed the rules since your last shipment.

I looked up Argentina to make sure. The flat rate envelope and small flat rate box are the same postage cost ($12.95). The weight limit for both is 4 lbs. When I weighed my fabric, 4 yards weighed about 1 lb so theoretically you could send 16 yards of fabric in the small box. However, based on butterfly's test of how many yards could fit into the regular box, I calculated the most you could stuff into a $12.95 box would be 4.5 yards. If the flat rate envelope can hold up to 10 yards of fabric, that would be a better deal.

The regular box is the next size up, and that's the one that costs $41.95 postage and butterfly stuffed 33.5 yards of fabric into.

A bulk rate box may be a different category than the flat rate box we are talking about. What we are looking at is "Priority Mail International" flat box rates. Here is the USPS website excerpt for Argentina:

Priority Mail International — Flat Rate

Flat-Rate Envelope or Small Flat-Rate Box: $12.95
May contain items that may be sent as First-Class Mail International. The maximum weight is 4 lbs.

Flat-Rate Boxes: Regular – $41.95; Large – $53.95
Merchandise is permitted, but written communications having the nature of current and personal correspondence are not permitted. The maximum weight is 20 lbs. or the limit set by the individual country, whichever is less.

because of the shape, i was not able to stuff 16 yards of fabric into that box, but i will try again. you're right that that is the best deal. will report back


:roll: :roll: :roll:

butterfly:
My sister just spent that, $41.95, for the box of fabric she sent me, about 8 yards. I told her to do the envelope because it was cheaper. But did she listen???? Nooooo. I would never order fabric if I had to spend that much in postage. It gave me a stomach ache. LOL
I ordered 9 yards of Japanese fabrice from the web site below. It came in a USPS bulk envelope. below was the communication with them and her website. She ironed all the fabric to made it less bulky, which is probably why she can fit more in the envelope.
Sincerely,
Penny

Hi Penny!


Thank you for choosing Debsews Fabrics for your fabric needs. Your gorgeous fabrics will be in the mail tomorrow. Please let me know when your items arrive so that I'm assured of their safe arrival. A complimentary fabric gift will be included with your items.


Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can assist you in your future fabric needs. I am able to fit up to 8 yards of fabric in a flat rate priority mailer for $5.50 and up to 25 yards of fabric in a flat rate priority mail box for $11.00. I am also able to send up to 40 yards of fabric in a large flat rate priority mail box for $14.00.


Thank you very much for your purchases.


Deb


Website: Debsews2
Contact | [email protected]

i

the flat rate small box may be better than the mid size, but this price sounds too good to be true. when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

if i'm wrong a will be delirious with joy and more than happy to kneel at your feet in apology.

also, i agree that $41.95 is way too much for 8 yards of material. but i am not doing 8 yards. i'm talking 33 + yards. that much just doesn't fit into a small package. also, they seem to basing their rate, at least partially, on the fact that you are buying from them, which i am not. rather, i am buying from me and shipping from myself, so to speak.

i'm going to check on the smallest box/envelope and see how much i can squeeze into that and for what price.

this has been a very interesting lesson on world shipping, don't all of you think?

Here is the shipping information page from the Debsews website:

http://www.debsews2.com/shin.html

Debsews is shipping from Hawaii. Scrolling down to the international shipping information, she is saying she can fit up to 8 yds in a priority international mail envelope (which would be same price as the small flat rate box) and up to 25 yards into the regular flat rate box ($41.95). Looks like her published postage rates may be lagging behind post office changes, but they are very similar.

Anyway, looks like the flat rate envelope will hold more than the flat rate box. 8-9 yards for the envelope, but only 4.5 yards for the small box (based on my calculations). That's probably why she doesn't even list the small flat rate box as an option; the flat rate envelope is the same price ($12.95) but holds more fabric.

Now I have to go back to the usps website and see where that flat rate envelope is for priority international mailing. I didn't see it there when I looked before.

The key points seem to be that no matter how much we stuff into any of these flat rate items, they will not exceed the weight limitations. I do think the amount of yardage that can be stuffed in will vary somewhat with the brand of fabric, since some cotton fabrics are heavier and more tightly woven than other and less yardage will fit into the flat rate package because of that.

Here is the website I have been using for priority international mailings:

http://www.usps.com/international/pr...ernational.htm

The "prices" link there says that both enveope and small flat rate box cost $12.95.

When I look at the "supplies" link and view all, I see only cardboard mailing envelopes. It seems to me that some of the people here are talking about softer padded envelopes or bags, as I can't see being able to stuff more fabric into a cardboard envelope than into a small flat rate box. However, I haven't actually tried those two options.

Is the mailing envelope we are talking about that cardboard envelope? Maybe my calculations were wrong on what the small flat rate box will hold, since it seems only half of what the envelope will hold.

yes. the weight of the fabric does depend on the density of the weave. gauze would weigh less than twill. but it will also take up less space, so i think that's a tradeoff.

the only envelope i was shown was a large (? i didn't think so much) padded envelope that only allows 4 lbs. i didn't try it, but i could see at a glance that no way could i fit 4 bs into that. i did send 4 lbs overseas and the package, which was a squishy, was way larger that theirs.

as for companies setting their own shipping prices, one of the most popular fabric places we all deal with has a reminder that 1 yard = 1 pound. so go figure. that's their disclaimer for overcharging for s+h. i wish i could remember which one it was.

this subject will definitely be continued on monday when i go back to the post office, where they now know me by my first name. i want to find out if there really is such a thing as a bulk rate box although i think he would have told me, since i threatened him with a painful death unless he told me the cheapest way.

i think the only bulk rates refer to national shipping, not international.