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WalMart Fabric

I've gotten some very nice fabrics at WalMart for reasonable prices - that I think is comparable to some of the quilt shop fabrics. Although I think they may be discontinued from some of the "better" lines.

And there is some very flimsy stuff available that isn't much denser than cheesecloth/gauze. (Well, I'm exaggerating a little, here)

There is a huge difference in the weights of different fabrics - I bought a postal scale that will weigh in two gram increments - and I started weighing strips that were the same width and length. I thought that would be one way to keep all the fabrics more or less the same in a quilt I was making.

A personal challenge to me was to make a "satisfactory" quilt using only fabrics purchased from Wal-Mart. the pattern calls for 42 different ones. I think I have purchased the 42 different ones, but I've only used about 21 of them - sometimes it was because I chose the wrong color/design, sometimes the fabric was either too heavy or too light to go with the majority of the fabrics I was already using for this project.

Bottom line - if you know your fabrics, one can be selective and get decent stuff. I've noticed that WalMart also has some more spendy cotton prints that are quite nice. (Around $6.00/yard)

[b]

One of the reasons items in stores are re-priced upwards has to do with how much it is going to cost the retailer to replace that item (either with the same or with another) after it sells.

If retailers didn't do this, their inventory would just keep getting smaller and smaller as everything costs more to replace.

I don't know about Walmart, but the retailer I work for also lowers regular, everyday prices when our costs to replace go down.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elizabeth A.

Gas stations do the same thing. Drives me batty.

I don't know about where you all are from (I'm in N.C.), but our old Walmart closed here and we got a Super Walmart. The old Walmart had a MUCH better craft/sewing section than this new one. I went there this week to buy material to make a baby dress for a shower. I also wanted a pretty lace or trim, but they had nothing tiny enough to use on baby clothes. Their selection of fabric was really slim too. I also noticed that when I was tearing out a seam on the dress that I wasn't happy with, the material tore a lot easier than those from a fabric shop. I do believe you get what you pay for, but depending on the use, Walmart can be a great buy (my material for the dress was only $2.28.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elizabeth A.

Now I'm sure people would argue this logic with me but here's how I see it. Walmart buys "x" bolts of fabrics and sends one to each store (we're pretending that's how it works). Now those are BOUGHT AND PAID FOR. The next batch is bought and the same thing happens again. Why can't the price be the price they put on it from the beginning, until they sell that bolt? Fabric might cost more, but that original bolt has been "purchased" before the increase.

I know I know it doesn't work that way. Out local pet store owner explained something to me once. Each fish he has in his store is a libility until it's purchased. The money spent is hanging out there until someone buys said little fish and takes it home. The entire time it is at the store it is a risk that it might die and become a loss instead of a gain. That price stays the price he puts on it until it's sold unless something ELSE happens. The electric bill goes up, taxes, insurance ect. in which case prices go up to make ends met.

So is it really about fabric or is it about Walmart's bottom line. Gee, I think it's the bottome line.

Janeen I'm glad you got what I'm sure is lovely fabric before the price hike, though I'm sorry you're getting the hike at all. I hope both of your quilt tops are finsihed as well as you hope. What is your expected turn around time?

I agree with you here the price of gas to bring that load of merchandise has been from the past shipment and the increase on an old bolt of fabric makes no sense so it has to be the bottom line...now if it were newer fabrics then I would say ok but for an older bolt nah....