My Moda rep said all of the upcoming new lines being released in January will probably be 35 cents a yard higher.

More about the story of socks here:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=16661333

It's very much worth reading!

And here's a link to very fun socks that are made in the USA - made from recycled scrap cotton into yarn spun in the USA to knitted and finished in the USA. What's not to like about that? http://www.socklady.com I'm wearing my favorite pair now, that my mother-in-law gave me for Christmas last year and they are holding up beautifully, much better than the department-store variety. Plus they have character!

I have a BIL who works for the company that makes the paper for money. He's a paper scientist. I will ask him but I'm not sure he can tell me.

Lisa, you can see for yourself on the B2BWEB portion of Moda's website that it isn't so. Lines that are coming out in April 2011 are priced at only 10 cents / yard more than the ones that shipped in April 2010. If you don't have (business) access to their site just ask them to set you up for it.

Part of the problem of US products being not cost competitive with foreign products is that the US is not charging tariffs on almost all the products coming from China, Japan and the Middle East. But they do charge tariffs on products coming from Europe, Australia, etc. Think about that....those companies do not pay any taxes to our country, and their prices are so low Americans buy their products rather than our own USA products. Basically we are sending all our money overseas. That's a pretty scary thought to me...I wonder why Congress ever thought this was a good idea!!!

I think she was talking about the lines that are coming out in January--I mean, the ones they will start taking pre-orders for in January. This is what she said: "We have been told that it's inevitable, that there will definitely be a price increase after the first of the year. Basics will go up, and the lines that are released to us the first part of January (Christmas 2011, Halloween, Fall collections) will reflect the increase as well. It will be a significant increase, and I suspect it may be up to .35 per yard. We will still offer prepaid freight, which is a good deal."

I toured the Bureau of Engraving and Printing here in Texas last Spring--and they said paper currency is made out of several different fibers--one of which is cotton. :(

Well, there may not be much cotton grown in north Alabama, but it's certainly all over the place down here in south Alabama and in Mississippi....
There are also lots of peanuts grown here
There are also at least two cotton gins that I know of here - the fear is, if the gins ever close because of not enough cotton being grown they won't open back up....

Lots of clothes were made here back in the day, a lot of the ladies I have met since moving here worked in the factories but they have all closed. The cap company closed up (ball caps), unemployment is still high...
but hey, we gotta send our money overseas to help this, that, and the other...
don't get me started LOL

That's what happened to the U.S. based garment manufacturing industry. I've heard what used to be the "garment district" in New York City looks like a ghost town now. I know so many Americans who have lost their jobs due to outsourcing work overseas. My husband was one of them--so don't get ME started, either! LOL!

If the fabrics were all made in the USA I am willing to bet the prices would be even higher. Americans won't work for the piddly wages that the Chinese get.