As far as the JoAnn's prices, I think it's just all part of the usual marketing gimmicks that they use. Mark it up to mark it down, so that the customers will get all excited, especially if they can use a 50% off coupon.

But consider... I've seen fabrics on their calico wall that they have priced at $9.99 / yard, and I know for a fact the wholesale price is $3.50 / yard. So they run them on sale at 40% off and the customers think it's a good deal. It's all a game... and apparently it works well, because so many retailers are playing it!

I feel the same

There are two places I like to purchase fabric where the prices are really discounted. I prefer to purchase good quality quilting fabric, but cannot afford the full prices. I'm always looking for discontinued, sale or clearance buys.

My first favorite place is The Stitch-N-Frame shop located in Vicksburg, MS. www.stitch-n-frame.net
Every Wednesday, she posts the "Thursday Special" with many different fabrics marked down. Those specials are good Wed. evening, all day Thursday and early Friday until she turns it off when the store opens.

Every Thursday, the specials change. In addition, she frequently has Fall Specials or Thanksgiving Specials, etc. They are wonderful to deal with and great with shipping. If you tell them you need something asap, it comes fast.

My second favorite place is Whittle's Fabrics in Smith's Grove, KY. www.whittlesfabrics.com
Many of their fabrics are discontinued, but hey, they have name brand quilting fabric and not the cheaper fabrics in the big box stores. If you live close enough to actually visit, the fabric is even cheaper. I've bought Marcus Bros. fabric for as little as $3 per yard.

Finally, I've recently ordered from www.fabricandetc.com which is a quilt shop going out of business. Her items are currently 40% off. I bought 10 sets of Moda charm packs for $4 apiece.

RIGHT! The same thing happens when the price of oil changes. Gas station prices zoom up immediately. Do you think that's what they paid for the gas in their underground tanks? Nope...they getcha anyway they can.

wow....wish i could pay that for a meter ....costs a lot more up here

Can boys say so too. I will find great sheets at the thrift stores and use them wash, starched and ironed, never had a problem.
R

Exactly - books and fabric are astronomical in price here too...(my regular moan about it)...

Exactly, and my LQS has some for $75 - she starts at $35...
I go to the next guy who sells his $16 - $26 on average.

I wouldn't be able to quilt if I had to buy fabric at Australian prices. It's outrageous. I buy a lot of my fabric online from American stores when the exchange rate is good, or I get it on ebay or wait for sales. There is no way I will pay our prices.

Now that the US and Aussie dollar have parity, a lot of people are buying via the internet....so what happens next: At the moment, anything under a thousand does not attract import duty or GST. The latest announcement is that "Just in case some people might be bringing it in and on - selling it at tremendous profit"...the rules are going to change.

If I'm not mistaken, I think Eleanor Burns has her own fabric line - that's why her quilts have that "Oldie - Worldy" look about them. It is a distinctive look that I always equate with the Mid - Western States.

The rise in prices might just bring back the original quilt versions - reusing what we have or can glean. I love quilting but have never quite gotten over cutting up perfectly good fabric. Maybe that's why my fav's are scrap quilts.....

Here in Texas we had a bumper cotton crop. Cotton was at $1.59 per pound. That is at least twice what cotton brought last year. But the cotton crop in other countries and other states wasn't so good.

As long as there are yard sales and thrift stores, and friends cleaning out their closets, we will be able to afford to quilt.
We will just have to be a lot more creative, and a little less picky to get 'er done! <wave>

Might I say, quality of the fabric PLUS customer service - or the lack there of - in many locations.

From a friend who was an employee at one of JoAnn's stores they had to deal with supervisors who encouraged poor service because of below minimal staffing!

Agree....India's crop was devestated by weather related challenges. Saw a news item of the effects of draught in one area in India.

Farmers are not getting the increase for growing cotton.

Why not?they raise the price of gasoline that is already in their pumps.

Our JoAnnes still has a lot of 2.00 and 3.99 fabrics as well as what they call Quilters Cotton, which is much more. However, it just doesn't look and feel like better quality fabric. I bought a lot of jumbo rick rack at a LQS for $1.49 per yd. I didn't get enough and the LQS was closed so I ran to JoAnnes and they had it in bulk, same size for $1.99 per yard but the quality wasn't as soft or as rich looking. I was surprised. Our JoAnnes is well staffed and the employees are really helpful and knowledgeable. We are very lucky. But, we are in So Cal where there is a lot of competition.

The only stuff I got from her was marbled stuff...blenders, as I have a ton of prints. The arrived today. Looks a lot like Moda Marbles and has the same hand, so that works for me!

A recent news story revealed that China is buying up raw cotton. They don't need it for anything in particular....they are just piling it up. They will then manipulate the price and we will pay even more for EVERYTHING containing cotton. Everything from band-aids to clothing. Soon we will all have to dress in polyester again, like we did in the late 70's.

The Chinese government is not our friend. As expensive as fabric is, you still might want to stock up now. It isn't likely to get better any time soon. I'm sticking with traditional styles and colors instead of going with the latest seasonal trends.

Perhaps it is time to start buying clothing made from hemp. Maybe someone will develop a quilt fabric line from hemp, too.

Wow-----what a neat idea!

Earlier this year Joann's fat quarters were for $1.49 with sale price of 99 cents; this summer sometime they went up to $1.99 and go on sale for $1.49 now! I've noticed the bolt fabrics are creeping up also - all the more reason to buy now before they go up more and buy when on sale. Sure wish my pay would go up like that!!!

I'm a cynic...maybe the price of cotton, gas, or diesel have gone up. Maybe not. I always wonder if merchants simply want to raise prices. In any case, I bought beautiful sheets (brand new) yesterday for a quilt backing for my brother's Christmas gift. $3.99!

I always laugh when I read about folk in USA complaining about the cost of fabric! All fabric in Australia is expensive - really expensive!

I totally agree with this statement. They are taking Cranston holiday fabrics and marking them 9.99 a yard, just so they can run them on sale.

Regarding China, no kidding. Those in charge of the millions working for nothing in their factories, making sure there is lead in everything that comes out of it, don't care. They have the US by the "bells" (which we females don't have) and they know it...wonderful, wonderful.
I sure hope I don't need too much of anything...my pennies won't go very far. But I will never give up on quilting.

I don't make voodoo dolls, but I can pretend that every stitch is a pin in a China doll. (Chinese Americans excluded of course.)

I will just use what I have. Can't afford those prices. Maybe-----just to treat myself.

Because I still work fulltime. Takes away from quilting time, but at least I can afford to quilt - otherwise, I guess I would have to take up another hobby.

I have said "I refuse to pay that" many times, but somehow, I find myself giving in when I "need" things. Many years ago when coffee was under a dollar a pound, I remember saying that I refuse to pay more than a dollar a pound for coffee -- I foolishly said that I'd learn to do without it. HA! I now pay almost 5 dollars per pound and I'm still drinking my coffee.

I agree that the price of fabric is getting out of hand -- for my pocketbook.

By us, qulit stores are few and far between if you can find them and since Walmart does not have fabric any more, Joanne's has the mononoply in our area

Here is a link to great prices on Stonehenge.
http://www.thousandsofbolts.com/inde...ame=Stonehenge Caribbean&mfg_account_id=10

I'll try to put humor in re 'cotton" from one who lives both sides of the border Can/USA
Never saw cotton grown until 1972 -first trip south.

Last week on holidays in north Fl and Al --saw the cotton fields -some were picked. Edges of roads had white fluff
like snow. Had my brother stop the car on roadside and I went picking cotton --little balls that is. Grabbed a few handfuls in the bigger piles so they weren't dirty. Going to clean it then stuff a pin cushion for myself as a souvenir for this trip.
Apparently this flew off the big trucks but saw huge bails
the size of a transport truck ready to ship.

Don't know how I should clean this raw cotton so still in a
plastic bag!!! Help

Go to your local LQS and visit their sale rooms. Mine has a 40% off room and it is well stocked with all kinds of beautiful fabric. Let's see, $7.99 minus 40%, yup...got my vote to get the good stuff at the LQS. Good thing my car has a remote start on it, I can leave before the crowd and get there quick.

I wish you all were here. This is the weekend for Fabric Depot's 35% off all fabric. They run this sale every month or 6 weeks. And they may just have the largest selection of quilting cottons in the country. Anyone planning a trip to the Portland OR area should consider planning it around their calendar. But of course this will only work if you are driving and not flying. They also have lots on sale at their website. fabricdepot.com

I found that I shop the sales at the LQS. I still like their material the best. Or I shop on here for fabric.
I love the classifieds.

I did too. I think the article I read mentioned that the price of cotton, as most commodities, was up 150% from two years ago.

You are right - I definitely had sticker shock when I visited Australia...on everything! However, the friend I was visiting told me that even the kids working at McDonald's were earning over $20.00 an hour, and that he could not hire someone with even minimal skills for less than $25.00 an hour. Compared to the $7.25 per hour required by the federal government (this is the lowest pay) and Washington State's minimum wage of $8.55 (highest in the country), Australian's get paid very well by US standards.

It's absolutely horrible! I am not sure if it is the same elsewhere in England but where I am, nice Batiks are £10-18 a meter and plain fabrics are about £5-8 a meter and other fabrics can start from £8-£15 a meter while silks cost anything form £18 and up! I try to find bargains at sales usually. I agree with you, it is far too expensive. I think that the mark up is about 2-3 times the cost price. Also, there was mention that cotton price was going up.

I think they sneak in the price hike by first putting it on sale. When my kids were growing up they would say, "Mommy, but it is 50% off." I would always say it depends on what the original price is before you know if you are getting a good deal.

It's so easy not to do the math and to just go by 40% off this or that. Now, I have been doing the math prior and figuring out what the price will be at the check out stand. Just like with other things we are going to have to be pickier when purchasing fabric. :-D