I try to shop locally and my LQS has good prices. Average price is 8.00 yd. We live in a small town so I try to support my local merchants. That said I also try to pay as little as I can on alot of other quilt related items. I keep a running list of supplies and shop JoAnne's at their twice yearly sale. I just replaced my large cutting mat at 40% off. Great time to buy rotary blades also. I also sharpen my rotary blades. I plan my Xmas projects so I can shop JoAnne's June sale. If my LQS doesn't have a fabric I am looking for I shop quiltshops.com and list the price and shipping. It doesn't take that long and I usually save at least 5.00. If you refuse to pay the price - there is a way around it. It sometimes takes patience and planning.

I have to say that I have always been a careful fabric shopper. I try to invest in good fabric and if I have to pick up fewer yards, that's ok. I'll get what I can. I don't have a huge stash, but I probably have more than I really need. I try to shop mostly in local stores so that the jobs they provide don't go away. And I try to be a "glass half full" kind of person. There's always something to rejoice about.

I think i will be doing some scrappy quilts to use from my stash and still be able to purchase a few New beautiful fq from my local quilt shops. Maybe muslin backings, to save money for new stuff.

We are over $3 per gallon out West! Costs us more to get to the fabric and then pay higher fabric prices. Ouch!

I read an editorial in the NY Times that the prices of all commodities are going up (cotton being just one). More people in the world, countries with big populations like India and China becoming more prosperous, and therefore more demand. As a student of economics, I know it's all about supply and demand. More demand, higher prices. It's a fact of life, and not just for quilters.

This is a tough year for many folks, but I like the positive comments I've read here! More than fabric is involved- everything in life is a matter of balance. Think about what you want, shop carefully ( and yes, I support my LQSs as much as possible), and don't think you have to "have it all".

I have to disagree and defend JJ for pointing out a simple truth. If her words were 'political rancor' or 'disrespect', I missed it. She did not blame anyone. If the people I noticed at the Houston International Quilt Festival last month are representative of quilters, there are an awful lot of us who are retirement age. It is a fact that Americans who rely on Social Security and/or government pensions did not receive a cost-of-living increase in spite of rising prices, therefore their spending power is going down. Shops that need these customers will absolutely be feeling the pinch that results when those who want to buy their goods are no longer able to afford them. The shop owners are caught between the rising wholesale prices and the declining income of many of their customers. We all need to support our LQS's as much as we can if we want to see them stay in business.

Thank you, Thank you... another AZ resident

Thanks for that!

I live where they grow cotton and the farmers are happy. They received a much larger price per bale this year.