There was a post here recently relating to the increase in price for FQ's and how they seem to be shrinking, as well as the overall feeling that prices for fabrics seem to be creeping up. I knew I'd seen an article that addressed this and it took me a bit to find it, but here it is:

http://americanquiltretailer.com/cotton/

Like all things, if we want things of quality, then we'll have to pay a bit more! Maybe now is when we turn to the methods of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers and recycle clothes, linens and other fabrics for our quilts!

Or better still, use up and make do with what we have. Use our stash! I really do try.

: )

It's aweful to admit but my stash would last me a couple lifetimes.

Cant afford anymore increases!!

Very interesting article. Supply and demand... so if we stop buying fabric, there will be less demand and the prices can come down. (A little twist on the cotton supply aspect of it)

I haven't bought fabric for quite some time. I have always tried to recycle, and I do use my stash. Most of my stash is fabric I got on a sale rack. I very seldom pay full price for fabric, now or in the past.

you might want to consider learning how to dye your own fabric.

it costs about $2-$2.50 a yard and the color and quality is great that's why people pay more for hand dyed.

I also try to stick to my stash and only supplement it when I absolutely need to.

I think part of the point of the FQ thread (no pun intended!) was that patterns often call for a fat quarter and are talking about a very specific minimum measurement. I would rather know that my FQ purchases meet that minimum measurement and pay a bit more than find out after I've purchased the FQ that it's not going to work because it's an inch smaller all around.

The article was very interesting. I wonder what it would take to get American farmers growing more cotton and bringing American companies production back to the US. For example, what kind of prices per yard would we have to pay to get production going back here in the US. I know I would be willing to pay more for fabric from cotton grown here and yardage produced here, especially when it would provide much needed jobs. Maybe the US fabrics companies could do this as a coop.

Okay, I've drifted off too far...

Good old American ingenuity.....I like your way of thinking

I have now a good stash so will only by to supplement if needed. Need to clean up and organize my sewing room and unearth more stash!! Do look at bargin bins when in quilt stores.