It is easy to forget, but because of the extreme weather conditions experienced over the past several years (stronger tornadoes, more flooding, more fires), many crops have been damaged or destroyed (even cotton) and when there's lots of crop damage, the farmer will add on what he can to maintain a living wage. The same thing happens with distributors as well as retailers. It becomes a vicious circle because everyone wants to survive, so everyone tries to maintain enough to cover overhead expenses, hence cost of everything will rise. Haven't you noticed all the small businesses closing their doors because they can no longer cover their expenses? When the economy tanks, only the healthy businesses survive. Since the economy went south, have you bought as much fabric or quilting supplies, or have you tried to maximize your savings on purchases by using more coupons or only buying during sales?