For most of us, quilting and all the "stuff" that goes with it, is an optional expense.
When the prices of groceries, health insurance, medications, and our taxes, go up and up - the non-essentials get squeezed out of our budgets.
Unfortunately, the entities that sell the non-essentials then get squeezed out.
I don't know the answer - but if the choice is paying for my medication or buying some more fabric, I will buy my medication.