Increase in fabric costs
07-27-2011, 11:38 AM
#13
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern Pines, NC
Posts: 171
As a quilter/sewer I'm appalled by the increase in prices, a friend works at Joanns in VA and they are instructed to put price increases on their pre existing fabric weekly! Hello- you've already paid for it!!!! As a quilt shop owner, I do my best to shop around and find bargains for my customers. I do not use poor quality fabric...so its a lot of seasons leftovers to get them reasonably priced fabric. I raid my personal stash or head to my sale area when I need to make something. The problem with all of us using only our stashes is that the independent quilt shops will end up closing doors. So, even if the prices are going up, the shop owners need a lttle help - watch for sales, and bring what you want to match when you do shop. Remember that your LQS may not exist next time you need something...so many are closing where I live.
07-27-2011, 11:41 AM
#14
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern Pines, NC
Posts: 171
The cotton is still grown here, its just that they shipped the mills overseas. The quality of the fabric is horrible now that its out of the USA. Remember when you could pull a thread to even out your wovens????Try that now! I would love to see the mills reopened here.
07-27-2011, 12:37 PM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
>>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!
I bought a book recently with a pattern that I fell in love with using all plaids/madras/homespun fabric. Very scrappy with emphasis on light/dark patterning. I was thinking I was going to have to buy LOTS and LOTS of light and dark colored plaid FQ's to make it, and wonderin how long it would take (I have very few plaid in my stash). Well ... I had some time to kill on Sunday when I was at the mall so I stopped in at the goodwill store (I've never been in it before) and there before me were racks and racks of mens and boys cotton plaid shirts for sale - they were either $1 or $2 each and clearly much larger than a FQ. I know if I scoured garage sales I can get them even cheaper!! So now I know where I'm going to get my plaids from. It may take a while, but it would have taken a while to get the variety I wanted in FQ's as well.
I bought a book recently with a pattern that I fell in love with using all plaids/madras/homespun fabric. Very scrappy with emphasis on light/dark patterning. I was thinking I was going to have to buy LOTS and LOTS of light and dark colored plaid FQ's to make it, and wonderin how long it would take (I have very few plaid in my stash). Well ... I had some time to kill on Sunday when I was at the mall so I stopped in at the goodwill store (I've never been in it before) and there before me were racks and racks of mens and boys cotton plaid shirts for sale - they were either $1 or $2 each and clearly much larger than a FQ. I know if I scoured garage sales I can get them even cheaper!! So now I know where I'm going to get my plaids from. It may take a while, but it would have taken a while to get the variety I wanted in FQ's as well.
07-28-2011, 06:18 PM
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Granbury Texas
Posts: 321
I live in a small town (5000 pop) and we have 3 LQS within 30 miles in 3 directions. We also have a Walmart and Alco where I could pick up fabrics from time to time; however, Walmart has shutdown their fabrics for a 'craft area' which is very lacking and Alco has discontinued fabric altogether. I go every Tuesday after our Quilting group meets in the morning and buy something at one of our 30-mile-away shops just to do my part to keep them in business. Thank goodness I do have a stash....just in case!
07-28-2011, 06:20 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Granbury Texas
Posts: 321
Originally Posted by DogHouseMom
>>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!
I bought a book recently with a pattern that I fell in love with using all plaids/madras/homespun fabric. Very scrappy with emphasis on light/dark patterning. I was thinking I was going to have to buy LOTS and LOTS of light and dark colored plaid FQ's to make it, and wonderin how long it would take (I have very few plaid in my stash). Well ... I had some time to kill on Sunday when I was at the mall so I stopped in at the goodwill store (I've never been in it before) and there before me were racks and racks of mens and boys cotton plaid shirts for sale - they were either $1 or $2 each and clearly much larger than a FQ. I know if I scoured garage sales I can get them even cheaper!! So now I know where I'm going to get my plaids from. It may take a while, but it would have taken a while to get the variety I wanted in FQ's as well.
I bought a book recently with a pattern that I fell in love with using all plaids/madras/homespun fabric. Very scrappy with emphasis on light/dark patterning. I was thinking I was going to have to buy LOTS and LOTS of light and dark colored plaid FQ's to make it, and wonderin how long it would take (I have very few plaid in my stash). Well ... I had some time to kill on Sunday when I was at the mall so I stopped in at the goodwill store (I've never been in it before) and there before me were racks and racks of mens and boys cotton plaid shirts for sale - they were either $1 or $2 each and clearly much larger than a FQ. I know if I scoured garage sales I can get them even cheaper!! So now I know where I'm going to get my plaids from. It may take a while, but it would have taken a while to get the variety I wanted in FQ's as well.
07-28-2011, 07:00 PM
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Beautiful Briery Mountain in WV
Posts: 2,551
In our local thrift stores, if you watch their specials, end of season bag sales, etc. you can find high end clothing. Shirts that retail for $45 or more usually have quite good fabrics. Just read those tags. I also like to use woolens for applique, penny rugs and (bucket list) someday a braided or hooked rug. I have found Army blankets and other woolen blankets and older men's overcoats at thrifts and flea markets. It's remarkable how cheap good wool can be when there's a hole in it. 8-)
Today at the thrift store I found a garbage bag of partially deconstructed heavy woolen clothing for....(drum roll).... $2. On my way to the cash register I dipped my free hand into a bin of sewing notions and came up with........a baggie of six dozen 6 1/2 inch squares with primitive stars appliqued on each one and every one is different and I know just what I want to do with 'em.
Today at the thrift store I found a garbage bag of partially deconstructed heavy woolen clothing for....(drum roll).... $2. On my way to the cash register I dipped my free hand into a bin of sewing notions and came up with........a baggie of six dozen 6 1/2 inch squares with primitive stars appliqued on each one and every one is different and I know just what I want to do with 'em.
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