Ruby Y Campos

Yes, I have some of Connecting Threads fabric and it is lovely. They are more subdued colors and I use a lot of black, white and red, as well as other bright colors. But I do like CT quality of fabric.

purplefiend

I have noticed that most of the things I want at Joanns are
already on sale, so I can't use my coupons. So most of the time I don't bother.
Sharon W.

Vanuatu Jill

True, you can't use the coupons on items already on sale at Joann's, but I was there today and picked up a current flyer (after using my 40% coupon on a 8.99 fabric that wasn't on sale and I just had to have it!) and Friday and Saturday (July 2 & 3 only) there is a coupon for an additional 10% of ENTIRE PURCHASE, INCLUDING SALE ITEMS. You can use the coupon to buy on-line at Joann.com as well. If you go on line, use promotion code NGSE184 in the check out.

zz-pd

I would try other stores or go on line. God bless. Penny

patricej

i'm pretty lazy so i do most of my fabric shopping online.

within a few minutes of each other (but all too far away for convenience), i can choose between Joann's, Hancock's and an LQS for in-person shopping.

i have found, in general, that the highest prices at both "my" Hancock's and "my" LQS are much lower than the higest prices at "my" Joann's.

when either Joann's or Hancock's is having a killer sale either online or in-store, naturally the LQS can't compete. (they do, however, always have a very nice selection of 1-yard cuts for 40-50% off. i can always find plenty i like.) BUT in most cases, the sale price for those J/H fabs is actually the most i would pay for them in any case.

on those rare occassions when i'm willing to pay full price for something because it must be specific and just right, my first stop is Hancock's; second stop is the LQS. i would never have believed it if i hadn't experienced it myself more than once, but i will spend less at "my" LQS than i would at "my" Joann's for anything at all similar.

i'm not criticizing Joann's. i'm not criticizing folks who make it their first stop. (you would faint if you knew how much i usually spend during a killer on-line Joann's sale. :lol: ) and i'm definitely not saying that my personal experience will be the universal experience.

i'm only suggesting that if you haven't already, and if you have more than one option in your shopping area, you visit every place. make close comparisons between the fabs available in different price ranges. take notes for future reference.

over time you'll remember which location will have what you want at the best price. you may prove to yourself that only one of them is consistently your best option. or you may discover that you can shop at all of them. and you might be as surprised as i was to discover that the LQS is sometimes the most economical option.

who'da thunk it? :lol:

Favorite Fabrics

Patrice, you're right about the highest prices at Joanns. I was there a couple of weeks ago (yes, I do sometimes shop at JoAnn's!) and I noticed some selections from a line called "Shenandoah" that my shop also carries.

Their price, on their "calico wall" was $9.99 / yard. Our regular price is $7. So... you go do the math! When they run it for 40% off, they are still getting the full retail price.

So in this case, only a 50% off coupon will get you a little bit of a "real" price break!

marla

Then I am with you. I will start looking for fabric sales, no matter where and will not be able to always support my LQS.

Schnookie

I for one have noticed the higher prices here, and that has forced me to buy when on sale...not always is the fabric I want on sale. :( and I sadly leave the store, I just cannot afford the higher price. So make do with what I have until I do come across that special fabric to purchase. It also hurts taking class's for if I cannot buy the fabric for the class I won't take it...even though they give you a discount for fabric with the class. IMO: The discount doesn't really compensate for the higher prices. So, I have become a great fan of on line classes to learn something new.

Favorite Fabrics

Just had another fabric sales rep stop in today... and of course, I asked him about the fabric price increases. Sure enough, the lines he was showing have gone up 25 cents / yard since the last time he came by (March).

I asked if he thought that this was the end of the increases, and he said that no, some manufacturers are raising again on July 1st and some others will be raising prices again in October. (Probably around the time of the next Quilt Market).

:-(

Also... and this will affect even the bargain hunters among you - this rep also sells clearance goods (overstocks, last seasons prints etc.) and even those are up by the same amount. So what I'm thinking is that even the five-bucks-a-yard type of stores are going to be facing that same price increase. And it will be harder for them to find something that they can still sell at the prices they're used to charging. If they're not able to absorb the price increase, they will have to pass it along. So gather your rosebuds while ye may...

patricej

are we the only ones who remember the story about the goose and the golden eggs?