lindaschipper

Lately I've been looking at more and more websites that are advertising "Sale" prices on jelly rolls and layer cakes. Mind you these are fabric lines from last year or maybe two years ago that they still have laying around. Suddenly what we use to pay $39.95 for regular full price, they are now saying original price was $59 and the sale price is $39.95. Why are they marking up the original price to try to fool us into buying what they can't get rid of? Anyone else notice this?

Lady Diana

Noticed several years ago. I can remember rolls normally being $15 to $18. Then they went way up. A year ago I refused to pay more than $20. I have paid $22‐24 recently. The price of fabric is ridiculous. I always take the asking price and divide by 2.77, that gives you the yardage price of a roll. At 39.99, the yardage price is $14.44 per yard....59.99 is $21.66 per yard! I'm not paying that.
Quilt in a day has a decent sale now....some rolls are $17. I noticed some of her rolls are from three years ago.

Snooze2978

Most stores do this. They raise their prices thinking you won't remember what they had been, then put out a sale with the lower price thinking you're getting a deal when you're not. My sister and I when we shop groceries compare prices and between us we can remember what we paid just the past month. Talk about Folger's Coffee in the tall container. We bought it at Sam's for $9.99 just a couple 2-3 years ago when it contained 53.5oz of coffee. Now they have the same size container but it only contains 43.5 oz of coffee and it's going for $13.99. What a crock. Other items are in the same size container but less inside. Check your recipes when they call for "oz" packages of something such as graham crackers and when you look at the present oz size, it's less but the box is still the same size. They think we don't notice but we do.

I remember when I first started making quilts and clothes, the prices for cotton at JoAnne's was around $2.99/yd, fat quarters were $.99 each. Now the price of fabric is so high and I can't say the quality is as good. Some have complained about how thin it seems to be now. I'm just so glad I have a stash of fabric that I won't need to buy in this lifetime. Same for clothing fabrics, I still have a large stash of it also. I have been buying draperies and drapery fabrics at the thrift shop to make clothes though when I find large enough pieces. A simple skirt doesn't take much or a smaller piece for a short jacket or vest. Even clothes are getting too pricey these days and I can't say they're made any better.

Anyway, folks think I'm nuts to buy in bulk when I do find a good deal such as paper products as I figure the prices will only go up.

GGK

Yes...right there with you! It is one of the things that makes me REALLY mad, especially when I really need something to finish a project.

Years ago, I de-stashed my entire FQ collection of Paris Flea Market (3 Sisters)I, Bonnie & Camille Ruby Jelly Roll, 3 charm packs of Scrumptious, and Marmalade. I priced them at what I paid for them (in case someone really needed them), only to find them listed again at 4 times the price.

Last year I made three Christmas Quilts with 'Swell Christmas' by Urban Chiks (Potluck pattern from a Quilting Life, to which I added a row to even it out), and a Wintersweet quilt (free pattern) quilt with Figtree's Christmas Figs II. When I needed some addition yardage of the red Swell Christmas Santa Print, I had to pay $26 for 1/2 yard, and Christmas Figs II was priced so high that I purchased a complete 1/2 bundle of the Red and Green prints of Christmas Stitched.

This year I made four more of the 'Swell Christmas/Deer Christmas' Potluck quilts (very lg. family). Luckily, I found a gal who sold me 4 yards at $25/yd.; still priced higher but not a complete rip off like the other gal.

Although I wanted to purchase more of the Red Santa fabric, I could only find 3 yards of it priced at $65/yd., which is just too pricey for me); however, it sold out on Etsy at that price.

FYI, I will sometimes take the time (spend hours/days) to search the Internet for OOP fabric, and I can usually find odd Quilt shops all over the country that have the fabrics that I need at the 'original' prices, and cut and paste the links w/photos into a PowerPoint file in case I need more of something.

sewingpup

I am not buying much new fabric as I really do have a good stash. I have calculated how much I would pay a yard for the pre-cuts. Yikes. So I just sometimes cut strips from my left over yardage when I make something and have a "curated jelly roll" designed by me.

GGK

Smart! I'm sticking to my stash, too. Not only are the prices through the roof, but the fabric (including the designer fabrics) are definitely NOT the same quality, with the exception of the lines being mfg. in Japan and Korea. A lot of the fabrics I have purchased recently (Moda, Fig Tree, etc.) do not have the same smooth hand feel to them...so sad.

Onebyone

I watched a quilt shop do an unboxing of new fabric on youtube. They talked about why prices are suddenly gone higher. To ship five bolts of fabric to their store was now over $100 in shipping. The credit card fee is now added in to the bill when it didn't use to be.. They said they have not raised the price on the older fabric in the store before the increase as some shops may have. I don't think it's the shop's fault for the price increases, most are doing the best they can for the customers after all they have to have customers.

Prices for everything especially food has gotten out of hand. Seems like everyone involved thinks hey it's fine to raise the price on my end because everyone will pay it. It's the customer that gets hit with the end results.

sewingpup

well, my buying habits have definitely changed. I am wearing my 20 even 30-year-old clothing out. Two reasons, the clothes are simply not comfortable and made of cheap materials. I love the feel of my old clothes with decent fabric in them, and the second of course is the current price for an item that really will not last and for some reason, the sizes are strange. I have never been one who had to have the latest's styles nor did I have a job that required dress clothing so the stuff I have is just fine for my retirement activities.

sewbizgirl

Most of my "new" clothes come from Thrift stores or estate sales. Good clothing for cheap. Fabric is a little harder to find, but sometimes I do. Recently found two of those suction handles for quilt rulers, too!

greaterexp

I've always thought the price of precuts not worth the expense. The fabrics in jelly rolls rarely work out for any pattern I choose - never having enough of any one color or pattern. Then there is the problem of inaccuracy in measurements of the precuts. I am a pre-washer to pre-shrink and test colorfastness of the fabrics, and it can cause problems to even handwash precuts. I prefer to buy yardage and cut my own anyway, but when I see the prices of precuts, my head spins! It makes quilting out of reach for many folks, unless they find solutions to buying new.
I'm with sewingpup!