How much does fabric cost in your country?

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01-27-2010, 07:40 AM

#71

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

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Join Date: Aug 2009

Location: The middle of an IL cornfield

Posts: 7,014

I'm trying to wrap my mind around how quilters overseas afford supplies. Have you sold your kidneys?????? :shock:

01-27-2010, 08:10 AM

#72

Katrine

Super Member

Join Date: May 2008

Location: France

Posts: 1,813

I buy sale fabrics from the UK, usually in January - and from 1 or 2 suppliers having liquidation sales - and only from those who will mail at a reasonable cost. I have only twice bought "must have" for a specific quilt for ourselves. The sale fabrics I look for are those which will marry similar prints or colours easily, or they are tonals etc. I buy natural calico (muslin in US) from UK for backing in various widths. Only very occasionally will I look for a print backing and once or twice have found a 60" print in the childrens fabric section at lower cost.
Threads and notions are necessary from UK for whatever they cost as it's metric here and I work in imperial.
I think we pay double US prices for batting.
Books not too bad, this Co. cheaper than Amazon and ship worldwide free
http//:www.bookdepository.co.uk

Our partners are very understanding - we are lucky!!
We're a dedicated lot!!

01-27-2010, 08:19 AM

#73

hokieappmom

Senior Member

Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: North Carolina

Posts: 744

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katrine

Okay hope you're sitting down...
In France the fabric is between 18 and 24 Euros/metre - at current rates that's $25 to $34.
So I buy mine over the internet from UK where average is about 10 to 12 GBP, (about $16-$19), but then we have to add the postage as well. I buy when I can in (UK) sales and can find some for about equiv of about $11.
I have bought from the US, but with postage, and the french customs charges, and TVA (which is charged also on the postage rates) there is no saving.
The worst thing is having to select matches on a monitor, which as you know isn't ideal.
I also have to buy threads, batting and notions from the UK.

Wow. That shows how much you like quilting! Kudos to you.
Quilt stores in France are very few and far between.

01-27-2010, 08:28 AM

#74

hokieappmom

Senior Member

Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: North Carolina

Posts: 744

Quote:

Originally Posted by oksewglad

Wow you non American quilters really have a disadvantage! With a Dutch SIL I can't imagine a quilter in Holland having any more fabric than what he/she needed for the quilt being made at the time. Prices here run $9 at closest LQS and $10 at the shop 20 miles away. Was in a shop a little further away Thursday and she had $8.75 per yard. A lot depends on overhead-rent, inventory, salaries, etc.

We in the US must count our blessings. I can't imagine paying that much for fabric! Average at a LQS is $9 per yard and we have an abundance of LQS nearby. One that recently opened in my hometown carries a lower quality than the typical LQS and they sell for $5 a yard.

01-27-2010, 08:49 AM

#75

QBeth

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2009

Location: Nashua, NH

Posts: 1,463

Quote:

Originally Posted by hokieappmom

We in the US must count our blessings.

Agreed! As important as it is for Americans to support our domestic travel industry, I think it would benefit everyone to travel, at least once in their lifetime, to another country. One of my brothers is rather narrow-minded and I've suggested several times that he should travel. So far, he hasn't. With apologies to whomever, it's not always fashionable to be a redneck!

01-27-2010, 10:51 AM

#76

Mamagus

Super Member

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: Newfoundland Canada

Posts: 1,695

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lockeb

Mamagus,
I am origianl from Newfoundland I want to go back...
Our Walmarts here in Quebec have all but stopped carrying...almost nothing out - I went to Fabricville here on Sunday - FQ's are $4.99....there was a selection of fabrics at $10.00 - but not must you would want to bring home...the better cottons were all $15-18.00....the local quilt stores are all within that price and higher....

What part of the island are you from?
With prices like that I won't be shopping there this summer.!

01-27-2010, 10:52 AM

#77

Mamagus

Super Member

Join Date: Dec 2007

Location: Newfoundland Canada

Posts: 1,695

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdem

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darlene

This is a dumb question but how big is a metre? We never had metrics in school.

Aprox. 33 inches :-)

NO WAY! 39 inches not 33

01-27-2010, 12:45 PM

#78

ligia

Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2008

Location: Brazil

Posts: 681

Quote:

Originally Posted by Favorite Fabrics

Now, Brazil... that's even worse, in terms of shipping. There was one reader from Brazil who posted on this thread and I'd love to hear what her experiences have been.

the only option there is to send via USPS Express Mail (EMI), because you *can* insure EMI shipments. However... they cost more than twice as much as the PMI.

Years ago I lost my first 4 orders.
Merchandise+shipping over 50,00 are held for taxation.
At this point it goes to a warehouse where they sit for 2 or 3 days. Dishonest people know that those are not trackable.

Since I learnt that Flat Rate Envelopes up to 50,00 goes through untaxed no one was lost .
When the order is more than 6yds. or include high priced items I split in 2 envelopes.
My friends and I have been buying a lot online and following those rules have not counted a single loss.

01-27-2010, 01:47 PM

#79

bjdemir

Senior Member

Join Date: Dec 2009

Location: Oregon City, OR

Posts: 876

Our prices here in Oregon seem to be about the sames as other states. Guiterman thread is supposed to be a very good quality thread. I have also heard that thread with deteriorate after a few years. I am wondering if this is true or if they just want to sell more thread!

01-27-2010, 02:59 PM

#80

Gaijin

Senior Member

Join Date: Nov 2009

Location: Back in the U.S.

Posts: 903

When I lived in Taiwan, we went to a special fabric area near old downtown Taipei to buy fabric. The vendors gave us a choice of yards, meters, or some Chinese unit of measure-all for the same price per unit. I used to laugh to myself when other Americans insisted that they would only buy yards, effectively cheating themselves out of several extra inches of fabric per unit purchased. Inches or centimeters- it doesn't matter if you have a good ruler and know how to use it!