Marycumi

I'm about to show my age. When I started to sew garments many years ago the standard width of cotton fabric was 36 inches. I didn't sew for several years and was surprised that the standard had changed to 42 to 45 inches!

IdahoSandy

Guess the manufacturers are doing what the canning industry did along with other companys, by making the jars and cans smaller/shorter too and still charging more money. Does anyone remember the old candy bars like Babe Ruth and Butterfinger. Look at their size now. We are paying a lot more and getting a whole less.

rainagade

I have seen our fabric width shrink too. Mostly, just an inch shorter.
I have decided to use "44" as a width to be safe.

My app on the IPad lets me keep track.

Dirty trick I think. They adjusted the width and still charged us more.

babyboomerquilter

Same thing for me. I thought the fabric was 45 inches, when I got it home it is 43 inches. I think almost everything is getting smaller and costing more.

bunbytes

I have noticed the same thing. I will not only check the bolt, but measure the fabric before I buy it. It's not that I don't trust the manufacturers . . .

Krisb

When I began to sew garments, patterns would always list yardages required for 36", 45", sometimes 56" and 60". I have fabric from my aunt from the 1950's that is cotton and 36" wide. But does this mean that fat quarters will now regularly be 18x21? That would mess up quite a few fat quarter patterns, which have a cutting layout that utilizes almost every inch of the fabric. Another bolt reader here, so this was no surprise,but it may require pattern makers to list multiple yardage requirements.

sylviak

Your fat quarters have also shrunk (LOL, wish MINE would shrink!). I'm supposed to be using fat quarters for a quilt and the instructor said to check the width to be sure they were 22". Some of mine from JoAnns still had the stickers on them and said 18" X 21".

pippi65

All companies are doing this in such a way that they think that we won't notice...have you "noticed" that sugar is in a 4 pound bag instead of a 5 pound? Lots of this happening all over. Watch your thread too you'll notice that some are smaller amounts on them. Just my "shrinking" 2 cents.

BMP

I have noticed that Warm and Natural is a bit thinner too. I had an older pkg of batting and had gotten another pkg recently for 2 quilts, and thats how I noticed that one !!!

themachinelady

You are so correct. I went to buy a big container of washing soap, had been buying 300 oz for 11.48, now it's 225 oz for 14.48. As you say a double price increase and they think we are too stupid to notice, I think that irks me as much as any thing. I, too, noticed the puffs were smaller and the coffee can and oz shrink almost daily and the price increases as well. Same with canned goods, try buying a 16 oz can anymore, it's next to impossible. So it's no surprise on the fabric as well. Some have been smaller for sometime, there are a few still 42 to 45 inches, but very few and you have to check the end of the bolt. Good idea to measure as some fabric shops reuse the bolts and this can be misleading as well. You have to watch all corners everywhere these days on everything it seems. so sad