Luv Quilts and Cats

I am in the US, and LQS sell fabric $10 to $12 per yard, depending on what it is. I know that is not as much as Canada or other parts of the world. But for me, these local prices are out of my reach. They rarely go on sale, and fabrics my local LQS shops put on sale are usually not pretty, or colors I don't use. Oh well, I guess every hobby has a down side. I am not currently employed so that has curtailed my fabric purchases for the last year or so. I just hope that fabric prices can drop, for some reason, for everybody concerned.

carslo

I believe that Connecting Threads has free shipping if you spend $75.00 US. I started quilting when I lived in Canada, I know if I still lived there I would not have made as many quilts just due tot he price of fabric.

Bubbie

I'm lucky, because I do have choices. But I'm finding myself stuck, I'm a small business too. I try to support my LQS, but most of the time I'm unable to spend the time running from shop to shop (I know getting to shop shouldn't be looked at as a problem), so I have limited my self to only one or two LQS and JF along with the Mill End Store (the sewing machine place is next door to Mill End, so I can get into a LOT of trouble). I like the fact that you can look on line and find what you like, but I am still a "Purest" at heart I want to touch my fabric before I buy it. And when I buy I don't have sales tax, so ordering on line paying the shipping is like paying sales tax for me. I know "What kind of cheese, do I want with my wine?". The on line shoppes can offer a lot more fabric than the LQS, because they are only warehouses. The rent on a warehouse is a lot less than a shop in downtown. So we all buy from what works for each of us, and we change our sewing and quilt making to go along with what we have available. Shopping local, on line, in our stash or from our friends stashes - We are quilters and we make things work.

Altairss

Wow I am just a few hours south of you. I buy mine from joanns. Regular price is around 40 for a queen. I buy when on sale 50% off. You should find out when on sale and hit Bellingham it would save you a ton!

BettyGee

While I love roaming the aisles of my local store I buy my fabric online. Connecting Threads cannot be beat for quality and price. Point, while on a recent road trip we stopped by a shop in Kansas. I could have cheerfully stayed there for the entire day, but then I got to looking at the prices per yard and that was enough to end that right there.

shasta5718

I know that if I didn't have a good size stash I wouldn't be able to do much sewing. It has got so the fabric prices are so hi that I just have to pass on them.

DivaDee

One thing you have to keep in mind about the difference is the buying power of the stores. Wal-Mart sets the price they will pay for specific products, so their prices are usually lower. The smaller the quilt shop, usually, the higher the price.
There is a LQS in San Diego called Rosies. Most of the fabric is under $10 a yard, but her store is HUGE.
I don't know what is driving the prices of fabric up. It seem like when Joanns brought in their summer line, all fabrics jumped at least $1.50 -$2.00 a yard. Even the employees were questioning the jump. Maybe just taking advantage of the consumer? I would love to know what it costs to produce a yard of fabric.

DivaDee

A story about Wal-Mart. When our local Wal-Mart was built, (at least 20 years ago) I was making custom wedding gowns. I swore I would never buy from them, as their reputation for running small business out of town.
I used a lot of velvet. I would only use a good quality velvet. I ordered wholesale, paid $17.00 a yard plus shipping. It comes by truck on a metal rack, so as not to crush it. You can imagine the shipping cost. A full bolt was 10-12 yards. Which I had to buy to get it wholesale. Sometimes I would have to order a full bolt to get a color, for maybe a flower girl dress, and then sit on the rest of it, hoping someone else needed that color. WELL, one day I ventured into WM to look for something else. Wandered into the fabric dept and lo and behold, there was velvet. It was the same company, same quality. It was 9.97 a yard and I only needed to buy what I needed. I am a small business owner, now what would you do? Of course I bought from Walmart. I called my wholesaler and asked about it. They only produce one line, so it was exactly the same. I am sure this happens a lot.

purplefiend

I can only afford the fabric in the sale corner at my local quilt shops. The fabrics that my local Wal-mart sells is expensive for poor quality fabrics. Thankfully I have a large stash of fabrics. I also buy more online than locally.
Sharon in Texas

bearisgray

For most of us, quilting and all the "stuff" that goes with it, is an optional expense.

When the prices of groceries, health insurance, medications, and our taxes, go up and up - the non-essentials get squeezed out of our budgets.

Unfortunately, the entities that sell the non-essentials then get squeezed out.

I don't know the answer - but if the choice is paying for my medication or buying some more fabric, I will buy my medication.