llweezie

I can't say I am surprised with the price of fabric, they are pricing us out of a hobby! Not to mention the people who shop on line because the prices are so good and most of the time shipping is free. Our local quilt shops around here are never busy like they use to be.

catmcclure

In order to open a quilt shop you need about $100K for fabrics, enough to pay rent and salaries for a year. You also have to replace all that fabric as it is sold. Bottom line, you have about $150K invested at any one time.

ro

i dont know where you are in the country, but here in ny the rent is closer to $3,000 a month. and if something goes wrong w/the building i.e. heat, a.c., roof, windows, doors etc. the renter has to pay to get it fixed. so $3,000 is alot of fabric to sell not including utilities and staff payroll.

ro

my above comment was not for catmcclure.
i agree w/lori s. the price of fabric (here its $12) & unemployment. people cant afford to spend money foolishley anymore. not to say quilting is foolish. i believe we use what we have. or think twice about what we are making. its not cheap by any means to make anything. i went yesterday to walmart and yes you can buy fabric cheap. but ladies lets face it, its cheap. i dont want to spend alot of time into something thats goin to fall apart after a few washings or fade out. joanns isnt much better. the price of their fabric has gone up. and there is no more shortage of cotton, as was the story why the price of fabric went up. but you get what you pay for in this world. and cheap is cheap!

adamae

Talked to a shop owner at a show in Central Arkansas about opening a shop. She said it took her 5 years until she realized a profit. She said shipping costs were a big factor in her purchasing of fabric. My limited experience buying on line is that it is more competitively priced than in a shop. Wal-Mart and Hancock's, Joann's can offer better pricing because of volume buying and diversification. Private shops have to rely on lessons, promotions, and machines and services beyond fabric to be profitable. I believe, when the economy is depressed, people cut back om non-essentials such as hobbies and antiques. More and more folks are dependent on technology and its convenience which puts a crimp in bricks and mortar retail. Personally, I think it is smart to buy where quality and pricing are beneficial to me.

dcamarote

I hear you. We have lost several in the past 2 years. My friends and I have a day planned this Thursday to visit two local shops and do lunch. I believe it is the competition not only from corporations like Joann's but also the online fabric stores, etc. And I am guilty at shopping at all of them. I wish I could totally support my local shops but sometimes the deals on line are too good and I do a lot of charity quilting. Sad situation.

Caswews

well all I can say is get the Credit cards out/fill up the gas tanks and go for a road trip as I got some amazing buys when our quilt store closed. They decided to go into Bernina sewing machine business (which they already had) after 40 years and have some fabric but not much.

linhawk

Very sad. In my area, Fabric Patch was closing but couldn't get out of her lease and has reopened, but Gingers is up for sale. New one opened in San Dimas. Very nice people.

Debbie C

I'm spending this week in Orlando, Florida - can anyone suggest a good lqs here? I have an empty suitcase to fill up!

Brandi

You know evertime I have a hobby I love, it seems like shops close up. I love ceramics not any opened anymore. No fabric stores hardly anymore. What is going on? I used to love to be in crafts shows and now people aren't into crafts. I don't understand what is going on. I love to receive gifts from what people have made, it means more to me that it seems to come from the heart.