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cotton crop?


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so the buzz in the quilting industry is that cotton crops were horrible this year (except in the US)....it is expected that prices will drastically rise...

honestly, my first thought was that the equity in my stash just doubled :P

i've been advising my clients to think about investing in a whole bolt of their favorite batting (i don't stock batt) i did notice a $13/yard batik at Joann's the other day

so, what are your thoughts on how the bummer cotton crop may or may not affect our role (as LAers) in the industry?

with the slack economy, i'm noticing more "i made it from my stash" quilts coming through as well as 'creatively' pieced backings...i am curoius about others' observations. part of that is that it is taking longer for clients to pick up a finished quilt. use to, piecers would come get the very next day, now they sit for a couple weeks. i'm accepting deposits at drop off to help offset the final cost....

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Hi Doodlebug, Your right the price on bolts have gone up some and may get higher . I buy from the companies most of the time . I went to Springfield Mo. a while back and got 108 wide in many different colors for a really good price .. this gives all my customers a nice choice to pick from for backing , and other things .. Pat

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I was at the quilt show in Houston and someone who had been there at market also muttered under her breath that the prices are going up 25% and that the increase was showing at market.

As far as the batiks at Joanns, I think they've just bumped up the price of their fabrics, not because they are worth the price but because so many of us shop with our 40% off coupons. When I look at the batiks in the quilt shops the price isn't as much as what some cost at Joanns.

And Pat....where in Springfield are you buying 108" wide backing? The FM Store? I'm 75 miles from Springfield and that is the closest large town so when I want to shop, that's where I go.

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Carmen, yes that is one of the shops , but there is another one I buy from ..and will send you the name of it also .... we should meet some time when we both might be going there to shop...by the way I got my new C L..oh my how nice . I started out with the swirl for the large one ..... Pat

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Hey friends,

I just returned from market. Most of the vendors were holding the prices from spring. Some of the goods were $4.50 and others were over $5.00. The pricier fabrics were batiks (of course) and licensed fabric such as, Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Dr. Suess. (The licensed fabric sold at discount stores is not the same.) It might surprise most of you to know that Moda usually has the best price on fabric and has free shipping. I would say on average the wholesale costs of fabric at Market was about $4.70 per yard. Depending on location (United States), most retailers mark up 2.3 to 2.5 percent. The west coast is a little more. So the price of fabric at $4.70 retail would be $10.81 which I would round up to $10.99.

Anyway, prices at Market were holding but the fabric companies told us to expect the price increase after the first of the year. However, I bet if there is a bumper crop in cotton next year we will not see a reduction in price!

Sandra

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Originally posted by SandraG

However, I bet if there is a bumper crop in cotton next year we will not see a reduction in price!

Sandra

well of course...remember about three years ago, all the flooding in the midwest decimated the potato crop and made the price of potato chips go from $1.29 a bag to almost $3 a bag....it's still $3 a bag for chips....

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Originally posted by doodlebug

Originally posted by SandraG

However, I bet if there is a bumper crop in cotton next year we will not see a reduction in price!

Sandra

well of course...remember about three years ago, all the flooding in the midwest decimated the potato crop and made the price of potato chips go from $1.29 a bag to almost $3 a bag....it's still $3 a bag for chips....

What goes up, must stay up, unless of course you are talking about wages.

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I suppose more of us will be using stash fabric and shopping carefully.

I do know if demand for fabric goes down, the price will as well.

Not good for the manufactures and especially not good for the quilt shops.

It is hard for the independents now, I can't imagine how some who are teetering on the edge of solvency will make it.

I agree with the thought that once the price goes up it won't come back down.

I am currently planning a yard-for-yard/FQ-for-FQ swap with some guild buddies. Six of us will swap fabric to add some variety to our stashes without spending cash. I'll let you know how it goes.

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I saw this on the news a few weeks ago. They said the cause was all the flooding in the overseas countrys that supply most of todays cotton products. If the price doubles I'll be out of business, if it goes to $11.00 a yard, look out stash here I come!!! The price will affect everything we do and use including thread, batting, clothing, house stuff, etc.

:(:mad::o

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I could just put up my stash on eBay & retire a very wealthy woman! Lucky I live in a place where (mostly) naked is an acceptable option.

Seriously, I see my customers already shopping more carefully, and using their stash, but not giving up quilting. You've got to remember that US fabrics are already quite inexpensive compared to Europe and Australia, and those folks continue to turn out beautiful quilts, so I am not worried. I may have to go shopping, though.

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Oh dear why does our craft have to experience such fluctuations in prices. If the price increases as you have all mentioned it will be miserable for us here in New Zealand. Currently P&Q fabric retails for approx $19 - $25 US. ( $25-32 NZ) At the moment our dollar is worth 76 cents to a US which isn't bad as its been down much lower. Quilters here are very frugal with their fabric and tend to use up every inch, exchange or share.

I do have a good stash so all is not lost!

Yvonne

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I've been thinking about going through my stash and donate some of what I have but with the expected increase, I may rethink that decision. Not that I think I will ever sew up what I have but I have a daughter, daughter-in-law and granddaughter that pull from my stash first. Then if (big if) they don't find what they want, it's off to the store they go.

And can someone explain to the rest of us, why prices never go back once the crisis is over. Prices, taxes blah, blah, blah.

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The price rises are already starting here. Most shops have been cutting their profit margin to keep the prices down. Fabric had averaged 10 pounds per meter but that has been heading up. The last wholesale fabrics I bought should be retailing at about 13 pounds per m, that's about $20. The wide warm bond (80/20 wadding) is retailing at $25 per m.

Yeah it's going to hurt the industry, but in the UK it has very much been a higher class hobby for a long time. It's just plain expensive.

Ferret

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