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USA Quilters are lucky
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kho
- Posts: 3794
- Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2007 9:58 am
Re: USA Quilters are lucky
What is LQS? I find fabric at Keepsake Quilting in Vemont,Hancocks, Wal Mart, Nancy's Notions, QIAD, Hancocks of Paducah. I had no idea there was such a difference in prices in other countries. Has anyone tried the Quilters General Store?? Next Year I am going there.
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roseytoes
- Posts: 1208
- Joined: Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:18 am
Re: USA Quilters are lucky
kho,
LQS-Local quilt shop
LQS-Local quilt shop
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Hummingbird
- Posts: 7811
- Joined: Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:09 am
Re: USA Quilters are lucky
Wow - I never really realized just HOW much the prices differed. Now I know why the international quilters stock up so much when they are in Paducah! I see them with stacks and stacks of fabric and always wondered why they bought SO much, LOL. It makes sense now. Wow.
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LynnS
- Posts: 1392
- Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:19 am
Re: USA Quilters are lucky
That's expensive. But are salaries higher there and taxes lower? What's the cost of living? For me its a splurge to get $9 a yard fabric. I always have to wait for a sale or I get just a little bit in a FQ.
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justdawne
- Posts: 3837
- Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2007 9:00 am
Re: USA Quilters are lucky
I moved to Canada from Maryland where I was born and raised. All the times I went into a JoAnn Fabrics store did I ever once buy fabric? NOPE! LOL Never learned to quilt till I moved to Nova Scotia.
Anyway, I have first hand knowledge that prices are truly a function of 2 things. #1 Supply and demand. 300 million plus Americans, compared to 33 million Canadians, would suggest many more Americans quilting. More quilters provide the customer base for stores to buy in bulk. #2 Most large retail companies are interested in profit margin. They'll charge what we, the consumers, are willing to pay.
On average the quilting fabrics that most appeal to me run $10/m to $15/m. Plain 100% cotton is either $5.99 or $6.99. I forget which.
Having said that I usually never pay more than $5/m. I wait for sale days and maintain my frequent shopper discount card. It cost me $15/year and guaruntees me at least 15% off all year. We had a 2 days sale in Sept. with select quilting cotton at $3/m. We all stocked up!!
After reading about the 'quitling reality' in Norway it really made me stop and think how lucky we are. I have 2 large fabric stores within 15 minutes of driving. There are smaller owned quilting shops - some about 35 minutes away and others an hour. I really have options.
I read an article 2 weeks ago about the growth of quilting in South Africa. They really face difficulties. Fabric variety is an issue. Everything they buy is from the US - the rulers, books etc.., Cost is a definate issue. And yet, in a small span of time the quilters there are incredibly organized [guilds and such] and dedicated. Inspiring actually.
I have to say I was surprised to find quilting so expensive in the UK and AU. I thought those areas would have their own mills/factories to make fabric. There is such a quilting tradition in England, I thought. Early European settlers clearly brought the art to North America.
sorry to ramble. This is the sort of economics discussion I can really care about. They can talk interest rates and change the value of a dollar every minute and it escapes me to some degree. How PEOPLE are effected by all of this 'stuff' is what interests me.
dawne
Anyway, I have first hand knowledge that prices are truly a function of 2 things. #1 Supply and demand. 300 million plus Americans, compared to 33 million Canadians, would suggest many more Americans quilting. More quilters provide the customer base for stores to buy in bulk. #2 Most large retail companies are interested in profit margin. They'll charge what we, the consumers, are willing to pay.
On average the quilting fabrics that most appeal to me run $10/m to $15/m. Plain 100% cotton is either $5.99 or $6.99. I forget which.
Having said that I usually never pay more than $5/m. I wait for sale days and maintain my frequent shopper discount card. It cost me $15/year and guaruntees me at least 15% off all year. We had a 2 days sale in Sept. with select quilting cotton at $3/m. We all stocked up!!
After reading about the 'quitling reality' in Norway it really made me stop and think how lucky we are. I have 2 large fabric stores within 15 minutes of driving. There are smaller owned quilting shops - some about 35 minutes away and others an hour. I really have options.
I read an article 2 weeks ago about the growth of quilting in South Africa. They really face difficulties. Fabric variety is an issue. Everything they buy is from the US - the rulers, books etc.., Cost is a definate issue. And yet, in a small span of time the quilters there are incredibly organized [guilds and such] and dedicated. Inspiring actually.
I have to say I was surprised to find quilting so expensive in the UK and AU. I thought those areas would have their own mills/factories to make fabric. There is such a quilting tradition in England, I thought. Early European settlers clearly brought the art to North America.
sorry to ramble. This is the sort of economics discussion I can really care about. They can talk interest rates and change the value of a dollar every minute and it escapes me to some degree. How PEOPLE are effected by all of this 'stuff' is what interests me.
dawne