Back when I was buying lots of quilting fabric, I remember thinking . . if fabric costs keep going up, I’m not going to be able to keep buying fabric. Quilting fabric was probably edging up close to $7/yard back then. What quilter wouldn’t love to be paying $7/yard for fabric these days? I’ll always be thankful for the fabric I got and for the price I paid for it.
Lately I’ve been hearing rumblings about yarn prices increasing. I definitely understand and can appreciate the need for prices to increase. What isn’t going up? There’s only so much that can be absorbed before the price increases have to be passed along to the consumer.
This morning I was reading my email and saw three emails from indie yarn dyers that their yarns are going up the first of the year and then saw a couple of designers whose patterns are all going up on Ravelry. The increases are all small but it will affect some and makes me thankful for the patterns and the stash I have. A small increase in the cost of patterns is not going to stop me from buying a pattern I really want but it may cause me to re-think how many patterns I buy. On Ravelry, we can add patterns to our “Favorites” so we can go back and find them easily and then when I am ready to buy the pattern, I can buy it. There are hundreds of patterns in my library that I’ve purchased and will probably never make so . . that may stop.
I’ve already committed to buying way less yarn in 2019. I actually bought quite a bit less in 2018 than I had been buying. I made a lot of things but mostly what I made was small. I don’t think I started and finished a single sweater in 2018. I made shawls, socks, hats . . nothing big though.
With the prices of yarn and fabric going up, and the retirement budget, I’m very thankful for what I have sitting around here waiting to be used.
Heidi says
I’m grateful for my stash of quilting fabric, here in Canada the price is now $16-18 a meter. I’m only buying fabric I really love unless I find a good deal. The reality is most of us could sew or knit with what we already have for years and years without buying anything else. I still keep adding to my stash just slower than I used to but I bought a longarm a year ago so I’ve been buying thread, batting roll, pantographs, rulers and all those fun things instead 🙂
Kathy Chiocca says
I have been shopping my stash for the last 18 months and I was shocked when I went to buy fabric last week. I try to shop at my LQS for most everything so I am happy my $ goes t ook people I enjoy giving it to.
Clare says
Over her in New Zealand our DMC IS $1.80 a floss and patchwork fabric at our quilt shops is $30 a metre. I still am buying but think what pattern for this. Plus like BOM`s as the cost is a little over the months. Try not to count that up 🙂 My stash is still there which I go to when needed.
Carolyn says
When those prices started up that made it so much easier to glean from my stash. My husband finally understood why I have so much.
Nelle Coursey says
Of course there is always the Wool Warehouse where we can order from! Unless there is an international incident! LOL Everything is going to go up except our salaries! LOL
dezertsuz says
That’s why I originally collected mine, but then things happened. Once again, I now have too much of a stash, though! Too much for my storage and my house, not too much for me. =)
Dar in MO says
I have not purchased fabric for more than 3 years and have not missed it. I’m still quilting my stash and can’t see that it has diminished one bit. Guess that means I have Way Too MUCH stash, huh? I am still working on my UFOs and they already have the tops done, so now it’s just a matter of piecing backs to use up more stash. I do have a small stash of yarn, but I did learn my lesson with the fabric buying, so I was determined not to do the same thing with yarn.