This is what a fabric rep was talked to us about last week (Some information above was taken from an article Karen Montgomery wrote for the FabShop News magazine.):
Fabric prices are rising, no doubt about it. Our economy does play a roll but did you know that prices are tied to the global marketplace?
Quilt-weight goods are being produced in China. Possibly 90% of the cotton for our quilt fabrics are grown in China and turned into greige (pronounced gray) goods (textiles that have not received any bleaching, dyeing or finishing treatment after being produced by a textile process). The greige goods are shipped to print plants in Japan or Korea but now China also has it's own print plants and will continue to print more and more of the fabrics.
Another reason fabric is expense is because the weight of fabric adds to shipping cost when being moved from country to country.
And then there is the U.S. economy and how our dollar compares with foreign currency. The suppliers must negotiate everything from the cost of the goods to the printing and shipping.
Recently, when cotton prices started going crazy overseas, the Chinese mills decided to hold the goods hostage and ship to whoever paid them the most money!
So don't blame the quilt shops when you see the high cost of fabric. Quilt shop prices will go up when the manufactures are forced to raise their prices, but that's so the shop can stay in business and offer you, the customer, the lovely fabrics that are being produced.
Quilt-weight goods are being produced in China. Possibly 90% of the cotton for our quilt fabrics are grown in China and turned into greige (pronounced gray) goods (textiles that have not received any bleaching, dyeing or finishing treatment after being produced by a textile process). The greige goods are shipped to print plants in Japan or Korea but now China also has it's own print plants and will continue to print more and more of the fabrics.
Another reason fabric is expense is because the weight of fabric adds to shipping cost when being moved from country to country.
And then there is the U.S. economy and how our dollar compares with foreign currency. The suppliers must negotiate everything from the cost of the goods to the printing and shipping.
Recently, when cotton prices started going crazy overseas, the Chinese mills decided to hold the goods hostage and ship to whoever paid them the most money!
So don't blame the quilt shops when you see the high cost of fabric. Quilt shop prices will go up when the manufactures are forced to raise their prices, but that's so the shop can stay in business and offer you, the customer, the lovely fabrics that are being produced.
Interesting, huh?
1 comment:
Interesting yes, but not as shocking as the way silver and gold prices go up. I make jewelry as well as quilts and fabric prices are WAY more stable than precious metals.
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