Cotton prices are rising. It’s bad news. I wrote a post about it back in October, visit Raw cotton prices sky-high; may lead to hoarding. With all the lovely new fabric lines coming out we can expect to pay more. I saw some quilter’s cotton online for $12 a yard yesterday. Ouch. It seems the price of cotton is the elephant in the room and few are talking about it in the blogosphere. Nanette from Freda’s Hive is a recent exception. Get her thoughts on rising cotton prices and what it means to quilters HERE.
[Image from Direct To Garment E-Zine]
Thanks Scarlet. I have a friend/quilter in Texas that has a cotton farm. I’m going to ask her what is up too. I wonder if this is a bubble being created or if it is based on supply and demand alone. When prices rise so sharply so fast, it makes one wonder! Thanks for the mention.
$12 a yard I with, here in Australia we pay $26 a metre (metre is 40″) and at the moment the $AU is very good but our prices for USA fabric is still going up. I really want to support my LQS but when I can buy the same fabric for $12 guess where I am shopping
Cotton fields down south are disappearing at an alarming rate! Pure cotton is harder and harder to find in stores, clothes, bedding etc. You never see those ‘cotton’ commercials anymore. Next time you’re in an airplane… look down..,.no more fields for growing.
what about the cotton fields in africa where this form of agriculture destroys the environment and pays the farm workers next to nothing?
okay, maybe I can clear this up: in a nut-shell….Texas (yes, I live in the heart of it) had a HUGE bumper crop this year. And, Tsunamis, droughts, etc. basically demolished the rest of the known world’s cotton crops.
So, THAT is why cotton is so high this year. Texas is big, but still, there is a LOT less cotton this year than years previous.
Hi Robyn,
Thanks so much for your explanation. Hopefully this year’s worldwide yields will be better.
–Scarlett