Jun 20 2008
Cotton Price Considerations
The horizon is looking grim for those of us who covet cotton. Energy costs are up, which is making everything more expensive, but did you realize that cotton production is down, and is destined to stay that way?
Farmers rushing to take advantage of the corn and soybean bonanza are dropping cotton as a crop, and a good portion of what’s left is going overseas. China is a big purchaser of cotton, consuming at least 45% of the worldwide market. We have to make due with what’s left, and that will be getting more expensive as time goes by.
Are Quilters on a Budget Being Priced Out of the Cotton Market?
Not to be an alarmist here, but I was kind of hoping that prices would be going down, not up. As fabric has become more painterly, artistic, colorful and creative, it has also risen in price. It’s getting to the point where good fabric is beyond the budget of many of us, at least for most of our projects.
This is a lament. I don’t have any ideas on how to handle the problem. Even if you start dying your own fabric, there are costs (sometimes substantial) involved.
Diving for Fabric
My friend Emily started ‘diving for fabric’ a few years ago. This is her term for haunting second-hand stores and garage sales for cotton garments that she can recycle. She even uses chopped up pieces of collars and cuffs as fillers for pillows – yes she cleans them well first.
This isn’t her only source of fabric, but her system does yield some really interesting finds. The prospect, unappealing until now, may have some merit if cotton keeps getting more expensive.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Not A Member? Register for Free!
