Sunday, July 19, 2015

Sunday Stash

We went over the river to Detroit this past Monday, and one of our stops was at Guildcrafters Quilt Shop.  I was specifically looking for Minky to use as the backing for my heart quilt. Although I didn't get actual Minky, I did get a Minky-like fabric made by Shannon fabrics, called Cuddle, in a gorgeous aqua, perfect, as it is my friend's favourite colour.  It goes really well with the hot pinks and aquas in the heart.  You will have to take my word for it, as I did not take a picture prior to loading onto my Avanté for quilting, which is where it currently sits.  Don't worry; you will see it in a day or two.  :-)

When she was cutting the Minky, the Figures by Zen Chic bolt was lying on the cutting table, and well, a yard of it jumped onto the folded piece of Minky.  What's with that?  I'm sure you can relate to that experience.  This perfect neutral is going into another quilt for a friend that I am slowly starting to build.  The numbers?  Utter perfection for this person!
Wool on the left and Figures by Zen Chic for Moda on the right
A note about the cost of fabric.  I always lament the high cost of fabric here in Canada, and as a result, I have bought next to nothing since we regularly started going to Florida, and especially since we moved to the Windsor area in 2012, where I have access to Detroit by simply crossing the river.

And yet.

After this purchase, I'm rethinking this habit to some degree.  This was about $11.50 per yard, or maybe $11.79, I can't recall exactly and cannot find the receipt.  When I compared it to the Canadian quilt shops' prices per metre that I have recently seen here in Windsor, which average $16-17/metre, this regularly priced fabric was not the bargain it at first appears.
$11.50/yard = 31.9c per inch
16.50 (approximate average price)/metre = 42.3c CA/inch (a metre has approx. 39")
Do the current exchange, which is abysmal of $1.30; it is currently 1.298CA at the Bank of Canada to buy $1US, so it will not be as good at your bank.
31.9c US per inch = 41.5c CA

So I saved less than a cent per inch (42.3 - 41.5 = 0.8) which translates to about 31c per metre savings.  Now, having showed you, and myself, that, it is true that US stores do have better sales than Canadian, with a lot more variety and selection of fabric as well as better prices.  Still, the $8/metre sale fabric I picked up a few weeks ago at Sew Sisters Quilt Shop was a decent deal, as it works out to about $5.75/yard US.

The other piece in the photo is a piece of 100% wool, that I would have walked out oblivious to, had I not asked the girl cutting if they had any off-white pure wool (I've checked them out a couple of times previously).  I'd already scoped out their wool section and found nothing.  Well, it turns out they had an entire bolt, but apparently it had a funny smell after taking the plastic off, so they'd been letting it air out in the office.  I could have some, she supposed, but she'd ask the owner first...Well, I felted it anyhow, so I didn't care about a smell, and quite honestly it smelled a bit like damp wool which is fine with me...takes me off to Scotland, and heather...mists... Outlander, and Jamie...and ahem....where am I?  Oh yeah. Wool.  I'm ecstatic that I got this half yard because I can finally finally finish a quilt top that has percolated for several years, one I saw at a sewing show.  I have the top made, just have been waiting to find the perfect wool to felt for my daisy petals to appliqué onto the background. Yay!  I think this cost around $8 for the half yard and it felted beautifully.

So that is it for this computer-free (haha) Sunday post.  I might do my yoga stretch for sewers, (sewists?) post twice a month as it got some good feedback, so pop in next Sunday and see what other stretch I love to do after hours a long time at the machine.  I'm linking up with Molli Sparkles' Sunday Stash.

9 comments:

  1. Figures is a great low volume print... and how fortunate that you asked about the wool. I can totally see you as Claire, by the way. :)

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  2. Good buys. I still get the odd bit of fabric from the US but only from certain shops. I know these will mark a plain envelope gift so I don't get done with import tax. This way I do get a decent deal. If I have to figure in import tax though it's cheaper to buy at home

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  3. Good buys. I still get the odd bit of fabric from the US but only from certain shops. I know these will mark a plain envelope gift so I don't get done with import tax. This way I do get a decent deal. If I have to figure in import tax though it's cheaper to buy at home

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  4. Outlander? You've just gone up in my estimation! Love the sound of the wool felt petals.

    It's similar here - living right on the border between Northern Ireland and the RoI, I usually shop in NI. The shops are near enough to visit, and were cheaper. However, the difference in currencies now means that it's maybe cheaper to buy in RoI.

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  5. I'm glad you were able to figure out the price comparison. It is always good to know how good or not-so-good of a deal it is.

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  6. I love Zen Chic prints. I look forward to seeing what you do with your newly felted wool. A friend visited from Finland this summer who was my inlaws' former foreign exchange student from the 80's. She went home with an empty suitcase as the prices were too high in the US this time around. She would always take home jeans and other things. I haven't seen any of Outlander yet. Everyone loves it, I see. Have a great day, Sandra.

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  7. Nice price comparison. I've been feeling like fabric is over the top now but I guess if we have to convert our currency were paying for it no matter what. I'll no longer feel jealous of Americans. I buy most of my fabric in the local quilt shop as I want to keep it going for those times I really need it.

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  8. Great price comparison. I have been doing most of my shopping in Canada now. Since our dollar dropped so low it doesn't pay and with shipping, it is not cost effective. I was at one of my LQS's and had the same problem as you. I went with a specific goal in mind, 1/2 meter to finish up a project came home with 4 other pieces.

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  9. Great price info for all those quilters and sewists :P out there! Your quilt will be perfect!

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