Rumors & Misinformation

Time For A Little Clarity

The recent post here about the quilt show I attended got me thinking about all the misinformation "out there" about quilting fabric. It's time to set the record straight. The following comments are my own opinions and are based on what I have learned in my nearly 45 years in the fabric business. I have no interest in promoting any specific fabric retailers.

Rumor/Misinformation

Quilting fabric at independent quilt shops is better quality than the quilting fabric at chain stores.

Because of higher sales volume, chain stores can buy fabric for a significantly lower cost than the independent shops can, often from the same suppliers, and they can sell it for a lower retail price. The lower retail price is not in itself an indication of lesser quality, but often that is the perception.

That perception perpetuates negative attitudes about chain fabric quality. This is unfortunate and uninformed, and is based on assumptions that are simply not true. Price in itself is not always an indicator of quality. Chain-store buying teams have throroughly researched and tested fabric quality in order to offer the best fabric quality at the best price.

Rumor/Misinformation

Fabric from China is poor quality.

China-sourced fabric is not inherently poor quality; a fabric's country of orgin is not in itself a reflection of quality. Fabrics are produced in many countries these days, and most of it is imported due to the lack of domestic production in the United States (which was driven overseas due to lower labor costs and the endless pursuit of the lowest prices).

Some of the best-executed quilting fabrics come from Japan; their production expertise is excellent. However, production and labor costs in Japan are much higher and that definitely impacts the retail price.

Korea is another source for quilting fabrics, often similar to Japan quality, but the production and labor costs are somewhat lower. Much of the best-loved quilting fabric brands on the market are produced in Korea, and this fabric typically has a very desirable smooth hand and finish.

While it often gets that undeserved bad rap, fabric quality from China has become quite reliable. Many Korean fabric producers have expanded into China to take advantage of traditionally lower labor costs there and have shared their expertise with their Chinese teams. Sadly, many consumers reject Chinese fabrics outright because of the country of origin prejudice, without regard to the actual quality.

Pakistan is another fabric source that is becoming more common for quality quilting fabrics. Another less-common source is India, and their expertise lies in batiks.

The Bottom Line

In reality, the bottom line is very important. The fabric business is very competitive, and retailers are always looking for better costs to improve profitability. China has historically had an edge over other countries when it comes to cost, but with an increasing standard of living there and resulting higher labor costs, that may not be the case much longer.

Conclusions

There is a lot of mis-information out there about fabric quality.

1) The country of origin is not in itself a reliable way to determine fabric quality. Feel the fabric and judge for yourself!

2) There is no quality difference in the fabrics found at chain stores versus independent shops; just a quality perception. There is no substitute for feeling the fabric and judging for yourself.

Until next time, keep those sewing machines humming, and buy the fabric you like without regard to the country of origin or the retail source!

DTFM

danthefabricman@yahoo.com