News for 2022!

 Now that 2021 is in the rear view...

2021 in a nutshell, am I right

It's time to look ahead!

First off...starting January 1, 2022 our Saturday hours are changing from 10am-5pm to 10am-4pm.  These were our hours years ago, and we're going back to that schedule.  

Secondly, the It Takes a Village Block of the Month will start in February, not January.  Take your pick of our blue colorway ($155):

or you can choose your own adventure for $85 - get the background of your choice at the shop and then supplement with your stash, scraps, and precuts:

Come see the scrappy version live and in person on January 7th and 8th at 10:30.  Did I mention this pattern is a one of a kind exclusive for The Cotton Patch?  The ONLY way to get this pattern is to join the program! 

So what's next?

You will see more classes, and a lot of variety among them. Some will be small projects or make & takes, and others will be longer and more complex.  If you know our teacher, Cheryl, she is working on a new quilt to teach - and if you know her, you know it's going to be awesome and a lot of fun! Diane will be teaching curves in the near future too. Looks for more techniques and skill builders.  As always, we will try to keep the class costs down, but like everything costs are going up.  Speaking of which...

Fabric prices are rising  r a p i d l y  and unfortunately, the jumps are significant. 

Same, Luke. Hard same. 

We don't like it either. But here's the thing. When we think of fabric, generally we think about just the yardage. But there's more going into it than just the greige goods. Transportation costs are HUGE at the moment, and everything is going up - even things like packaging.  With all that considered, we will continue to strive to keep our prices as close to double wholesale plus shipping. It really kills us to see wholesale at $6+ per yard for regular cottons, but despite our whining, groaning, and gnashing of teeth, there's nothing we can do about it.  We tried.  On top of that, various fabric companies have established MSRP rules that shalt not be broken, we are bound to sell at that price. Don't worry, we'll address that ol' chestnut another day.

Despite the fabric cost increases, fabrics are still arriving at velocity, and we have some super cute stuff coming! More wide backs are on the way. Tula Pink and Kaffe Fassett lines will be showing up too, so that's new for 2022! We have some fabulous new batiks on the way.  As everyone knows, this year has been tough supply chain-wise (please refer to the picture at the top of this post), but hopefully we will be getting resupplied on basics - solids, thread, etc.

The pandemic has sure changed a lot - where we gather, how we work, and how we shop.  That being said, internet traffic is up for just about all businesses and we're no different.  We are looking forward to revamping our website to make it easier to navigate and more user friendly overall. Look for more on the blog and on Facebook - we'll be doing more videos and live feeds in 2022!  So if you don't follow us on Facebook today, now's a great time - click here: to get to our Facebook page.  If you don't have your own Facebook account don't worry, because our page is a public business page and visible even without an account (you just won't be able to Like/Comment/Share).  

You have already seen (and loved!) our Sew Simple 3-Yard bundles, but you'll be seeing more cut goods and kits coming in.  So if you've been missing pre-cuts and grab and go projects, you don't have to wait much longer!  You'll see more monthly programs as well. We also have a few great Block of the Week programs lined up through the end of 2022 - stay tuned for more. 

We hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year. We're excited for what's to come, and we hope you are too. 

Do you have something special you'd like to see us offer or carry in 2022?  Leave us a comment below.  

A Word From Diane: News on Fabric Prices

 This week, I think it's time to talk about the Gorilla in the corner: fabric prices. There is a lot of stuff is circulating around about prices and price fixing etc., so here is what I know today:

Most companies have raised their wholesale prices by anywhere from 10% to 20% on average. Our solids have gone from $3.50 to $4.20 (wholesale cost there) which is a jump of .$0.70 . While that might be small potatoes, other cottons are jumping up to $6 (wholesale) and higher. Most retailers will double their cost and add shipping. The recommended MSRP about is $1.00 a yard so we are looking at $13.00 for most woven (or $12.99). Flannels will hit the $13.99 price point or very close to it.

There is also a movement afoot with manufacturers about minimum pricing. This means that a store cannot sell for under the minimum price set by the fabric company. Right now, it looks to be in the $10-11 range. This is to help small retailers, like local shops, not compete with big box stores that cut prices way down.

So what does this mean for prices at The Cotton Patch? I see it like this: whatever the price on the floor is at the moment, it will stay that way. We have not, do not, and will not raise prices on goods that already arrived. However, as new fabrics come in we will continue to double the wholesale cost and add shipping as we have always done. And, as I have always said, if I save on shipping, so do my customers.

Here is a little editorializing; I am not in the business to have a giant house on the hill, drive a fancy car, or have the biggest store in town. I run this store because I love quilters, quilting, sewing, and of course fabric. I love to see creativity in sewing. It is truly my first love (outside of family and friends). I want to have great fabrics at good at fair prices. All of us signed at the end of the newsletter are committed to that as part of the store.

I hope by telling you about the pricing that goes on behind the scenes that you will be able to know if you are getting a fair deal on what you buy. An informed consumer is the best thing in the world!

Diane