NOW is the time to buy Bolts of T-Shirt material, Denim, and Notions - NOW! NOW!!! NOW!!!!!

Have your Sewing Machine(s) Serviced, NOW! (I have Five!) Thinking about Buying a New One? NOW! Serger would be good to have if you are making a lot of quick garments. Buy Now! (I have No Interest in any Manufacturer or Sewing Shop!)

Sewing centers will be going out of business soon. Cotton is Rising like a Rocket. Linen (Flax) is not being cultivated as much - Corn is King, what with the Obozo's Emphasis on Ethanol from Corn. The Synthetics will be rising with Oil. Polyesters will not rise as much, as they are made from wood, but transport and processing costs will follow Oil.

Git R' Done!!!

The Time is NOW!

http://www.fabric.com/ I've dealt with them before and the prices are reasonable and the service was good. A big plus is the you can get material by the bolt if you want, which is good for muslins that make shirts, light wear stuff, curtains and so on.
Cotton had a hard time last year and we have been warned that prices are going up on those items. I know that you can get plenty of shirts and stuff at GoodWill/Salvation Army type places and remake them or fit them for yourself. Sewing isn't rocket science, anyone can do it. While you are out there, check Joanne's and Michaels or other sewing stores for basic patterns to stock up on when they have their sales.

In Sunday's paper JoAnn's and others, insert sale ads with coupons 40% off, sometimes 50%, they will even let you use it on one cut of fabric aka. a bolt of fabric.

Also sign up for emails again, for discounts sent to you email. Ask to be put on their mailing list, you will receive additional ads with coupons.

Check out the clearance aisle at the fabric shops and Wal-mart, if yours still has fabric.

Also check the stores for clearance bins, possibly finds are threads, notions, zippers, etc...

I can make a decent meal out of almost anything but cannot even sew or even hem a pair of pants. My daughter-in-law can sew very well but is not on board (young & naive) I will stock-up on fabric, etc.
My question is should I wash and dry it due to possible shrinkage before storing it?

Wino,
I do not pre-wash till I am going to use it. main reason is I am lazy, a lot of fabric when you pre-wash will need ironing, really not in mood to try to iron over 6 yards of fabric with it all together. Not an easy task. better to pre-wash when you decide what you are going to make from the fabric and cut the amount off that you will be using.

I do re-fold the material every 2 yrs, so that there is no damage done to fabric.
I do have fabric that is older then I am and it is still in great shape. I have the fabric my Mom bought for making drapes, never did, I made curtains out of it for my first place and have kept the fabric since, on the hope of making a quilt some day from it.

Yeah, we rough-cut out what we need, then wash it, then sew.... same reasons that Rubies listed. I also think that the Sizing and coatings they manufacture fabrics with may have a preservative/insect repellent in it, to help them warehouse and handle the cloth...just my suspicion...may also incorporate coatings that facilitate the weaving processes?

I usually leave the fabrics unwashed until just before cutting then I was them and iron them out; I don't bother with some that don't shrink much at all; but most of the time it is worth taking the time to do this.

Another good item to stock up on is iron on denim patches. Even if you dont have electricity you can heat an iron skillet and iron them on. Quick fix and extends wear.

I always try and pick up cheap thread, notions and needles whenever I can; one of the most difficult things to make actually is good, small needles in a non-industrial context. Traditional needles dull easily and are hard to sharpen, you can never have too many of them because you can use them in everything from sewing to cooking.

"Cheap" Thread gives me and My machines Fits!! I have had best results with Gutermann Thread.