Beth at Sew Mama Sew! has an interesting interview with Westminster Fabrics about their decision to offer home decorator-weight cotton fabric. Their response is pure marketing spin, and while not necessarily untrue, here’s the real reason they’re offering home dec fabric:
They make more money.
Which requires more yardage: a quilt, or window treatments? A quilt, or a skirt? Quilters buy small amounts of fabric (surely in a greater variety), making it difficult for fabric manufacturers and quilt shops to stay in business. You could easily lose money on fat quarters when you figure in the labor it takes to cut and package them all.
But window treatments? Slipcovers? We’re talking oceans of fabric: 5, 10, or even 20 yards at a time.
Westminster Fabrics is a wise company: they have designers who appeal to home sewers, and now they’re offering fabrics that yield them a bigger profit and offer sewers more options.
What do you think?
I hadn’t thought about the economics of different fabric weights, but you are so right! Although I often save money on home decorating projects by using sheets or tablecloths for fabric.
I’m not a quilter myself, but I hope this doesn’t mean there will be fewer patterns in quilt weights for you.