Saturday, 8 September 2012

Upstairs Downstairs

Upstairs looks like this


And this.

If I had more spare time I'd tidy. I don't, so I'd rather be making.

And downstairs looks like this.




Including this, which arrived and I think is the best text fabric I have seen in a long time.

Bought from here
And on the subject of fabric buying: can anyone please tell me why something as British and iconic as Liberty's new quilting cotton line Bloomsbury Gardens is CHEAPER in the US?!
$14 here and £14 a metre/yard in the UK! At today's exchange rate that's £5.76 a metre more if you buy in the UK.

Update: Liberty tell me the Bloomsbury Gardens fabric is manufactured in Italy. Ok, so are we talking varying import taxes? However, here's a little maths for you:

Import duty for fabric:       USA           UK
                                          11.4%         8%   (and this may not even apply as Italy to UK is in the EU)

Liberty say their fabrics are distributed by wholesalers around the world and they cannot 'speculate on how the pricing in the US was determined.'

Fair point.

But then they go on to say they are responsible for determining the price point in the UK.

Fair point?

24 comments:

  1. that sucks. It really gets on my nerves. Especially as it is printed in the UK.

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  2. ha ha... does someone need to call hoarders on you??? great text fabric.... and the price in uk??taxes??? import fees?

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  3. Lol I love,that I am not the only one that is just a little chaotic in their sewing room too! gorgeous text fabric!

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  4. Your upstairs still looks a lot better than mine and your downstairs? Wow! So so beautiful.

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  5. I love both your upstairs and downstairs. And I need to shop it seems.

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  6. I love upstairs too:) you're sewing a lot - that's for sure!

    Today I bought some BG in UK online shop, because I was sure that in US shops it will be more expensive *^#&@%#*@&# :)

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  7. Upstairs is my kind of place. Actually, I think we have twin spots!!

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  8. I need to come loll about in your stash! And there is no way Liberty should cost us more. I think we should all sign a wee letter to them and let them know our disappointment. I can only presume they are printing some in the States too.

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  9. Well, I went to Germany in June and I've gone a couple times as well in the last few years. Most things are about 30% more than here. I believe it's taxes as this country is a socialist state.

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  10. Import duty? Within European Union? Impossible! They are not also talking about VAT, because if they are EU taxpayer, sale from Italy to UK is without VAT.

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  11. You're right, it's not fair that Liberty BG is so much more expensive here. Or rather, that it's so much cheaper in the US...*stamps feet and gets her pet lip out*
    P.S. I'll come and tidy up if you like?!
    P.P.S. Love that quilt and text fabric!

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  12. I am constantly frustrated by the pretty extreme price difference between the U.S. and U.K. when it comes to craft fabrics, and the whopping customs charges that I seem to end up with when I order from the states. Liberty are probably thinking that their pricing is still significantly lower than their Tana lawn and only a "bit more" than other quilting cottons in th U.K. and therefore they can get away with chargng £14 per m.

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  13. Great text fabric. The downstairs looks very lovely indeed!

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  14. I love your mess, makes me feel so much better about mine.
    I think generally that in the US, shops can buy directly from the manufacturer whereas in the UK there is a pesky distributor. If only we could cut out the middle man too.

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  15. Lovely text fabric. Can you tell me who has some liberty in the u.s.? I would love to see it in person ; )

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  16. I have fabric envy from your upstairs pic! It is especially annoying as it is printed in the UK and not Japan!

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  17. Looks familiar! I'm in the process of doing out my sewing room as the amount of fabric I have accumulated has totally dampened my enthusiasm for trying to make it to the sewing machine.

    As regards buying fabrics in the US / UK debate. I think online fabric retailers here just cannot compete. Given the US prices, US retailers are in a position to dominate the global market whereas UK fabric retailers can't even compete on their home turf.

    I wonder if it might be something similar for manufacturers. Liberty may have to pay higher taxes to import the raw materials into the EU compared with US manufacturers, so their product might not be produced so cheaply. It may even be that liberty are taking a cut in profits in the US in order to compete with US manufacturers prices. I don't know that this is the case - just speculating.

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  18. I am dealing with the same such mess in my sewing area today...well, i should be dealing with it anyway....
    im overwhelmed by the new Liberty prints...both the price and the loveliness...not sure how to make up my mind which to sample!

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  19. My sewing room looks very similar to yours! I agree about the Liberty prints being too expensive here. We have always been told that quilting fabric is so expensive because it has to be imported and import costs and import duty accounted for the higher prices. This doesn't apply with these fabrics so why the higher price? Presumably it isn't being shipped to the US for free and there will be US taxes to pay so it would seem we are loosing out yet again. Maybe we should just boycott it (LOL!)

    I was lucky enough to get some of the Bloomsbury collection at the Festival of Quilts and although the designs are the usual Liberty loveliness I am disappointed with the quality and would suggest buying a small amount to see for yourself, before having a splurge. I haven't washed my pieces yet but suspect they aren't the same quality as Moda or similar quilting weight cottons.

    Anyway.. back to the sewing machine......

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  20. Love your sewing room, and the fact it's not just mine that's in such chaos! However, it seems EVERY fabric is cheaper to buy from the US than in the UK! Pity us poor UK quilters..... ;-)

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  21. I think the difference in pricing has something to do with the V.A.T. charges that everyone pays in the UK. I was at Liberty's two years ago Christmas, and the fat quarter stacks cost as more in pounds as you would typically pay in dollars -- so at least 50% more than the US for the exact same fabric. The Kaffe Fasset fabric cost something like 12 pounds per meter -- and I could buy it at home for $10 and often I could get it on sale for $8 at Quilthome.com Most fabric is printed in Asia. The weirdest thing I have seen is pricing on the fabric from Australia -- the neat aboriginal designs. They cost at least 50% more in Australia than they do here in the US -- and those fabrics are made in Australia -- go figure.

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  22. It makes me mad to think we seem to always be at the sharp end of pricing. DMC embroidery floss is another rip off in Britain...almost a £1 per skein, where as in the US you can buy them from as little as 39 cents.

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  23. Love your sentiment- would rather be "making", too!

    Love the text print. I just got a really awesome one from Spoonflower as well, need to figure out how to use it. As for the Liberty...I'm with you, the mark up here is stupid, too.

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  24. LOVE your upstairs...it looks like my downstairs. Kindred spirits? I totally agree - I'd much rather be making.

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