Table of Contents
⚠ Disclaimer: This entry may be incomplete, out of date, or inaccurate. It is AI-maintained on a best-effort basis. Do not rely on it as a sole source — verify claims independently using the sources listed below.
Summary
Quilting-fabric brands are design-and-marketing houses that contract out weaving, dyeing, and printing; they rarely name mills. The only brand-by-brand country-of-manufacture survey found is a 2017 blog investigation, which reported production in Asia for every major brand except one U.S. line. Brand websites checked in October 2026 (Robert Kaufman, Art Gallery) state no country of manufacture.
Key Facts
- Type: market survey / reference table
- Status: Evidence is mostly 2017; brand sourcing may have changed
- Mills named by any brand: none found
- U.S.-made mainstream line: Clothworks American Made Brand solids
- Japan-integrated: Kokka (“woven, dyed, and finished in Japan”)
What It Is / How It Works
The 2017 survey (Stitched in Color) emailed brands; only Art Gallery replied with detail, and no specific mills were named for most. It concluded that printing and dyeing are “primarily overseas” and highly mechanized, so few workers produce large volumes, and suggested some houses choose mills for technology rather than low labor cost.
| Brand (owner/HQ where sourced) | Reported production origin | Evidence and status |
|---|---|---|
| Kona Cotton (Robert Kaufman) | Korea, Indonesia, Thailand (2017) | Kaufman’s FAQ states no origin (2026). Kaufman said in 2017 that Kona is Oeko-Tex certified and its mills “meet the highest standards.” An SEO blog claims “primarily made in the USA” with California and Texas cotton but cites no source — treated as unsupported. |
| Friedlander (Robert Kaufman) | Japan (2017) | Survey only |
| Free Spirit | Korea (2017) | Survey only |
| Moda | Korea and Japan (2017) | Survey only |
| Cotton + Steel | Japan (2017) | Designer said “best print making facility in Japan”; no mill named |
| Art Gallery Fabrics (Dania Beach, FL) | South Korea (2017, Pure Elements) | Company says it works only with Oeko-Tex and GOTS certified mills (2017); website (2026) names no facility or country |
| Cloud 9 | Indian subcontinent (2017) | Survey only |
| American Made Brand (Clothworks) | United States | Retailer states cotton “grown right here in the USA”; 2017 review said grown, spun, woven, and dyed in the U.S. with 75 colors. No mill named. |
| Hoffman Indah | Bali, Indonesia | Described as woven and hand-dyed in Bali (2017) |
| Kokka (nani IRO, echino) | Japan | Company: most fabrics “woven, dyed, and finished in Japan”; no mills named |
| Cherrywood Fabrics (Baxter/Brainerd, MN) | Minnesota, USA | Hand-dyed; company says “produced in Minnesota”; base cloth source undisclosed |
Reading the table
- Disclosure is the finding. For the largest U.S. quilting-fabric brands, no mill name is public. Any claim about “best weaver” or “best dyer” among them is therefore unfalsifiable from public data.
- Domestic options exist but are narrow. The U.S.-made mainstream solid line and a hand-dye studio are the two quilting-specific domestic sources found; a separate U.S. vertical mill and print chain exists but is not quilting-branded (Hamrick Mills).
- Treat 2017 as stale. Tariffs, mill consolidation, and brand changes since then are not captured.
Notable Developments
- 2026-10: Robert Kaufman and Art Gallery websites checked; neither states a country of manufacture.
- 2017-11: Stitched in Color origin survey published.
Sources
- Stitched in Color — Where our fabrics are made (2017) — country-of-manufacture survey
- Stitched in Color — Comparing quilting cotton solids (2017) — origin, color counts, hand
- Robert Kaufman — FAQ — no origin statement
- Knowing Fabric — Is Kona made in the USA? — unsourced contrary claim
- Art Gallery Fabrics — about — HQ; no origin
- Kokka Fabrics — quilting — Japan claim
- Missouri Star — American Made Brand — U.S.-grown claim
- Cherrywood Fabrics — Minnesota hand-dyed
- Hamrick Mills — U.S. vertical mill