I use fabrics that feel approximately the same and have the same fiber content, regardless of where I got them from.
An exaggerated comparison of what I probably would not put together: cheese cloth with heavyweight denim.
I prewash everything before cutting it. If it has good manners, I will use it. If it has bad manners, I will try to return it or discard it.
Good manners - keeps its color to itself, dries relatively smoothly (not crumpled like a wadded up newspaper), and the grain lines are approximately perpendicular. Shrinkage is taken care of in the washing. If it loses all its body due to a ridiculous amount of sizing, then it also goes in the bad manners pile.
Debbie Mumm is - as far as I know - a quilt shop fabric. I think many of them are flimsy. I think some of the LQS novelty prints are printed on very coarse fabric.
One learns as one goes.