How does one decide if a piece of fabric is of "good quality" ?
What should someone look for?
How can one decide if it will be SUITABLE for the project before buying it and bringing it home?
I have a lot of brands considered to be "better" - RJR, Michael Miller, Kaufman, Debbie Mumm/SSI - in my stash.
I have a lot of brands that are considered to be "lesser" - VIP, Marcus Brothers, Cranston Village
I have some others - Oakhurst, Springs Industries, and "no name on the selvage"
Within each of these lines - there seem to be different thread counts, different hefts to the fabric - some seem very coarse to me - "thicker", but fewer threads to the inch - some are thinner, but with more threads to the inch - some are crispy, some are soft, some seem to wrinkle if I look at them funny.
Some of the novelty/I Spy/nature prints are printed on fabric that seems very coarse to me - and I've passed on them, even though I really liked the print. (VIP and some "better" brands)
I have some - gasp, horrors - fabrics purchased from "the dreaded chain stores" in the $2 to $4 range that I like as well or better than the "better" brands.
I only have a couple scraps of Kaffe Fasset and no Liberty of London fabric, so I don't have anything to say about them.
I have paid as little as $0.50 a yard to $16.00 a yard for fabric in a store.
I do have "some" experience buying fabric, but seriously - for a beginner, what are some helpful clues/tips for them to look for?
Especially if one has limited access to "in-person" shopping.
Because, in my opinion, paying a higher price is NO guarantee of getting a better fabric.