hmmmm ... this is very interesting. i wonder what i'll find when i hit my local wallyworld today.
for me as an individual, the precuts could be both a "glass half empty" and a "glass half full". unless i buy the extra-wide fabs made especially for backing, i always piece mine anyway. i usually buy either 4 or 6 yards, depending on the finished size of the quilt. so the 2-yard precuts would work for me if they have something i like. a 5-yard precut is a bit wierd so i'd probably pass on those (although that might be just the right amount for a quilt that uses that fab on both back and front).
also, i don't mind having fabric left over from a project. i nearly always find a use for it.
if my store starts to carry the precuts, whether or not i buy any will depend on two things: (1) do they have something i like; and (2) is that material worth $3.50 per yard. some are. some aren't.
since the walmart prices keep creeping up, it's now possible for me to find name brand snooty fabs online at clearance prices that are lower than the highest prices at walmart. i've decided that their corporate boobs actually did me a favor when they forced me to search for alternatives to the local department. (we still have one but the selection is not so hot anymore.)
the AE Nathan Quilt of the Month fabs will be a different story altogether. i haven't found a solution to that yet. it's nearly impossible to find alternate fabs at those prices - let alone the bonus of being able to buy snooty fabs instead. so, for eliminating those in most of their stores they still get a loud, long raspberry. (we need an emoticon that says THHHHHHHHHHHHHPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!) :hunf: :lol: