All I can say to help is to feel the fabric. If it feels stiff or papery its pretty cheap and has stablizer in it to keep it smooth and give it body. Good fabric feels silky and soft and even a bit glossy. Moda is one of my favorites. The fabric is beautiful but the price is high. Joann's has decent fabric if you are learning as long as you don't get the cheapest one. I have used it and never had much trouble, but notice the difference in quality.