I buy from both places. What I find with JoAnn's FQs is that they are a lot stiffer and they are wrapped around a piece of cardboard. I'm not sure why they are so stiff, their fabric isn't so much. The FQs at the quilt shop here are just folded and soft. I find more novelty FQs at the quilt shop. I like those a lot because I make mostly kids' and baby quilts.