As with everything else in life, best does not always equal expensive. I am new to quilting too so I have yet to buy from a quilt shop. I do oggle what they have alot. All my fabric I have bought so far has come from Hancocks, Joann's, or Walmart. I can't see spending alot on fabric then making an 'oops'. I've read alot of post on here and one thing I can say, everyone has their own opinions about where to get the best fabric! I say go with what you like, at the prices you like. Until I know what is 'not so good' and what is 'great', I will stick to choosing by price. I can tell you that after my first quilt, I did learn about which fabric I like to use. All of them came from Joann's but they were all different to use. Make some quilts and have fun!