I have a few quilts that my grandmother made. I'm sure some of the fabrics started out worn because they came from old garments, fabrics from everywhere. I don't believe she felt like her hand piecing and hand quilting was wasted on those fabrics! We use from what is available to us-so pretty, wow, I can afford that, or my favorite, just gotta have it! If you look at muslin, carefully, you can see easily the different look in relation to the thread count. Just add a print and that is what we like in our fabrics. For me each type of fabric has a purpose, ie some I want it to shrink like mad, because I like the look of a well used quilt (opps, I just let it out that I don't prewash all of my fabrics!). Some fabric is so smooth at a high thread count that I just hate to cut it-but I get over that! No one has ever "wasted" their time making a quilt out of $1 yard or $12 yard, maybe try not to mix low thread counts with the high. I love the LQS and I have bought fabric that was in a True Value Hardware store! no kidding,just 3 wks ago on bolts recommended by a LQS (while traveling). Our grandchildren's first thoughts of our work will NOT be, "I wonder in grandma got this fabric at Wal-Mart or the LQS (or the True Value Hardware)" :)