we have a (new) joannes; this past year...they charge just as much and a little more than our lqs...and the quality of product is half...and that's being generous. I have been sewing for over 40 years so have used tons of different fabrics...some are alot nicer to work with, some hold up better than others, some colors/prints are truer. it takes experience to pick out good quality fabrics, but i do believe you should always purchase the best quality you can afford. the better the materials going into a project the better the project is going to be. it is the same with everything, not just quilting. if your contractor goes to the (discount store) for the materials to build you a new deck...it will need to be replaced in a couple years; if he purchased quality materials it will last as long as the house. don't skimp on quality just because it's your hobby.