Originally Posted by Mattee
The better quality fabric will last longer. The quilt will stay in better shape longer and its colors will stay truer.
I second that! I have noticed that as soon as the first washing, some of the lesser priced fabrics loose their color or brillance. I had a black print that became dark grey. Some of the cheap stuff has a tendency to "crock" meaning that it looses color in wrinkly-like streaks and that can't be fixed.
Also the cheaper fabric tends to have a lower thread count.
I have fallen in love with batiks and hardly buy anything but batiks now. HOWEVER, they bleed (or run) like no tomorrow, so you need to check by looking at the wash water while it is agitating in the machine. Are the foamy bubbles colored??? If so, keep washing/rinsing until the water runs clear. If not, dip a clear glass into the water and look at it up in the air. Is it clear? Great! If not, proceed as above.
Always try to buy the best fabric you can afford. I know I'm not making heirloom. If they don't out-last me, so what? I enjoy the journey of making them and giving them.