Originally Posted by feline fanatic
This is only MY OPINION... I do not like the quality of their quilting calico cottons, usually displayed on one wall and I believe sell for $4 and change per yard. You will easily spot it. When I first started quilting I did not know any better and my first and second quilt was 100% JA calico fabrics(goes by the store name Keepsake and in no way related to Keepsake quilting). I found the fabric to fade a lot more then fabric I bought later from LQS. In places it became threadbare with basically no wear and tear on the quilt (in a guest room that is used infrequently) and many of the lighter colors you can basically read a book through it. Oh and a few darker colors bled and continue to bleed. Unfortunately at the time of construction I did not know about Retayne.
I find their other quilting cottons way over priced. Higher than LQS prices but I do not find it to be the same quality of LQS fabric in feel so I have always passed on it and never bought it. For example I have seen batiks in JA at $12+ per yard that are not as nice as the batiks in my LQS which are priced at $8 to $10 PY. South Seas Imports brand I have seen priced at JA at $11 PY in my LQS at $8.
However, JA is a good place for notions and batting provided you have a 40 or 50% off coupon. JMHO.
I was in the Joanne's in Marysville, WA before Christmas. They had a lot of notions and cutting boards on sale 1/2 off, and I did not even have to have a coupon- so I partook of that. As far as their quilting fabrics go, I did not buy any. I walked up and down the aisles and looked and felt, and was very unimpressed; their fabrics were very thin and the threads were too far apart. They also had their cotton batting half off, so I got two of them. There are lots of really nice LQS's in the Bellingham, Mt. Vernon area, and further south.