as to fat quarters, i'm afraid i'm usually not thrilled by what i find when i open them up no matter where i bought them. if they start out precisely sized at 18" by half the width, they don't often end up that way after washing and/or trimming to make them straight. since the price of 4 fats of a fab is almost always far more than the price of one yard off the bolt, i've stopped buying them unless they're waaaaaay on sale and i know i won't need a full quarter yard of the print in question.
there is both good news and bad news, though, when it comes to the chain fabric sources.
the good news is that they still exist as an alternative to buying online and keeping your fingers crossed that the color and quality you think you ordered is the color you actually get. also, if they're within a convenient distance of wherever you live you can save quite a bit on shipping. the chains also put their fabs on sale a lot more often than most dedicated quilt shops seem to.
the bad news is that it's getting harder to find decent fabs at reasonable prices in the chain stores. a rather shocking percentage of the standard selection is $8.99 per yard and UP. unfortunately, these prices are charged for fabrics that compare in quality to those found at walmart for between $2.50 and $5 per yard (which has recently turned out to be about twice what they're worth in most cases. not always ... and i'm always sad to hear another walmart has wiped out their fabs ... but the quality and selection in mine has really gone downhill in the past year. :? ) when bought on sale for 40-60% off, i figure i've gotten a decent value for my $$$. otherwise ... i pass them by.
in my own situation, that bad news translates to good news because there are also two sources for me of shop-quality fabs within a one hour drive. in one shop - a fabric store - the name brands go for no more than $7 per yard. (i can't believe i've come to see that as a reasonable price! what a sign of the times! :lol: ) the majority there are for under $6 per yard and she has a generously stacked $1.98 table.
when i cruised the "official" LQS recently, i noticed that none of her fabs were more than $9 per yard. (ok. still too rich for my blood unless i'm desperate for something specific, but at least it's for fabs much nicer than i ever find in the chain stores.) she also has a generous supply of 1-yard cuts and closeouts at deep discounts. all of this means i'm able to buy shop fabs for chain prices. who'da thunk it?
given the great sales we can find all over the internet, i don't usually need to shop in person. i can find plenty to splurge on when the urge hits. the local sources are just icing on the cake. (ok. somebody tell me ... is that good news or bad? i guess it depends on whether or not i already have groceries in the house before i go shopping! :lol: )