I dont think LQS necessarily equates to more expensive. I had a post that was locked about going from the LQS paying 8-8.50 a yard with my discount card and driving down the street 1000 yards to Joann's where the batik was 12.99 a yard.
I would shop LQS on sale or on a shop hop to pick up the fabric I need. Or you could pre-shop at the LQS, finding what you want and like and see if you can catch it online at like thousandbolts etc.
Lots of the JA, WMT, etc and some of the expensive fabrics will fade and come apart. I had some Kaffe Fossett that was the worst I have ever worked with...while other fabrics from that same line were just fine. You never really know until you wash it and work with it. Before I bought alot of anything I was not familiar with, I would buy a FQ and launder it several times.
IMHO, you cant really go too wrong with Kona, Hoffman's, Kaufman's.
This is a large investment in both time and money, while I would not say pay premium prices, I would say avoid cheaper fabrics that wont do your time and work justice. If it was a choice between doing the project in not so good fabrics and waiting to do the project I would wait.