FroggyinTexas

Gayle, you have fallen victim to fabric snobbery. Some JoAnn's fabric is not very good and some quilt shop fabric is not very good. Three years ago I called several well-known fabric manufacturers' offices to determine whether they sell 2d and 3d runs to WalMart, JoAnn's and other discounters. The answer was a resounding "No." The answer uniformly was that they sell fabric all over the world and they simply cannot risk their reputations and thus their customer base by selling inferior products in mass markets.

It is possible that when they have a bad run, they might sell it to wholesale discounters, but not to the big stores where people expect to get quality.

I bought fabric at an LQS away from where I live and that same day dropped into the WalMart there and found exactly the same fabric. People have argued with me that it wasn't the same--but it was--I am an old hand at judging fabric.

Moreover, all the fabric snobs need to do is think about the fabric our mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers used for their quilts. Scraps from sewing clothing, worn shirts, skirts that their kids had outgrown, hand-me-downs from the neighborts, feed and flour sacking were all used and some of those quilts are still in use or are in the hands of people who cherish them.

And--how many posts have you seen that are ecstatic about yard sale/thrift shop finds. It is possible that the manufacturer/designer has his-her name on the selvedge, but is just as likely not and these lucky finders have no reliable idea where that fabric has been since the day it was bought. Nevertheless, the finder is thrilled.

My mantra is this: Use a little sense! If the fabric feels right to you and it fits your project, I am willing to bet that no one other than you will know its origin unless you tell them. And I am willing also to bet that the project, unless it meets with a catastophic event or is so well loved that it has to laundered every week in hot water and bleach, will last longer than you will. froggyintexas