I buy most of my fabric on line and on sale from Hancocks of Paducah, Quilt In A Day, Connectiing Threads, and a few others. After over five years of quilting I finally feel that Im good enough to use more expensive fabrics and harder patterns. As a beginner I just would not spend the money for expensive fabrics.
I will still buy sales on line but will go to the local quilt shop for more expensive lines of fabric for special patterns.
It just depends on what I am making and for who.