i buy waaaaaaaaaaaay too much fabric from a variety of sources. having bought tons so far, a few facts have proven themselves time and time again.
true: better selections from the shops, whether in-person or online.
true: fabs from the shops usually feel fancier and finer straight off the bolt.
true: le shops usually cut more accurately.
true: the fabrics most likely to shrink and/or bleed have consistently been those from "high-end" quilt shops. i never worried and prewashed until i started buying the pricier stuff. go figure. :roll:
i paid $9 per yard for a metallic once. by the second washing, half the metallic has sloughed off. :?
true: once they're washed, from the back, it's often hard to tell the difference between the pricey fabs and the less expensive ones.
true: i don't expect to be around 1 or 2 hundred years from now, so couldn't care less whether or not my work ends up in a museum.
buy what you like and what you can afford.