Originally Posted by
Butterfli19
Just throwing this out for consideration as we all live in our own world.
Today, it isn't fair to make a generalization about a certain commodity carried in any store. With few exceptions, in my area anyway, there are no longer boutique stores that cater to the obliged. We live in the era of chain stores, further shackled by what they choose to buy, forcing us to either choose, make our own, or move to a nudist colony.
Be it Walmart, JoAnn's, Kohls, JC Penney's, or Macy's, none are really as good as they were 30+ years ago, or even 10 for that matter.
Even sadder, the phrase "you get what you pay for" is unrealistic because I have found fantastically woven fabric at WM for $3.44 a yard, and further seen this same fabric at Hobby Lobby (reasonably priced) and JoAnn's, extensively marked up. JoAnn's is not what it used to be and will never be as good as SoFro - now closed, but made mucho dinero off me in its heyday. Walmart does have more quality fabric than not. Hobby Lobby is consistently quality and selection and my local Ben Franklin shines in that department, changing their stock seasonally with fabrics from some of the best. LQS are competitive and offer beyond the standard and their prices reflect that, so I'm not even sure they're about fabric as much as status, but that's another topic.
My point is, the name of the brick and mortar doesn't matter any more. I've found some pretty cheap stuff everywhere, whether it be fabric or clothing, and will not allow myself to be pigeon-holed into a name. Macy's does not represent the commercials of the past and Kohls carries clothes I've seen at the mall. Even Marshall's carries the WM Levis Signature series jeans, so it all ends up in the "basement" stores, just disguised under non-basement store names.
So fellow fabric lovers and purchasers of all the same things, buy what you can and make (and wear and cook) what you love. Quality trumps price but you determine what both of those are.
Peace. And be happy. Enjoy your world. And sew forth.