If your LQS is selling fabric for $10-$11 they are not buying the top quality fabric. They could not afford to sell the top quality fabric to you for $10-$11 per yard. If you are paying less than $12 to $14 for cotton fabric, you are not getting the top quality fabric. My question is - So what???? You can make quilts out of whatever quality of fabric that you can afford. So - do it! You can't make a quilt out of 50% off fabric at Joann's and expect to win a prize in a big business quilt show, but how many of you are making those kinds of quilts? I make quilts for my family and friends to use and enjoy. I am lucky now because I work for a LQS and receive a large enough employee discount that I can afford to buy top quality fabric. When I didn't, I bought what I could afford at Joann's, etc., and I still made quilts for my family and friends. I still had just as much fun quilting and my family and friend still loved getting my quilts.
The price of the fabric that you buy is based on the price the company or LQS has to pay for the fabric and the cost of freight and running the business.