Originally Posted by
Pennyhal
I hold a piece of fabric up to the light. If I can see through it, it has too low of a thread count. After a while, I got the knack of being able to tell if the fabric is what I want for quilting by feel. That's what I don't like about buying fabric online. You can't feel it first.
I learned about the "feel" of fabric when I sewed clothing (made all my own clothes, and lots for my children and others, too). Back then, of course, 100% cotton was not preferable for clothes, unless making some children's clothes, but we knew what it felt like, it's weight, how it felt, how it draped, etc.
Handling cloth tells you so much about it, without ever knowing the thread content, you kind of do know it, just from the feel. I was shocked, when I first began quilting, at some of the loosely woven 100% cotton I came across. I assume it's easier to quilt, but it just looked -- and looks -- cheap to me and I don't buy or use it.