I forgot to mention that all items offered or requested on freecycle.org must be free.
In response to using quilt shop fabrics or not, I let the project determine my choices. If I am making a seasonal table runner that will be washed infrequently and will not receive hard use such as a quilted bag or purse will, I use novelty fabrics from discount stores. For my granddaughter's baby quilts, I use high quality fabrics and batting. These will be washed more frequently, be dragged around, etc., so I really want them to be durable and colorfast.