my comment on this is...I do tons of quilts for PROJECT LINUS, usually about 8-10 per month and there is NO WAY that I could afford to buy fabric from the quilting shops at 8-10 dollars a yard, to give away. I do the "feel it" test too, and I wash it, so if its gonna fade or shrink, it happens before I sew with it. So far, I havent had any of my quilts fall apart;O also try to check the on-line sources for sales and cleanance items, and I usually go for the 2-3 a yard items; If you can afford to spend more, good for you - go to it, but for most of us (on a budget), we have to find what works best - I also like Hancocks.com on line and Fabrics.com and watch for their sales all the time. Anyone got other web sites that are good to keep an eye on?