I have bought very little fabric in the past 15-20 years, (compared to my binging years) - but I am not impressed with some of the yardage from "good" brands -
I did buy some unimpressive fabric way back when - from LQS - before I realized that just because it was in an LQS it was not necessarily wonderful. By the same token, if I found it at WalMart (years ago) it was not necessarily awful.
Most of us learn as we go. If we are lucky, our mistakes end up being minor inconveniences.