steelecg

yes, buy the best you can afford - remember these quilts will out last us

lindabeecher

Quilt store quality fabric is a higher thread count, and not more loosely woven. Quite the opposite, it's soft because it doesn't have the "sizing" finish the cheap yard goods have. The dyes are generally more stable (dark reds being an exception) and they will hold up better to repeated washings better than the cheap fabrics. That being said, you can always look for stores who buy "flat folds" (the short lengths not on bolts) from the well known fabric manufacturers. Although it's never this year's llines, you can usually get them for at least 40% cheaper than the quilt store prices.

Gilla

I recently bought several pieces of fabric for pillows from our LQS at $9.99. Then while buying batting from Hobby Lobby I ran across the identical fabric, labels and all, for $7.99 with a 30% discount.

Check your Hobby Lobby stores occasionally. They have some nice pieces at a more reasonable price.

p

A million times yes.

humbird

Quilt shop fabric is not always the best quality. I took my one and only quilt class sometime ago at a quilt shop. I needed a fabric to go with the top I was working on, so got it at the shop. $8.99 a yard. It had to be the worse peice of fabric I have ever purchased. I took it all apart when I got home and used something from my stash which may have have come from Walmart. I will never bad mouth discount store fabric. I have quilts that my grandmother made in the 30s and 40s that are still beautiful, and she sure didn't use quilt shop quality fabric. Use what you can afford, and don't appoligize for it.

Favorite Fabrics

Sara, you'll find, as you go, that there are a few brands that you prefer. Once you know that, then you can go and confidently look for those brands, whether they're new and full-price at a LQS, or whether they're sale or past-season prints that you can find at the discount places. If you're shopping online, then it's really very important to shop from a place that does tell you who the manufacturer of the fabrics is!

One thing I've noticed about the fabrics at JoAnn's: the designs lately are very nice... but you have to unroll the fabric and carefully inspect it, for 3/4 yard or so, to make sure that the printing itself is top-notch. I've found a lot of times there are little unprinted spots that repeat every so often throughout the whole bolt. If you're doing patchwork, you can probably work around that sort of thing, but if it's for backing or even borders, then you'll have a problem.

BizyStitches

YES... I never buy from JoAnn's nor Wal-Mart... you will be much happier buying for a quilt shop. Good luck. Jenelle

NURSEYBOY

For my first quilt I bought the cheap fabric and lovingly made a beautiful tulip pattern with black background and green leaves. 12 years later the colors have faded and it looks CHEAP! I really regret all that work I put into it and not using good fabric, it would still beautiful if I had.

NURSEYBOY

For my first quilt I bought the cheap fabric and lovingly made a beautiful tulip pattern with black background and green leaves. 12 years later the colors have faded and it looks CHEAP! I really regret all that work I put into it and not using good fabric, it would still beautiful if I had.

NURSEYBOY

For my first quilt I bought the cheap fabric and lovingly made a beautiful tulip pattern with black background and green leaves. 12 years later the colors have faded and it looks CHEAP! I really regret all that work I put into it and not using good fabric, it would still beautiful if I had.