patricej

please note: the question is not about where to buy or how much to pay.

please help this quilter understand methods for selecting fabrics that will return value for the price. help her understand why certain types of fabrics work better over the longrun than others.

please do not promote or slam any particular retail source or brand.

please keep this topic positive, on track, helpful and informative.

lots2do

I go by the feel of the fabric, the weave of the fabric, (hold it up to the light and see how much light shines through - compare it to other fabric), if the color matches up in the print (if it looks just a little cockeyed, I don't want it). I joke that my hands have gotten fussier over the years. I have been seduced by fabric that has a lovely pattern and/or color that doesn't match my other criteria and regretted it later.
I had a friend who 'mixed' fabrics of different qualities. One of the fabrics didn't behave well and faded very quickly. For the amount of time she spent on the quilt, she was disappointed that this happened.
bargains can be found if you look in the right places.
lots2do

suern3

The biggest difference that I found was that some fabric that I bought was printed so crookedly that I could hardly use it. Although I did the best I could because it had a theme (NASCAR) that went with the quilt I was making for my son. I prewashed it, starched and pressed carefully but didn't help. I would not go through that frustration again, if I could help it. I think some of the cheaper fabrics have alot of filler and after washing don't look too good.
You can always see how it works out for you, I'm sure it all varies.

Maride

When I first started I had the impression that fabric is fabric. Once you have made a few quilts, some with hard stiff fabric that someone gave you because you sew, hen you move on to the better quality fabric, so soft and easy to handle, and you come to the understanding. Some fabrics have so much sizing on them that when you wash them you can never get rid of the wrinkles. Experience will help you understand. I can only compare it to getting your first car. When you are a teenager you don't care, as long as it is a box with wheels. After time you learn to appreciate it better.

Lori S

I agree with what has been written about using high quality fabric , but would like to add a comment about the quality of the print itself. High quality fabrics have a much more defined/sharp image or pattern , put a cheap floral next to a high quality fabric and it is obvious that one is not as clear/sharp of a print and will seem blurry. Also the higher quality prints use many many colors and shades to get it to look as diminsional as it does. Lower quality prints may only have 2-4 colors in the registration as the higher quality may at first look only appear to have a few colors but looking at the regisration there may be 10 . I have seen some with 24 colors/shaded in the regisration.
I just washed a few scraps I had for many years to make a scrap quilt ... the cheaper goods were noticably faded on the first wash and the higher quality was still bright and clear.

amma

Good fabric can come from any source, from thrift store clothes to a LQS.
I take price into consideration, as to where/how I shop too. Many stores have great sales, and I have a set price that I am willing to pay for fabric. So I can get name brands online quite frequently by watching for sales with reasonable or free shipping.

Very loosely woven fabrics usually will not hold up as well as more tightly woven fabric.
If you rub your finger on the cut edge, and it frays very easy, you may want to reconsider buying it.
Most fabric is a little see through when held up to a light source, but once you start checking this way, you will notice the difference between a little and a LOT :wink:

QuiltswithConvicts

I second that! I have noticed that as soon as the first washing, some of the lesser priced fabrics loose their color or brillance. I had a black print that became dark grey. Some of the cheap stuff has a tendency to "crock" meaning that it looses color in wrinkly-like streaks and that can't be fixed.

Also the cheaper fabric tends to have a lower thread count.

I have fallen in love with batiks and hardly buy anything but batiks now. HOWEVER, they bleed (or run) like no tomorrow, so you need to check by looking at the wash water while it is agitating in the machine. Are the foamy bubbles colored??? If so, keep washing/rinsing until the water runs clear. If not, dip a clear glass into the water and look at it up in the air. Is it clear? Great! If not, proceed as above.

Always try to buy the best fabric you can afford. I know I'm not making heirloom. If they don't out-last me, so what? I enjoy the journey of making them and giving them.

Jingle

I haven't experienced the distortion, fading etc. and I don't pay anymore for fabric then I have to. After many, many years of sewing and quilting, I know how good fabric feels, don't always want to spend a lot of money on fabrics to make quilts with that I mainly give to people who don't quilt and like to wash them as often as sheets. I buy what I consider at least medium quality.

littlehud

I have taught my kids (two daughters and a son) to find fabrics they love and "feel" them. They are getting really good at that. So much easier to sew with too. That's the big plus.

kwilter

I just want to rub your cute kitty avatar's belly!

;-) ;-)