Anniedeb

Glad someone else has run in to that also! There is a LQS I only buy FQ's at now because I always feel "pushed" when I'm there.

cathyvv

So I'm not the only one who notices a 'scent' on fabric - my nose clogs up.

However, I'm starting to notice it on everything that has any fabric in it, no matter where I buy it, has the same scent and causes the same reaction for my nose and eyes. My thought is that the stores are infusing scent into the air to make shopping more pleasant - not for me though. Actually went into a store where the smell was so overpowering I complained and then left the store. The clerk told me that they were "adjusting" the venting.

All my fabrics are washed before use, or I can't use them!

Daisy Dew

do a search on "grey goods" not sure the spelling is correct - it's all about the foundation weave. And a simple answer NO it's not the same.

helenquilt

The best way is to buy 1 yd from each place, place it in washer together, then dryer. Afterwards see the difference.

yorkie luv

I used to buy most of my fabric at Hancock, then they cut their quilting section way down to just 3 short rows, so I started going to Hobby Lobby. I think they have better fabric.

Christine-

You were told a load of hooey. For this to be true you'd have to be talking about homespun. Homespun is the only fabric that is woven into a design and it certainly does not get looser as they go along. The other fabric available to quilters is printed on a base fabric, and there is no such thing as weave getting looser as it goes along in manufacturing.

I was a manager at JoAnn and I can tell you they have good quality fabrics and some not so good. They cater to all checkbooks. Your LQS needs to stay in business, we probably shouldn't complain that their prices are high. It's not a ploy to get you to spend more money, they have bills to pay and they don't have the purchasing power of a big box store. I buy half my fabric at a LQS and half online. I do this to help keep the LQS in business, even though I worked at JoAnn. I bought Audra's Iris Garden online from a quilt shop in another state. They carried the full line of this collection and no one near me did.

I think we need both types of stores, simply choose the one that's best for you.

quilt queen

I judge a fabric by the "feel" ..usually there is a big difference in the feel...I think there are projects that I can use fabric that is just ok..but for most larger projects..the "feel" is the rule

Vicki I

I agree you have to touch it which is why I have a difficult time buying online. Also the colors are not always true online and I am pretty picky about color matching. I can't tell if it works unless the fabrics are side by side in good light so I tend to carry around the fabrics I am trying to match when shopping for additional fabrics of backing.
Quilted by Vicki

Ann Vrbancic

From the link http://www.sewing.org/files/guidelin...ting_terms.pdf

"Greige Goods (pronounced "gray")
Most fabric prints are applied to a solid color "raw" base
fabric referred to as griege goods. Fabric companies
may have several kinds of greige goods (flannel,
corduroy, jersey, etc.) to use with the same print, and
they may also have different qualities of greige goods
differentiated by thread counts (the number of threads
in a square inch). A single fabric company may print on
multiple qualities of greige goods for different types of stores
(independent quilt shops vs. chains vs. discount stores)."

When I first started quilting (which so far means a whole lot of piecework and very little actual quilting), I was building up my stash from JoAnn. Then I spent some time in Shipshewanna (Lolly's, Das Essenhaus, among too many others) and noticed the fabrics were way, way different. Not just in the prints available (never met a metallic I did not like!), but the feel of the fabrics. When I came across the above definition, I finally understood.

FroggyinTexas

I so agree with this! When I meet people who won't buy anything other than LQS fabric, I am reminded of "The Emporer's New Clothes." I was at a quilt shop recently where one of the fabtrics in a sample quilt was a staple of JoAnn's collection. I recognized it because I keep it on hand for sashing. Give us all a break and buy fabric based on how it feels and how it looks instead of where you bought it. froggyintexas