Sunflower Girl

When I first started quilting, all I bought was Wal Mart fabric, was great for learning and prices were good so no big panic attacks when I screwed something up! Since then I've discovered the LQS. Although the population here is only 17,000, we are lucky to have 2 shops. Both are wonderful, but do prefer one over the other. Both shops know me by name, and are helpful. My favorite has a gathering on the first Thursday evening of every month, where we have dinner, door prizes, show and tell, usually a demo by one of the customers on a new technique or projec, and she usually has a selection of fabric for 20% off that night. There is a guild here, but found the LQS more fun. Not that there was anything bad with the guild, I just found the Scrappy Girls at the LQS more to my liking! The owner will be the first to tell you that you can buy the notions cheaper at Joann's and therefore only stocks the basics in that area.

IBQLTN

Just looked at some Walmart fabric on Wednesday. When I checked the label many of the $1.50-$3.00 per yard fabrics said "undertermined content". I passed on them.

ziegamomma

I shop at locally owned stores as much as possible for everything I buy. The local merchants are the backbones of our small towns. I want to keep small towns alive.
I keep reading on this site "take it to your LQS, ask them for advice", or " I asked my LQS and they suggested...", and "my LQS has the best classes". If we do not shop at our LQS, they will be forced out of business. Ask for advice at Wal-Mart, after you spend 15 minutes waiting for the employeed to shop up to cut the fabric (and you tell them how to measure it). Jo-Ann's is sketchy, sometimes good, sometime not, but my LQS is ALWAYS good!

BarbaraSue

I found the article informative. It gives the basis of their advertising stradegy for the different stores.
I am over served as a quilter and can go wherever I please and when I please to shop.
I have about 4 Walmarts within a 30 mile ~ radius. Only 2 have fabrics. Of those, one is a hit and miss on getting the fabric cut, one is fair and friendly with knowledgable staff who may not quilt but at least sew or craft.
I have 2 JoAnn's within 50 miles ~ radius and they vary alot. And vary from one time to the next in service and attitude.
I have 2 Hobby Lobby's within the same radius as the JoAnn's. Their fabric section is small by comparison, but is well organized. They will honor and match other store's coupons.
I have a Hancock's about 50 miles away. It is stocked to the hilt and I've always had good service.
Add in the LQS's within this same area, and I have 7 of those. If I want to drive 2 hours in any direction, I can add in 6+ more, and it goes on from there. While I relish the idea of buying whatever I want without much difficulty, I can't help but wonder what happens to all this excess fabric. I know that all of if doesn't get purchased. There are other areas even in our own country that could use this stock for the greater good.

karate lady

As many are saying, it depends on the store. I guess I am lucky as my Walmart (I am on a limited budget) has some lovely nice quality fabric, a nice lady to cut and a nice bright new store. JoAnns has some really nice ladies on the cutting table and the coupons along with the gift card my son gave me lets me buy nice batting and muslin. I have a friend who is going to take me down town Mt Vernon to a quilt shop to look around. Other than up to Bellingham, which is a bit of a drive, it is the only one of two I know of. Local little shop is nice and so is lady, but a lot of the fabric is a bit out of my price range. I do try to stop in now and then for some small items. We shop where we can and I happy for those who can afford the higher prices. Just remember, not all the big stores are bad. some are really cool......

mpspeedy

I will confess that I purchase most of my fabric at JoAnns and use a coupon every chance I get. The LQSs are all at least 20 miles from me. Most of the quilts I make are for Linus, about 20 a month. I couldn't afford to make them if I had to pay quilt shop prices. I recently visited a LQS with a friend and was able to get some fabric on clearance, $5-$6 a yard that I will use on Linus quilts. I have also shopped at a Walmart that carries fabric and gotten some good buys.
I recently won a raffle quilt made by a local guild. They admitted to me that it had at least $400 worth of fabric from a LQS is in it plus a donated backing and batting. You can imagine how many raffle tickets they had to sell just to break even before they made any money. I am trying to sell the quilt as it is to big for my bed and doesn't fit any colorscheme in my home. Even quilters who are well aware of what the fabric costs are not willing to give me what it is worth even without the labor costs included. Even quilt snobs can be stingy when it comes to paying. I know that some of you think I am mean to ask what it is really worth for it if I sell it. Remember if we sell our work for less than it is worth or even cost us to make it we devalue quilts and quilters.

JeanChev

The three Wal-Mart stores in my area have fabric BUT NO ONE TO CUT IT. They will probably stop offering fabric because of "low or no sales" regardless of the fact it is their fault for not having dedicated staff for the department. I have waited in the fabric area for help and even asked other employees to assist either by cutting or getting someone who would and every time I have waited around and finally left the store without my purchase. I rather pay more and go to the quilt store or even better, buy on line.

justme CA

That was a very interesting article and informative too. The comments by quilters show how the customers value friendly special attention. Our area (the San Francisco Bay area) has a good selection of both many local stores, and several bright newly improved Jo-Ann's and Hancocks so I have too many choices, but feel for those who must go 50 miles for fabrics. You must be really dedicated to quilting to go so far. Wow.

Barbshobbies

Our WM told us to just keep on comming in & checking, they would soon have material & sporting goods items. Well we
waited a long time, and then were told they changes their mind. Now we are asking around to see if we can`t get a LQS
to take pity on this half of the county and try get us one closer to us. It may take a while, we do like our local Joanns, but
seldom get there. I just started looking at the on line material and so far it all has been good, and I`m getting use buying
this way.

nstitches4u

I have visited quilt shops in a lot of places and I have never been to one where the employees were unfriendly. The small town quilt shops tend to be the most friendly. Our 2 lqs are very friendly and helpful. I try to buy from lqs whenever I can. The small businesses have a difficult time competing with national chains. The "big boys" can buy merchandise cheaper because of the sheer volume of their purchases. If we don't support the small lqs we might not have any choice but to buy chain store quality fabric. Chain stores have some good quality fabric, but not all of their fabric falls into that category.