Fabaddict

you have to be careful with the fabrics in either place - some are good, some are not. The Joanns nearest me is gearing towards higher price fabric - upwards to $10 per yard. I personally will not pay that price at a Joanns.

1rottendog

When I took my very first quilting class, the instructor told us that fabric runs from the factory are very different. WalMart usually gets what is called first run when warp/weave may be tested, colors, etc. JoAnn's buys second run, in which problems in first run are fixed. The good stuff comes last. I have since had 2 more instructors tell this same story. So for you out there, is this an "old wives tale" or just hype to support the LQS? WalMart fabric I have used in quilts seems to have held up better than some stuff I have purchased at JoAnns. And I have had some really bad stuff at $10 a yard that raveled extensively and had colors run even after being prewashed.

brushandthimble

I would not think it was the same quality.
the last time I bought a FQ at Joann's I could not get a straight edge, the weave was off so much.

PERFECTIONIST

WELL I FOR ONE, AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN WALMARTS FABRIC DEPARTMENTS. THEY HAVE STOPPED SELLING FABRICS IN OUR CITY, AND NO AMOUNT OF COMPLAINING, REQUESTING, PLEADING, PETITIONS, OR WHATEVER SEEM TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THE POWERS THAT BE. SO WE ARE FORCED TO SHOP AT OUR LOCAL QUILT SHOPS. OVER THE YEARS I HAVE LEARNED THAT QUILT SHOP FABRICS CARRY MUCH BETTER QUALITY FABRICS THAN WALMART, AND IT IS EASIER TO SEW ON ALSO. THE ONLY GOOD SIDE IS WALMART IS ALWAYS CHEAPER. BUT THEIR PRICES CONTINUE TO GO UP ALSO. AND ASK AROUND, OUR LOCAL QUILT SHOPS HAVE STARTED ACCEPTING COMPETITORS COUPONS. SO THAT IS A BIG PLUS. I LOVE IT.

Mkotch

On some of my older quilts, fabric that I bought at Joann's has faded or shredded when, on the same quilt, fabric bought a LQS is just fine.

PERFECTIONIST

I HAVE FOUND A COUPLE OF GREAT QUILT SHOPS ON EBAY THAT I HAVE BEEN FREQUENTING MORE AND MORE LATELY. THE FABRIC QUALITY IS EXCELLENT AND THE PRICE IS BETTER THAN LOCAL QUILT SHOPS. EVEN THOUGH I AM PAYING SHIPPING, WHICH IS QUITE REASONABLE, IT IS SOOOO WORTH IT. ESPECIALLY IF I AM BUYING A BLENDER, BACKING, OR SOLID COLOR THORUGH A PARTICULAR BRAND. BUT, I AM STILL A TOUCHY, FEELY, KIND OF GIRL. I HAVE TO WALK INTO A STORE AND FEEL THE QUALITY OF FABRIC. AND I CAN SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY DOING THAT. ONE THING THAT IRRITATES ME ABOUT JOANNS, IS I BOUGHT AN ENITRE BOLT OF FABRIC THERE, THEN WENT BACK TO GET MORE, AND THEY TELL ME THEY NEVER CARRIED THAT, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE THE RECEIPT WITH NUMBERS ON IT, AND ORDERED THAT FABRIC AGAIN, AND IT WAS WRONG. SO WHAT HAPPENED? PROBABLY THE WRONG FABRIC GOT ONTO THE WRONG BOLT AT THE MANUFACTURER IS THEIR GUESS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE. AND I AM LOSING MY MIND TRYING TO FIND THIS FABRIC NOW. IT IS A BLACK AND WHITE PRINT BY DAVIDS TEXTILES. CANT FIND IT ANYWHERE.

Dobbie

Hi! another quilter from your "town"...I can attest to what you are saying...but hey! Come December you can sort through my fabric I have and we will let the word out that there is a "home" fabric lady east of town!...I got into reading the remarks due to my love of good fabric at a good price...there are online places I have used and have been very happy..the clearance areas of these shops are awesome! Have a good weekend!

plainjane

I have a few quilts that my grandmother made. I'm sure some of the fabrics started out worn because they came from old garments, fabrics from everywhere. I don't believe she felt like her hand piecing and hand quilting was wasted on those fabrics! We use from what is available to us-so pretty, wow, I can afford that, or my favorite, just gotta have it! If you look at muslin, carefully, you can see easily the different look in relation to the thread count. Just add a print and that is what we like in our fabrics. For me each type of fabric has a purpose, ie some I want it to shrink like mad, because I like the look of a well used quilt (opps, I just let it out that I don't prewash all of my fabrics!). Some fabric is so smooth at a high thread count that I just hate to cut it-but I get over that! No one has ever "wasted" their time making a quilt out of $1 yard or $12 yard, maybe try not to mix low thread counts with the high. I love the LQS and I have bought fabric that was in a True Value Hardware store! no kidding,just 3 wks ago on bolts recommended by a LQS (while traveling). Our grandchildren's first thoughts of our work will NOT be, "I wonder in grandma got this fabric at Wal-Mart or the LQS (or the True Value Hardware)" :)

colleen1978

My local hardware store has a whole isle of fabric...it i always 3.99 a yard and sometimes they have a sale for 2.99. I used to think it was lower quality but I spoke to the department manager and she told me that they are the same as quilt store BUT they are roll ends from the manufacturer...existentially, leftovers. I started looking closer and sure enough they are the same brands except they are flat folds and no bolts. I don't care one bit! I get the deal!

wendsy

Feel the difference! Walmart doesn't always have the same quality-no as high quality, but when you're talking $3.00 difference I think I can overlook roughness! Since I have a Walmart in town and a JoAnns 40 minutes away and a better JoAnns 1 1/2 hrs away (near my sister's-we do find it easy to make excuses to travel the 1/2 hr away to visit) I find I don't have a problem with Walmart fabrics. I will agree that some of the fabric is on poorer quality but the price is right-LQS (20 minutes in one direction, 30 minutes in another) are just too pricy to use for an entire quilt. On the rare occasions I do visit I find I impulse buy more than plan buying-I usually only pick up a piece or two-Walmart is definetly more in my budget and it uses a lot less in gas money!