Newbie Question...about quiting store fabric
04-04-2012, 09:18 AM
#51
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Owensboro, KY
Posts: 1,420
I buy good quality quilting fabric, but never pay more than $5-$6 a yard for it. There are plenty of sites where you can get top quality fabric at better prices than Joann's which I find to be high for the quality they sell. Check out www.quiltfabriccloseouts.com for example. I've bought oodles of fabric from her at excellent prices. I watch for clearance sales and try to stock up enough for an entire quilt when I find good prices.
Like someone else said, I don't like the feel of cheap fabric. You can really tell the difference just by stroking it. A higher quality material has a smoother texture; almost like it's polished. It's usually soft and very pliable. I find the cheaper fabrics to be stiff. Personally, I believe the better quality will pay off in the long run.
If I'm going to put countless hours into making something special, I want it to last. And, yes I'm a thread snob too. I like Gutermann,Anton-Robinson or Masterpiece threads.
I did not buy expensive materials when I was first learning how to quilt though. I waited until I made something I thought would be an heirloom for my family.
Like someone else said, I don't like the feel of cheap fabric. You can really tell the difference just by stroking it. A higher quality material has a smoother texture; almost like it's polished. It's usually soft and very pliable. I find the cheaper fabrics to be stiff. Personally, I believe the better quality will pay off in the long run.
If I'm going to put countless hours into making something special, I want it to last. And, yes I'm a thread snob too. I like Gutermann,Anton-Robinson or Masterpiece threads.
I did not buy expensive materials when I was first learning how to quilt though. I waited until I made something I thought would be an heirloom for my family.
04-04-2012, 11:02 AM
#53
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 148
Dear TeresaS-
The sites that I recommend for fabric are:
(1) Hancocks of Paducah =-sign up for their newsletter - they have frequent "Web Specials" during which you can get first quality fabric at very reduced prices
(2) Thousands of bolts [but only one nut] sells all fabric for
The sites that I recommend for fabric are:
(1) Hancocks of Paducah =-sign up for their newsletter - they have frequent "Web Specials" during which you can get first quality fabric at very reduced prices
(2) Thousands of bolts [but only one nut] sells all fabric for
04-04-2012, 12:01 PM
#54
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Missouri
Posts: 155
As a quilt shop owner, I do require anyone taking my beginner class to purchase the fabrics from me. I know that the quilter will be happy with the final product and I won't have an unhappy customer because of bleeding or fading fabrics. Part of the lesson is picking out and coordinating their fabrics for the pattern I teach, I can't offer that part of the lesson if they purchase their fabrics from some other place. I also know their quilt will last them for years to come. After the first one they are free to purchase their fabrics anywhere they choose, but most feel their time is worth a lot also and don't want to waste it by making a quilt that won't be as pretty as it was when they first made it.
OzarksGma
OzarksGma
04-04-2012, 03:23 PM
#57
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 5,896
If you have a WalMart near you, which still carries fabric, look for the VIP (brand) prints. I find those wash and hold up very well, and without excessive wrinkling. Hobby Lobby is also a good place to look, as well as JoAnn's (which used to be my favorite fabric store, before we moved). I'm not much for online shops, as I like to feel the fabric before buying. Before using any fabric, I wash and dry it, as I would the finished item.
04-04-2012, 03:40 PM
#58
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Here and there
Posts: 1,669
Originally Posted by hopetoquilt
A couple of weeks ago, one quilter posted a quilt that was made purely from Walmart fabrics and it was gorgeous! Look closely at the quality of the fabric before you buy it. Thousands of Bolts has great fabric and if you get on their email list, they email sales all the time. Alot of people build huge stashes of fabric. I need to be very careful with money so I only buy for projects and I do the scrap storage system so every possible inch of fabric is used.
04-04-2012, 04:08 PM
#59
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Florida - formerly Montana
Posts: 3,504
Buy what you can afford, but if you purchase locally, feel the fabric. There are many online places that have sales and free shipping. Get on some email lists. I like thousands of bolts, fabric.com, connecting threads, Favorite Fabrics and Equilters are a few that I use. I also buy from Joanns, Hancock's, Hobby Lobby and even Walmart. I use coupons, watch for sales and once in awhile I have paid $12.99 a yard for an entire quilt. It is sitting in my stash and I pet it every once in awhile. LOL. I have a couple projects to finish before I break into that gorgeous fabric. Good luck, you 'll do fine.
04-04-2012, 05:21 PM
#60
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Outside St. Louis
Posts: 38,181
I buy what I like, I have made 97 quilts since I started in 1966. I may have 12-15 that I have kept. All the rest has been given to family. Some take care of them, some don't. I am sure glad I didn't buy real expensive fabrics for them. Nice and good quality but, not top of the line. Please yourself and don't break the bank and you will be happy.
Welcome to this great site. Lots of nice people here.
Welcome to this great site. Lots of nice people here.
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