Same thing happened a year ago, one of the ladies in our Sewing Quilting group at our church, bought a 3 yard piece of 90" fabric at a 'well known' fabric store. She paid top dollar. The next week we were trying to fit the pieced top onto the backing. Guess what? After trying and trying to get it pinned together, I got the tape measure. The material was only 88" and that only if you really tugged on it.

She took it back, they haggled on the return because it was a CUT piece of fabric. She said when you sell expensive fabric off a bolt that says 90", it better be 90". I'm thinking it's happening because everyone is trying to save money but at the consumer's expense. My sister bought a CD at Wal Mart. Took it home tried to play it, skipped all over the place. Tried to return it, they don't take back CD's and a list of why not. She got the manager, he said it was opened.
She asked him how she would know it's defective if she didn't open it and play it. He said he couldn't return it and would have to eat the loss. She said well I'm the customer and I'm not eating the loss.

I'm e-mailing everyone and I know and posting on FB, Wal Mart sells defective CD's, don't buy them because they won't give you your money back. And I can prove it with a CD that doesn't play and my receipt from your store. She got a store credit (which didn't matter to her as she shopped there from time to time). She then went to a music store, had the proprietor open and play the disc, before she would purchase it. So it's all over, the cutting corners.

By the way, we orded the 90" fabric off the Internet. It was a perfect fit!

Having been caught out by this myself on a current project, I have decided now to base all measurements on 40" wide fabric.

Remember when you used to have to dig the tomato soup out of the can? Now it pours freely--and is in a smaller can. Less product and more more money. The same goes for fabric.
We're being charged more per yard and the widths are shrinking. Used some older fabric from my stash last week that was a full 45". Now most is 42", so beware when you are figuring fabric amounts or you'll be way short of what you need.
SandyQuilter

Don't blame WalMart for the defective cd, blame the manufacturer. Walmart also has a guarantee - "Satisfaction Guaranteed" - and if you are ever not satisfied, get the corporate phone number and call them. They will fix the situation if possible. Trust me, I have called them and they did fix it. We, the consumers of all products, have to stand up for ourselves. I refuse to let anyone, or any store take my money without giving me a good product. More than once my husband has walked out of the store when I have given the management a large piece of my mind.

The width has been getting consistantly smaller than 44/45 for the last few years. It is very rare now to find a real 44/45 wide fabric in 100 percent cotton. Will it be that long before we go back to 36 inch wide fabric? Seems like we are half way there now.

That won't help. The store can't do anything about how wide the fabric is. That's up to the manufacturer.

I should add, that I agree that the bolts should be correctly labeled as to the width (for truth in advertising). That said, once again it is the manufacturer who labels the bolts, not the store.

Somehow I doubt that stores will be measuring the width of every fabric that comes through their door, and re-labeling those that are found to be incorrect.

I measure when I bring it home, and majority of the time it is what I asked for, save for a local store that short-changes because they really should be using a ruler and rotary cutter. But that story has been beaten to death. After I wash the fabric, I measure again and place a small label with size on the fabric so I know when planning a quilt, what I am dealing with. I remember getting 60" wide fabric many many years ago. Since most of the fabric now averages about 42", I too don't plan anything for more than 40". Just went through some stash yesterday and could not believe the differences in selvages. Some 1/4", others averaged just shy of 1/2", and one was even 7/8" inch on one edge, the other edge was 1/2". Odd.

I love making the 45" Speedy Baby II pattern. If I have 5" squares it goes even faster, but if not - I use up scraps and can use my own colors to blend. The center I can use a large design that fits the gift, or I embroider something in the center of the 16 1/2" center square. It works great for a lap quilt as well as a wedding banner quilt. The measurements are already listed - no guessing! The backing is pieced and it shows how to do it in the pattern.

http://schoolgirlsamplers.com/pdftut...peedyBaby2.pdf

This is my favorite pattern!

I always thought that the width of the fabric included both selvages.

get back to the quilt and ask why the 45" requirement. Do they assume this is the width of the fabric or is that the width for a wheel chair or some other logical measurement. If so then just add a border or strips inside or whatever