I resent the fact that Joann's bought out just about every competing fabric store in the country!! I will go out of my way to go to ANY local, (no joann's) store to avoid them. We need CHOICES, ladies and gentlemen! Yes, and I feel better getting that off my chest, lol.
Judy

I so agree with you. The reason I go into a $13 - $22 yd store is if I'm looking for something 'out there', not the hum-drum at JoAnn's or WM. Last week I spent $143 at a quilt store in Santa Fe because two fabric's shouted at me when I walked in, I couldn't ignore them!!! The average joe places are indeed average joe - and that's not to say that I don't drop lots of dough-ray-me at those too!!

High price of fabric- all the more reason to use our stash

hmmmm, I am not too far from there in NH, sadly I already have plans, so maybe will try to go another day! Thanks for the information. Things you learn here! :)

Butterfli19 -- very well said. These days economics and business dynamics are far more complex than ever. Stores don't have the luxury of stocking what we want -- more often it's us having to want what they stock. Over the last four years our small town has lost all four of its quilt shops. We are at the mercy of WM, Hobby Lobby, and Hancock's. The nearest JoAnns is over an hour away. High gas prices and fixed incomes definitely influence what we do. We learn to do what we can with what we have. To me the biggest element in the makeup of a quilt is LOVE, and that doesn't cost any money at all.

You are so right, it's all in how the fabric feels and looks. So many seem to have special made "Sale Fabric" with a larger weave and poor printing. I have gone online, which has the disadvantage of not being able to "touch" before purchasing. But, by sticking to the larger places and name brands I like, it hasn't been too bad.

yeah, probably not grammatically correct but I got swept up in the moment. What I meant was that when I was much younger, there were what is probably similar to strip malls today - stores in the small cities that offered to the middle and higher financial classes. You could go into any store and find something different. Boutique shops sold lingerie only (Lady Grace, my mother's favorite), well made tailored clothing at Hudson's (my favorite shop) and Mitchells Dept store that carried everything you would need to supply a happy home, including a shoe repair shop and TV test tube stand (remember those? lol).

Now it seems it's all a mess. Everyone carries everything and specializes in nothing. Nothing stands out from the rest. I don't travel the East coast looking for bargains but I tell you, I get sick of shopping. On-line is a gamble, as someone said you really can't tell from the picture. I am by no means rich or even well-off, but I buy what I can afford, I sometimes splurge, but I'm not going to settle.

Everyone has to decide their own, which was my initial point when I posted about generalizations, because everything is everywhere. I'll buy something at WM if it's cheaper, why not? You can't boycott everyone, you'd never have anything. It's like lately at work the phrase seems to be "living the dream". Well, that was started by the VP who is a bazillionaire, told to us peonies, and I just turned it to be yes, I'm not living his, but I'm living mine. Well, it isn't where I thought I'd be when I was planning my life at 17, but it works for me.

Today, I drove out to Joann's and got a few lovely pieces of fabric. However, I was disappointed with the selection, overall. I always feel as if I'm searching for something that doesn't exist. :rolleyes:

Amen to all you said. All very true. We are only on this earth for a short time so be happy with
what you can get, and where you are.

Flo in nny

My mom also taught me to shop "by hand" as well as "by eye" and took me to many places she found where good fabric was resonably priced. We made clothes back then. But there is another factor to consider - people. I am also in a "Hallmark movie" kind of town, with a great LQS a mile away, and three others within ten or fifteen miles. There are others a greater distance away that are fun to shop as well. Those shops have so much to offer - kind, knowledgeable people who take time to help you and know their stock. They have classes, books, notions, thread. They have helped me become the quilter I am. Now that I am retired, I do need to spend carefully, and fortunately these stores have sales now and then. I know which one does not mark up older stock when manufacturer sends a new shipment for a higher price. I know the owners and know they are not "getting rich" or cheating anyone. They are passionate about their shops and the people who go there. My kids know that a gift card at the LQS is my favorite gift, and I've also gotten them from friends whose kids I occasionally teach. I want those stores to stay in business, and though I shop the boxes sometimes, when I want something nice, I go to the quilt store and choose carefully. When I run out of something, I dash there on a Sunday afternoon. I tell everyone about the great shops in this area and hope people keep coming here for a nice trip and good quality. You have to balance price and service along with quality. There are many ways of looking at things, and I don't scorn pinching pennies. I do hate that the box stores have altered small business in many areas and often force manufacturers to cut what they pay their help.