I know I need some basic fabric to have on hand. Atleast white. I found some Kona cotton white for 5 a yd. But then I found another kind for 2.98 on sale and I thought, ohhhh, that is cheap and was going to jump on it when I noticed right under the image it said light weight? Does that matter? Is there that much of a difference? Is the boardcloth fabric what I even want? And what others basic colors do you guys consider a staple that must stay in your supplies no matter what? Here are the White fabrics I was looking at.
Kona
http://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashio...d-29889bf8fb7b

http://www.fabric.com/halloween-deco...d-29889bf8fb7b

I much prefer the Kona. Broad cloth is thin and often the cheaper it is, the thinner it is. Almost to the point of being sheer. I don't care for it because usually the batting will show through it if it is a light color. For quality and overall satisfaction with your finished product, I would choose the Kona. IMHO

I would not purchase a fabric listed as lightweight without being able to feel it first. You know the quality of the Kona white and that's a very good price, so I'd go with the Kona if these are your choices. Fabric sold for Halloween decorating is usually lesser quality.

Don't take the light weight or broadcloth. I saw that some is not 100% cotton either. It is not just light weight (thin) but feels like it is scratchy too.

Aunt, if you don't like the broad cloth, what kind of fabric would you suggest for my basic colors like white? I don't want my quilts to look shabby because I didn't buy the right kind to begin with and in the end it would be a waste of money and while I love a deal like anyone else I hate wasting money even more. :)

Thank you ladies. I appreciate all the feedback!

I use a lot of Kona for my solids. Also, I will use a white on white fabric if I don't want just a plain solid in my project. Kona has a nice hand to it and it just looks more polished IMHO

What would you recommend hun? If you have a link to your favorite white fabric handy I would really appreciate that.

Thank you, I am already falling in love with this board. Everyone is so nice and helpful. You guys are really taking a lot of the nervousness out of this for me. Quilters ROCKS!!!

Your welcome! And the Kona @ $5/yard is a good deal. My LQS sells it for $6-7 yard. Fabric.com has tons of colors to choose from. I order alot from them, great customer service and quick shipping. Free shipping on orders over $35!

Check out fabric.com You will be hooked. They have some great fabrics and free shipping on $35.00 purchases. They are also very generous with their cuts.

broadcloth comes in many different fiber contents/weights
is the one you are looking at cotton?
does it seem as heavy as the kona? since broadcloth is often heavier fabric a lightweight one may be just fine-can you see through it? the cotton lightweight broadclothes i have are heavier than my bleached muslin- and work just fine-
i don't really care for the poly broadclothes- but that's just a choice-
no reason to not take advantage of a great price-if it is as good as muslin-or better...i would think it would be- just the nature of broadcloth---

Kona. I get it @ joeann's with coupons and also hobby lobby has a lot of kona always 30% off and you can use the 40% coupon instead of taking their 30%. I always keep white and black and tan.

In Canada, broadcloth often refers to a poly/cotton blend solid coloured fabric which I don't want in my quilts. It's the stuff many quilters used in the 1970's and 1980's before solid 100% cotton fabrics were available. I find that I rarely use solid colours in my quilting (black being the exception). I'd far rather use a mottly, tone-on-tone, speckled, blender small print fabric that "reads" like a solid. These fabrics seem to give more life and movement to your quilt. These are also the fabrics that I didn't know that you needed when I started quilting. I always thought of them as the bland boring fabrics not realizing their value. Lately that's the only kind of fabric I buy as I have enough of the "wow" stuff to last a very long time.

I am very careful when buying white. I don't want the shadow of the other colors showing through. I just layer it and make sure the white is heavy enough to cover the colors. I love quilts with bright colors and white, sometimes white on white, but don't want the seams to show through. I wouldn't use something that says lightweight. JMHO
Sue

I just looked on the Fabric.com site in the quilting department. The Kona cotton they are calling broadcloth is their quilting solid at 4.3 ounces a yard made by Robert Kaufman. The same stock number is on the white cotton in the apparel department, but this the white you want no matter which department you order from. CI-323

Hi! Definitely Kona snow or any of the Kona. They are Kaufman fabrics. Yes, it is sometimes called broad cloth but it is very nice fabric. Not like the other broad clothes out there. If you want white on white get some good quality made by a manufacture that makes quilt fabric.

http://www.fabricdepot.com/index.php...age&pageid=181


http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/Item...Solids--m-1755

http://www.fabric.com/quilting-fabri...na-cotton.aspx

I prefer the Kona solid snow for 1930 quilts and some of the more modern style quilts. Some the other like bone are nice for Civil war reproducation quilts. I personally do not use the true white as I find it too stark.

Thank you for the advice and the links on the white cotton. I was eyeing that snow white, but thought I should just get the plain white. I think I have changed my mind again and will go with that snow white instead! I am so excited to start collecting fabric. :)

Thank you everyone for all the input. The Kona I am looking at is 100% cotton. You guys helped to anwser a lot of my questions and things to make sure I take note of when looking at fabric. Big hugs to you all!!

Try going to connecting threads. They have their own brand of fabric, made in America and many pattern lines to choose from. This will help give you some ideas.
I don't really, and never did have a "basic " stash. If I found a fabric I loved, I would purchase it and build around it for whatever pattern I was going to use. Hope this helps a little.
peace

broadcloth is not a useful word in describing fabric.
Many companies make a quality quilt quality white fabric.
Kona is a bit heavier than some others but there are many whites that will be suitable. Feel it and then decide. Kona aparantly makes two - Pimacotton which is a tighter weave and their regular Kona cotton.