I have always been told you get better quality fabric at a quilting store but I have ordered some "designer" fabric, VERY EXPENSVE!!! and am afraid to use it because it is so soft that I really don't think it will hold up. There's nothing worse than spending a lot of tme on a quilt just to have the fabric disintegrate on you!!!

I am always touching and feeling fabric... may get arrested one day! I got a wonderful bargain at an LQS just yesterday - 40% off so I bought the rest of the bolt, all 7 yards of it. It was exactly what I have been looking for as a backing for my Lone Star quilt. That makes me feel good - great quality, exactly what I was looking for and a very decent price.

wow, what does "surge the edges" before you wash the fabric mean? thnx

"serging the edges" - if you have a serger - a type of machine that trims the edge and sews over it in one step

"overcasting the edges" - if you have a zig=zag machine - just do a narrow, long zig=zag stitch along the very edge - minimizes fraying during washing and drying

even doing a straight machine stitch about 1/8 inch from the edge helps minimize fraying

I believe it depends on the fabric. I have found great quality
materials at both JoA and Walmart.

Serging means to go around the edge with a serger, if you have one, to reduce the amount of fraying. You can also oversew with a zig zag stitch, or just cut a small triangle off each corner.. say about one inch long before loading into the washer. I personally only prewash if I am concerned about color transfer, and then only with pieces that are bigger than a fat quarter. :)

So - if the piece is a FQ or less and you are concerned about color transfer, what do you do with it?

The short answer is no.

You are not guaranteed better quality fabric just because you bought it at a LQS. I've bought fabric from LQS, Walmart, Joannes, Hancocks, you name it. One of the quilts I just finished was LQS fabric and it frayed like crazy and bled horribly. You have to inspect your fabric and feel it regardless of where you purchase.

Just because it came from the LQS doesn't mean it's better than fabric from other stores. You can tell by the hand of the fabric whether it's good or not. Look for a tighter thread count, too.