Fabric
How to know what fabric to buy??

I was wondering how you determine what fabrics to buy? by the feel, etc.

What brands of fabric are good to buy? What fabrics should we not buy?

Also where do you like to buy your fabrics from? If online what links?

Thanks everyone!

Craftybear, I tend to go by designers. All I will say about what I won't buy is cheap fabric (regular price, not a good sale) It's not worth it to me for all that goes into making a quilt. :D
Some lines I love:
Jinny Beyer
Hoffman
Moda, Moda and more Moda lol
Thimbleberries

that's a few off the top of my head.

The first thing that catches my eye is the color/design. If I like the feel, it's as good as sold. LOL

I like many different brands Kaufman, Hoffman, Clothworks, P&B Textiles, Benartex, etc. Sometimes I buy new releases, but more often I find I am waiting and getting the same prints later on at better prices online.

I shop both in the LQS and online. Nothing beats seeing them in person, and I try to help keep the LQS in business. But once I find brands I like, I have no problem ordering them online as long as the ordering page is secure.

I have tried many online sites and have been happy with most of them. My most frequent purchases come from:

Over the Rainbow
Thousands of Bolts
SeaWatch Fabrics
Desperate Quilters
Webfabrics.net

Some I've tried once and would definitely shop again:
Quilt Fabric Closeouts (pics do not do the fabric justice)
Fabric Shack
Log Cabin Quilting
Green Fairy Quilts
Toadusew
The Quilted Castle

Benartex, Maywood, and Northcott are good also.

If it feels good, and i like it, i buy it. I usually go for the good stuff, which i consider moda, michael miller, etc. go to the websites and browse, sooo many out there. I love fabric.........

I'm forced to buy the cheaper fabric, but I stick to all cotton. Not the cheapest (see through stuff) but not the top lines. I'm on a tight budget and hubby thinks buying material is a waste of money...and so on.

Have you checked out Thousands of Bolts or Whittles? They have brand names at low prices...great quality!

I buy fabrics for many different reasons. Here's my rules:

If I have a specific project in mind, I buy it.

If I can't take my eyes off of it, I buy it.

If it's on sale, I buy it.

If I want it, I buy it.

If it's black, white, some other color or a mixture of colors, I buy it.

Hey, rules are the guidelines by which we live. These are mine and I'm happy with them.

I buy when I find a clearance sale on the best designer line fabrics. I don't care about color just price because I have a big stash and can co ordinate about any fabric choice. I like Connecting Threads fabric. I buy the kits from there when they are on clearance and use the fabric for other patterns. I like David Fabrics at Walmart for the quilt of the month. There is a Walmart close by that sells fabric. I can find clearance prices about anytime online, there are hundreds of fabric websites. Marshall's Dry Good Warehouse has good every day prices. My favorite fabric manufacturer is Northcott.

He'll change his thinking when the budget gets looser. :thumbup: