It finally came into Walmart ($1.50-$2.00 fabric)
 

A few weeks back I posted a topic about a tip the manager at our local Walmart told me about two pallets of cheap fabric coming in.
Finally it came in the other day and I stopped to look at it. There are lots of pretty prints in everything from florals to juvenile prints and others. So here's the thing the bolt end says "undetermined fiber content." If I had to guess it is a poly/cotton blend. Thin and not good enough for quilts. To bad to there are some beautiful prints I would love to buy.

figured that would be the case.

I think that too much time is spent on a quilt to use fabric that has the warning unknown on it. Just sayin....

I totally agree. If it had been of better quality and stated 100% Cotton I would have bought some. I was even going to until I got to looking real close at the bolt end. Then I said, nope changed my mind. Even I will draw the line on the kind of fabric that is unknown fiber content and not worthy of my time for a quilt.

I have used it, just make sure it is washed and dried. You can hold it up to the light and see through it before washing and drying. After washing and drying it is not so bad. We donate a lot of quilts so when we can get a deal, we go for it.

I'd like to say I love using 100% cottons and I usually stick with cottons, but poly/cotton blends do tend to hold up well against many washings-especially for kids quilts that go through a lot! I am also one to use whatever material I take a fancy to. My usual rule of thumb is if the quality is good use it-I will admit that the results don't always come out as I initially thought it would ;)

If the fabric seems to be cotton and decent quality - and I like the print - I would probably buy it. I check unknown fabrics by burning a bit of it to see if it has a man-made fiber in it. I also wash (and dry) fabrics before cutting them.

I totally forgot about that little technique, though im sure they wouldn't appreciate me burning it at that store. LOL I wash all my fabrics before they go into my stash. I prefer they shrink, fade, bleed or whatever before I sew. This stuff is really thin and you can see through it. The weave doesn't seem to be very tight either.

There are two huge bins of $1.50 per yard fabric at my local Walmart - but when I touch it, it is thin enough to read through, scratchy, flimsy, and so poor quality, I would not use it for ANY quilt. I have not seen a stitch of fabric in my local Walmart worth buying - at any price. I sure hope your shop gets some better choices in.

I bought some fabric that was $1.00 a yard (the 5 yard bolts) cause I really liked the print. That was after they discontinued fabric and started bringing it back in the bolts. Found out if you press on hot it will do some funny things! But if you press on a cooler temp it seems to do okay and quilts aren't usually pressed after they are done. One of the associates, years ago, told me when you see it on sale and the sales tag is RED it was marked down so you will get a better quality for your money. I still watch what I buy though but Wal Mart is the only thing I can really afford. Even when Joanne's has a sale it is still more then I like to pay.

I bought some fabric that was soooooooooo pretty, but when I got it home I realized it was just too cheap, so I returned it. Enough of that for me.

When i first started quilting, i did get fabric at w'mart. Much of what i got was too thin or too heavily printed (stiff!). I ended up donating most of it... So it is easy for me to NOT buy fa ric there. Though the pre-cus are very tempting.

Our Wal-Mart always has a shelf full of the cheaper prints. They are pretty but I can't use them in my quilts.

I did luck out at Walmart last fall. Went to the Houston show and found some fabulous UT fabric in bandana print and in plaid. The booth wanted $14 a yard. They covered up the manufacturer brand on the bolt, and would not tell me the manufacturer. Call my best friend and she looked it up on internet. Found the plaid at Walmart for $10 a yard (same manufacturer and quality). Found the bandana print at Hancock's, and got it for $6 a yard. Don't mess with a quilted and her budget.

I used to work in the WM fabric department before they took it out. Some of the $1 fabric was good, $2 fabric was better. I would cringe with what some women bought for quilts because the fabric was so thin and off grain it would only be good for rags. But I didn't say anything to them because it was what they could afford to spend and I didn't want to discourage them from doing something they enjoyed. If they asked me my opinion, I would direct them to a better choice of fabric in the same price range

I have seen some really bad fabrics at my Wal Mart, but I have also seen some really nice cheep fabric too. You have to know what you are looking for and check out with the feel etc. I sometimes will pick up a half yard and wash, dry, iron before I buy more. With luck if I like the end result, they still have the fabric left. They usually do, if not I look for something else.

I feel the same. I go to Joanne's because I have a gift card. I have bought material at Wal Mart. I wash it good,throw it in the dryer then use a little spray before ironing as it is easier to measure and cut. I have shopped around at different places including thrift shops and yard sales. I am very pleased with what I have made and it didn't cost so much.

Of course, that is the problem. Whoever is doing the buying for Walmart doesn't have a clue what is really needed. Some of these fabrics might be just the ticket for wallhanging and table mats, etc. Things that don't require a lot of care and use. Pick some up and store them separate from your regular fabrics. Just might be the ticket someday. And when fabrics are reaching an out-of-sight price, it is good to have a stockpile of less expensive fabrics to draw from. Just don't buy big quantities of these fabrics - you will probably never use them up if you do.

We need to recognize that most quilters are versitile. What is too thin for a good quilt may be perfect for summer clothes for children and grandchildren. Thin material can be backed by wonder under for great appliques. If if the pattern is something you love, make placemats as someone has mentioned. If this is what you want or need to spend, then go ahead and buy - you can make some beautiful, long lasting guilted things if you are willing to be creative and think outside the box. Just don't recommend that everyone disregard what you personally can afford to pass over.

I bought some of this $5.00 for 5 yards fabric at WalMart last Spring. I didn't think much about it when I made myself a blouse out of part of it. But after washing the blouse just a few times you can see obvious wear and fading in parts.This blouse is now only worn around the house. I can be glad that I didn't use any in my small quilting projects. That would have been heart-breaking. My recommendation is to pass on this fabric.

some fabric melts when ironed, even after washing. it's happened to me with fabric i thought was cotton. i still have no idea what the stuff was, except that it smelled like acrylic or other plastic. poly never smelled liked that.

Thought you might want to know that ACMore has a great sale on right now. I bought three yard packs of fabric for 9.99. They are normally 19.99. Much of it is very good quality. I also purchased canvas panals 6 per pack 8x10 and 5 per pack 9x12 to use for fabric storage. The panels are 100% pure cotton. They were also half price. 3.40 and 3.99. Just thought you might like to know.

As the saying goes" you get what you pay for". I want the best quality I can afford, my quilts will be here long after I'm gone.

sorry, but even quilting what i call a "dragger" for the kids needs to be 100% cotton, and usa cotton too.. bear in mind that anything with polyester in it will melt and stick if it catches too much heat/fire and that alot of fabric is being shipped here to the usa from china, pakistan, india, etc....also, cheap cotton/poly blend may also "pill". i just feel that in my humble opinion if a person is gonna take the time to make any quilt they should use the best quality products to begin with. also, take the time to look at quilts that have lasted over the last 50-100 years...100% cotton held up through the years a whole lot better than any blend.

I still buy cheap PRETTY fabrics b/c i do a lot of crafts they are great for doll clothes, scrapbook covers and a zillion other things. but it takes a good chuck of your life to make a quilt so i say get the best you can afford but the big brand names are not always necessary

Our WalMart has a couple of the same prints as JoAnns. Suprise. They also have some of the thin stuff, but most of their fabric is $5.00 to $7.00, if you consider that cheap. Some of the lQS fabric and JoAnns is coming in at $12.00 plus. Of course the oranges today at Kroger were $8.00 a bag. To each his own.

ditto here....just not worth my time and hard earned $$

I always like to know about sales, especially good ones. I don't think I have ever heard of ACMore. It isn't familar to me here in our area of Oregon, if they are in Oregon at all. Thank you any way it will help those who do know where one is.

I have made children's quilts with this fabric. My great-nephew, 5 years old, told me the reason he sits under his tented quilt is because it just like being in church with the color windows.

I love the WalMart $1.00 bin for costumes for plays. I hate to see the country of manufacture when looking at some of those fabrics though....

I researched the top 5 fabric exporting countries. They are India, China, Bandalalash, Pakistan and Turkey. The top 5 cotton fabric exporting countries are China, India, Korea, Pakistan and Turkey. So just which countries are the favorite with those looking for really good LQS fabric?

Cheap (as in poor quality) and inexpensive are not necessarily synonymous.

Expensive and high/good quality are not always synonymous, either.

Sometimes the fabric is the same pattern as in LQS but the thread count is usually lower in the fabric at Walmart

19 years ago I bought fabric from Walmart to make a quilt for DH and I. It was better fabric then they sell today and the quilt I made is still in use today. It has had many, many washings and there is not a faded, frayed or torn spot in it. There is a picture of it in my Avitar...next to missgigglewings.

Its the one with the dark green borders.

Saw it today and agree--pretty prints but not nice fabrics.