I bot abt 10 fat quarters the other day @ my local CHAIN qs (we all know which one-I complain abt it all the time) I could not get the entire white label off half of them. the glue stuck with little bitty pieces of paper.. I can't even SCRAPE it off. AND one of my fat quarters measured 17 x 18. Aren't they suppost to be 18 x 22 ??? All are going back tomorrow to let their employees get the paper bits off the fabric. I swear everytime I go there - thats the LAST time..... grrrrr. anybody had this experience??

I always wash everything and after washing, when I ironed them, the pieces I could not get off before washing, came right off. Hope this helps. I usually do not buy FQ's at that particular store, but did that one time - very frustrating.

Thanks! That is good to know. I always wash ALL my fabric before using... was taught that many years ago by college level textile professor.. I ALWAYS do what she said... think the quality of THAT store has gone way down hill in the last few months.. think I'll e-mail them and tell them what I think... :(

Last year I bought some fq from that same chain store that start's with the letter "J" and could not get the darn sticker off even after I washed it. I finally had to scrape off with my fingernail....

Good plan! Unfortunately, you may run into a wall of "don't-give-a-sh** attitude." All you can do at that point is vote with your wallet and take your business elsewhere.

i never buy fabric from that store - only batting and notions with a coupon. i find most of their fabric to be of poor quality.

We have a new one opening in the metro area. Lots of 50% off coupons. I went and got a book I was eyeing! They did have large plastic tubs marked at 50% off, but I did not venture over to see what they were actually selling at. It is a big pretty store, but I have never been able to find things that they have advertised. :?

Think I'll stick with 50% coupons for books, batting and notions. The OTHER frustrating thing is that when I "DO" have a 50% or even 40% coupon-the thing I want to buy is ALREADY on sale so can't use the coupon.. I usually give coupons to ladies walking in the door as I walk out p****d off....

I used a coupon on a sale item on line the other day. It let me take the coupon price rather then the sale price. They used to do that in the store but will not any more. Patterns I like to buy there when they are .99$ They are getting worse. We have a Hobby Lobby opening in Pa soon. It is 2 hours away but I will venture there to see what the commotion is about.

Seems like when I heat the label with an iron the thing comes off pretty good....might give it a try before washing.....Hope you have better luck next time......

Thats a good hint. I bought a bunch of t-shirs last year and stored them with tickets intact. some won't peel off. this will help :D

I know ya'll gripe, but I just wish I had a store somewhere close...any store. I'll take a "J@*%$"...

I'm sorry you've had poor experience with their fq's. I recently bought six coordinating fabrics from there, and am very pleased with them. I'm making two beautiful blue, brown and cream quilts for Christmas gifts. The fabric tends to be on the 'thin' side compared with lqs quality fabrics, but with a little Best Press, I'm able to get them to 'thicken up' a bit more before I cut and sew.

I'm not ruling this store out, completely. I think that you can still find some decent fabric, there. The novelty fabrics by Heidi Grace are rather nice. I don't care much for the Debbie Mumm fabrics, but like I said, there are still some fabrics (not the fat quarters) that I would make stuff with.

as to fat quarters, i'm afraid i'm usually not thrilled by what i find when i open them up no matter where i bought them. if they start out precisely sized at 18" by half the width, they don't often end up that way after washing and/or trimming to make them straight. since the price of 4 fats of a fab is almost always far more than the price of one yard off the bolt, i've stopped buying them unless they're waaaaaay on sale and i know i won't need a full quarter yard of the print in question.

there is both good news and bad news, though, when it comes to the chain fabric sources.

the good news is that they still exist as an alternative to buying online and keeping your fingers crossed that the color and quality you think you ordered is the color you actually get. also, if they're within a convenient distance of wherever you live you can save quite a bit on shipping. the chains also put their fabs on sale a lot more often than most dedicated quilt shops seem to.

the bad news is that it's getting harder to find decent fabs at reasonable prices in the chain stores. a rather shocking percentage of the standard selection is $8.99 per yard and UP. unfortunately, these prices are charged for fabrics that compare in quality to those found at walmart for between $2.50 and $5 per yard (which has recently turned out to be about twice what they're worth in most cases. not always ... and i'm always sad to hear another walmart has wiped out their fabs ... but the quality and selection in mine has really gone downhill in the past year. :? ) when bought on sale for 40-60% off, i figure i've gotten a decent value for my $$$. otherwise ... i pass them by.

in my own situation, that bad news translates to good news because there are also two sources for me of shop-quality fabs within a one hour drive. in one shop - a fabric store - the name brands go for no more than $7 per yard. (i can't believe i've come to see that as a reasonable price! what a sign of the times! :lol: ) the majority there are for under $6 per yard and she has a generously stacked $1.98 table.

when i cruised the "official" LQS recently, i noticed that none of her fabs were more than $9 per yard. (ok. still too rich for my blood unless i'm desperate for something specific, but at least it's for fabs much nicer than i ever find in the chain stores.) she also has a generous supply of 1-yard cuts and closeouts at deep discounts. all of this means i'm able to buy shop fabs for chain prices. who'da thunk it?

given the great sales we can find all over the internet, i don't usually need to shop in person. i can find plenty to splurge on when the urge hits. the local sources are just icing on the cake. (ok. somebody tell me ... is that good news or bad? i guess it depends on whether or not i already have groceries in the house before i go shopping! :lol: )

Take the labels off using your hair dryer--the hot air loosens the labels

Sorry, you have had such bad experiences with "that" store

I have not had a problem with the labels, could be the dry climate here in Phx.
I now buy most of my fabric online. Love Quilt in a Day fabric frensy, it is top quality and some at 3 bucks a yrd. Cant beat that. I buy my backing fabric from that selection. She has so much fabric on sale that you always find plenty to buy.
Also like fabric depot and sometimes Hancock of Paducah.
Hobby Lobby here in Phx has a small fabric department with good prices but it is a drive so dont go very often.
Joanns is still my old standby when trying to match a fabric I already have. It is imposible to find matches online. Last resort is local fabric shops, way out of my price range.

I would take any of those prices, any day - you quilters in the USA sooo don't know what prices are like elsewhere. My nearest quilt shop is 1.5 hours away, and her prices vary from €9 to (when I last looked) €16. I just looked up conversion rates, and that equates to $12 to $22 approximately. That is why we are delighted when we find a USA supplier who is willing to ship overseas. It may also account for us making fewer quilts than most of you seem to manage.

I've had problems with the size of some FQs that I've purchased. I expected them to be at least 18 inches long. Some of them were less than that.

The one pack of FQs I bought at JoAnn's several yeaars ago were MAYBE 18 inches long if I stretched them, and then only on one edge. I think the story/explanation they gave me that the fabric was cut while stretched - or something that made zero sense to me.

I had also purchase batiks (at $9.80) a yard at one of the LQS and the clerk was smoothing and smoothing the fabric before cutting it. At least four of the eight pieces I purchased were short - maybe only 1/8 to 1/4 inch, but still. I did complain to the manager and got a gift certificate. I won't complain even if it's cut to the thread (I may not return - ever - but I won't complain), but don't short me.

The shop Quilts on Plum Lane in Dade City, Florida cuts their fat quarters generously.

But do I complain if they give me an extra inch or two? Of course not :-)

Actually that hand sanitizer takes out the sticky off the stickers on everything else...haven't tried it on fabric...but, you might want to give it a whirl:)Skeatr

For my fist quilt top (still hand quilting) I bought 11 different 1/4 yds and had to take half of them back there because they were short. Fortunately, my friend that was teaching me has a fabulous stash and we could keep going on the project.

When you have disappointing shopping experiences and refuse to go back, be sure to let the store know! Maybe not the local chain manager, but go to the website and send corporate an email. They can't change or improve if they don't know why customers leave.

Just a thought - not that I follow my own advice! LOL

We have a hobby lobby here and I'm not a big fan, especially not for quilting.

I have gotten some really fine fabrics at Hobby Lobby, mostly with clearance fabrics for $1 or $2 a yard. It happens when I get there the day they put the fabrics out. Hasn't happened for a while, but I am not visiting them as often! :?

those of us who've been on this board for a while know how much higher the prices are. and ... when we compare our situation to those of our fellow quilters in other countries ... we know how fortunate we are.

on the other hand, a budget is a budget is a budget. so if you can't get as much - or any at all - because the prices go up it feels just as bad as it would if those prices were the same everywhere.

i sympathize with everybody who wonders where the next quilt will come from. :?

Joanns has doubled the price of packaged batting in the last year.
What I used to pay less than 10 for is now over 17 dollars. That is twin size 80/20. They have really raised prices on everything. Even plastic containers that used to be 3 went to 5 etc. etc.
I now do most of my shopping online, it is more reasonable.

I wonder if putting them in the freezer for a little while first might work. They say that if you want to get something sticky off material items, put it in the freezer. Might be worth a try.

I remove all I can by pulling the white off then just hit it with a little plain water and rub with my fingernail and it seems to come off.

While I have had a similar experience I try to keep in mind that it's not the person in the shop's fault. Perhaps writing to the company would help more?
Just an observation on how kindness needs to be passed along.

Please don't take your frustrations out on the employees; they are not the ones who bundle the fat quarters. The fat quarters are cut and assembled who knows where? The local store merely stocks them. Perhaps if enough of us complained to the corporate level things might change. And while it may seem like they don't care, I suspect that most of them do, and are probably not very well compensated for the work that they do. Working in the retail world, I have received more than my share of complaints for things that I have no control over and it is not pleasant.

I agree with bethbb! please be kind And Thanks! ahead of time from one of thos behind the counter.

Am fortunate that I have two local Wal-Mart stores that still sell fabric...not always the best qualilty but it certainly beats a not-so-local J_____ store. Yes, they're fat quarters are sometimes less than a fq. I believe that the fq are not actually done in the store but perhaps a clearing house or some localized location? Have you considered buying on-line? Sometimes I've been very fortunate to find some very good cotton fabric at really good prices...stay away from the cheap stuff though.

Besides Hancock's of Paducah, Keepsake Quilting, you might want to try fabric.com I've never been disappointed with my orders. Generally speaking they'll send a weekly about their sales. I recently got an e-mail for my birthday giving me a discount on my order (within 30 days of birthday). Free shipping on orders over $35. (US only). 37" per yard.

Many of you speak about buying fabrics on line. What sites to you use?

Judyjo

I have noticedf the packaged fats are not all great fabric. I try to buy 1/2 yard of fabric and make 2 fats... :D

Here in Australia we also have a big chainstore and I have had good and bad experiences..i also bought some of those fat quarters with the sticky label and while some came of easy some took a lot of effort..i have also noticed that some of you ladies post pictures of your fat quarters with the sticky labels and i have actually bought the same one here!
Maybe it depends on how long the sticker has been on there as to how hard it is to remove?
i also agree that dont take it out on the staff unless of course they are rude as usually it is management that cuts down on staff so you have to wait ages in line and once when waiting while i was shopping during my lunch break i had to put all my purchases down and leave as it took so long!
On a positive note i have also had good friendly service quite a few times and that has usually been during the quieter times.

I got fatquarters for my aunt's B & W quilt. I soaked a bunch of mine in water to get the stupid labels off. I won't get them there again unless I absolutely have to.

Ooooh NY Nancy, I could hug you. A great site for supplies AND they ship internationally, what more could a quilter in Ireland want? BTW, I get quilte a lot of fabric from Hancocks of Paducah. but intend to try some of the others I have read about on the board recently.

I make my own FQs it is cheaper that buying them.

An expansion on your idea of making your own fat quarters is to "share" (trade/swap) your home cut fat quarters with a friend who does the same.

Unfortunately, purchasing fabric is like alot of other things... "buyer be aware". :?

I HATE those gluey labels. For a business that focuses on fabric, you would think they'd have a clue. I fab shop at Walmart sometimes (my WM still carries some decent fabs). When they cut for me, I always request they not put the sticker on it. They will pin the yardage on instead. With fat quarters, that's not always an option. I have had both good and bad experiences with the fat quarter labels. Some will peel right off, others won't. However, I've never had an experience (yet) where prewashing won't take care of it.

yes
I had the exact same problem two weeks ago! and the same reaction as
you. they must have changed the labels. What A PAIN THAT was :x
Sandi