I shop by feel too.....I made a quilt with a particular piece of fabric that didn't feel right and I had a lot of trouble with it. So the quality of the fabric is important. We put a lot of time and effort into our projects, having them fall apart at quilting because the fabric had too loose a weave is just heartbreaking.

Categorizing retail shops and big box stores is ridiculous. Last time I was in walmart in the city near me they had cotton fabric for $12.98/yd. It was good quality and very pretty. No, I diddn't buy any of it. I have bought fabric there for $2.00/yd and it had been priced much higher once. BTW, I bought some absolutely marvelous blue & white fabric w Civil War battle scenes and paid only 79 cents/yd for it. Dumb me...I only bought 3 yds. It was nowhere to be seen at a later date. Maybe it was because they were Confederate depictions....I gave it to a CWar buff thinking I could get more.. Really do regret it now. The fun for me is in the hunt for the unusual and the process of quilting, not in the finished product. Maybe that accounts for so many UFO's.

That 79 cent sttuff was at Hancock's...my fav store. They are always fair and courteous. But I buy on line, yard sales, Rescue Mission (yds and yds of J Beyer fabric) for a token of fabric stores. The best place to look is...my stash. I'm 78yrs old and have collected fabric for many yrs. Children just shake their heads at the fabric I store. But, DD and one DIL, 2 DGD's will accept any of my quilts.

It's probably just because I'm a historical type of person...I live in the past. And I think I just look at the world differently than a lot people. To me quilting is still something that can be utilized while also being art. To me, quilts are meant to become old and worn AND loved! That's why we make more. I understand that some quilts call for higher quality fabric, but to say if you don't buy a certain type of fabric from a certain place you are lower on the "quilting totem pole" is rather stupid. But that's the way of the world ya know.

I don't understand how the quilt police got involved in this. Someone asked for an explanation, and everyone has chimed in with their opinion. In 9 pages of posts, I have not seen ONE single post that made me think the poster was the quilt police. I haven't seen anyone say "YOU should not shop there because..." They are simply stating their opinion, their reasons behind their choices, which is great because maybe someone came up with a reason that I hadn't considered. Since when did expressing an opinion become offensive?

I cannot speak to the quality of Joann's vs LQS fabric. I refuse to shop at Joann's because I hate their customer no-service, their long lines, and - more than anything - their coupon shenanigans. There are certain LQSes around here that I won't shop at either, mostly because of the attitudes of the owners. And I'm not talking snooty attitudes, either. One is overly inquisitive and snoopy about my personal life, I have to be downright rude to her to get her to leave me alone. I don't enjoy that experience, so I won't shop there. Another owner is overly talkative and shares way too much detail about her personal life, and she can't measure and cut while she's talking. She will follow me all the way out to the parking lot and stand there while my engine is running, talking. But these are simply MY experiences and the reasons why I won't shop there. If you like Joann's coupons, then by all means, shop there. If you prefer to support your LQS and can handle the personality quirks, then shop there. I am not telling anyone that they should or should not shop certain retailers, I am simply explaining the reasons behind MY choices.

I won't shop at Wally world. It's over animal abuse(fish) so I've been boycotting even tho they no longer have a pet department. Not fabric quality.

Joanne's will have some nice stuff at times, and whoever likes it, more power to them. I'm more intrigued by color than style, and that is my complaint. I will shop wherever I can get the colors I want. Sometimes that is the local quilt shops as they tend to keep last years fabric longer - especially if it still sells. After they sell out, then new stuff will replace. The box stores tend to replace faster. Even the LQS might be different if they also sell machines - there might or not be a better selection of thread and accessories for machine quilting. Some will carry different lines, but mostly the same color choices.

The only real big complaint I ever had about Joanne and the local Hancock, was crafts! I don't mind paper, art, etc, but that pot-pourri would give me a headache. It stank. You can ignore the other craft items, but the smell goes all over.

It's the management decissions at JoAnn's that I complain about. And I've experienced this in North Little Rock, AR and in the Cumming, GA area. They don't hire enough people to cut the fabric, or to check you out. They are not the only store that does this and it's always a puzzle to me, because they don't make a dime until that cash register rings. I can always find fabric and notions I like, but getting the bought is a pain in the a**.

People always throw that term around. Mostly they do it because it makes them feel better about themselves. 99.99% of the whole "quilt police" thing is all in their own head. Once in a great while somebody will run into a "you should never, you should always" person and invariably you find out that person isn't a quilter anyway.

There. Now that I've made everybody mad I think I'll iron and cut some fabric.

I envy you a Joanne's or any LQS. I have to drive 45+ minutes to anything around here. There is a Hancock's in one town and in another a Hancock's, Hobby Lobby, and a Ben Franklin. I wish we had one here in town.

I think it is the old addage "let the buyer beware." You need to examine the fabric you are buying. Personally I think Joann's fat quarters do not have a good thread count. Some of their fabric is very nice. I have never had a problem with fabric bought from the LQS or at reputable sites on line (fabric.com, connecting threads, etc) Personally, though, I have had my own issues with some of the MODA fabric. I felt it "ravelled" (not sure if that is the right term....it was too stringy)

I shop all over and on the internet too. For me it's very convenient, as I live 55 miles from a town where there are quilt stores, Joann, Hancock, etc. The thing I don't like about Joann's is that the price of their fabric has really gone up but don't feel the quality has. Also this is not all fabric either so a person, to me, has to shop by feeling. Have not gone wrong with buying from Connecting Threads for their clearance at under $3.00 a yard. Now trying 1000 bolts of fabric.

I agree, I have gone to quilt stores and found some fabric that I will not buy it is so thin and you can see through it, I am like many of you I shop where they have what I want, at a good price and good quality. I do support our local quilt store as much as I can, but I am also realistic and I know that she cannot stock everything. However if there is a book or notion that I want and she can get it for me at a comparable price I give her the business.

I live in a small town and if we don't support the store, we won't have one.

People forget you should work with the best quality that you can afford. For my grandmother it was a way to recycle clothes headed for the scrap bin. For me it has been a way to use up scraps from garment construction, then the luxury of purchasing new fabric for creating my quilts. My fabric has come from everywhere fabric stores, thrift shops, yard sales, friends, the one thing I remember is I am not my mother who collected. I am me and I create. So what I get is used in some sort of way.

My feeling is that I make quilts for myself (and I know how to take care of them) and for my grand kids. The kids quilts will get more use, more laundering and will probably wear out from love ... fine with me. Why spend big $ on that.

Now if I were to make a 'heritage' quilt or one for competition I might reconsider buying the best fabric available.

Of course I still make sure the fabric isn't thin or see-thru, and decent quality. I don't like 'crunchy' fabric that has way too much sizing, that is a sign to run away fast.

Songbird; I wish people didn't put so much emphasis on where to purchase things!! Honestly, I purchase from WalMart, Joann's, Hancocks, Craft Warehouse and a few online companies...when they have a sale. The majority of fabrics in my stash do not come from LQS at all. That said, I am careful to purchase only high quality fabrics with a high thread count so my hard work doesn't fray away in the wash. I have purchased at my LQS and had lousy fabric at a high cost per yard. Very disappointing!! So again, no matter where I purchase I always make sure the fabric is good fabric and that for me is more important than saying I purchased it at my LQS or anywhere for that matter.
You just go ahead and purchase those fabrics any where your heart desires and pocket book can afford... and enjoy your quilting!!! I think it's wonderful that you are a quilter, plain and simple!! Just my 2 cents worth!
Quilt on, Miss Songbird.. Quilt On!!! Pay NO mind to the Quilt Police!!!

I always find this subject of discussion interesting. I wonder if the same attitude is in place when one shops at the Dollar Store vs the Supermarket or the Chain Super Market vs the local mom and pop conveniense store.

You are going through what a lot of us went through when we started out. The best advice I can offer is, while it's difficult, let things people say go in one ear and out the other. Just like there are clothing "snobs", car "snobs"... there are those who are just as particular about their quilting.

That being said there ARE differences between the quality box stores offer in the quilting realm than quilt shops. Honestly, the first four or five years I was quilting I really just didn't know what to look for...I couldn't have been able to tell you the difference between good quality or poor. It really just takes experience with both ends of the spectrum, and then deciding what YOU like and prefer.

I think it's fine to use what's readily available and I often do. Just like a foodie when delving into fine food will shoot for the best quality ingredients, once you perfect your skill you may find yourself craving higher quality materials. :) But there is nothing wrong with whatever you chose to use, it's completely your personal preference...and while not all of us can afford to drive Bently's, not all of us can use quilt shop qualilty fabric all the time...and there's nothing wrong with that! ;)

It's all about quality and time and endurance. If you want your quilt to last then use the best quality you can afford, even if you have to save. Remember the hours that go into a quilt. It is better to have one good quilt than three or four of poor quality ones, like the ones you can buy for 65.00 that come from China, right?

Sometimes old clothes are very good quality fabric and those can be had at the thrift stores for pennies. This is just my opinion. I would never dream of critizing anyone who does what they do.

There are all sorts of ways to find good fabric. Garage sales come to mind, reading the adds etc. I myself have bought out two ladies years ago, who decided to get rid of their fabric...

As for the dollar store versus the supermarket? again it is your choice and who cares what anybody has to says, they are not paying your bills. personally, again I will always go for quality, I make sure all my food comes from America, but that is just me.

JoAnn's getting a bad rap
 

I always bought the best fabric that I could afford, whether it be JoAnn's, Wal-Mart or a LQS. A friend of mine discovered a LQS that had $3.99 fabric - it was the same fabric that had been on their shelves, but they were making room for new fabric. Between the two of us we would keep the people working there busy cutting fabric. My Mom taught me years and years ago what to look for in fabric, and that's when you could buy fabric in the Dime Stores (I know I am really going back a long time, when fabric was less than $1/yard) and it was a lesson well learned. I have seen not so great fabric at Wal-Mart, JoAnn's, and sometimes the LQS, and I have gotten some pretty decent fabric at those same places. My advice would be to buy the best fabric that you can afford, and look for sales, although at JoAnn's they sometimes make it difficult to find fabrics on sale, or it's on sale and you have a coupon and it won't work when something is on sale. However, I have found some great fabric in the Red Tag section, you just have to check it out and when that reduced price is 50% off, yippee. I was just there and picked up a nice remnant piece of fleece, and I got 50% off that price. Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time. I know I got a little gabby (LOL), but be true to yourself and don't listen to the Quilt Police or even the Fabric Police, unless you can see an official badge. LOL. I hope you continue to sew and quilt for a long time to come - I've been sewing for 60 years and it's been a very important part of my life,especially now that I'm retired. Happy sewing.

As there is no LQS around me, I use Joann's and Hobby Lobby, when they have sales, and really have never had an issue..My Joann's will even give me end of bolt at a discount and I never have to ask...I also buy fabric on line when I hear of a sale and I go to goodwill/salvation army...If I really had to pay full price for fabric I don't think I would make more than one quilt a year if that...

Absolutely for me it is. I will pay more for something to support the local business in the market than to a chain. And, now that I am doing a little better financially, that is my preference. I just bought a new freezer. I didn't price them anywhere but the local hardware store. Paid off for me because he threw in a furnace filter that we asked about and he started carrying for us.

My LQS knows I check with her first and then I go else where if she doesn't have it. If I want them to stay in business I have to use them and I do.

I will completely admit I am a snob about a lot of things. I will pay more for made in USA and locally grown than I will for other stuff but THAT is my opinion and is something I can afford right now. That may change in the future

I shop at Joann's and found out yesterday their remnants, anything under a yard, are on sale for 70% off. One gal knew and the other didn't, but it pops up in the machine. I used their coupons, email coupons and a phone coupon and got all my fabric on sale.

I have bought good fabric and lousy fabric at Joann's and at LQS's too.

I go to Joanns when sales are going on and some of the material that does have a good feel and weight I will purchase. The main complaint I have about the store is the restrooms, they are a disgusting. I have gone in 2 different ones. The last one I went in was remodeled and very confusing, I will have to get the lay of the land. But the restroom did not have soap or paper towels and plumbing on sinks (one side) did not work, they put in metal partitions between the commodes instead of curtains, but the commodes are old and cracked. What is up with this? I know Joanns make plenty of money why don't they spend it on decent restrooms. I travel over an hour to get to the stores, so when I get there I do need to use the facilities. Wonder if this is the same throughout country.

Like a previous poster, my problem with JoAnn's is not the fabric - it's the employees. The store is a mess and I often have to search for someone to cut fabric. But then I guess the bigger problem is the management. I don't mind buying fabric at WalMart either but I do get tired of listening to the clerks talking about how horrible the store is. Love my LQS - they have great fabric which I don't purchase very often because of the expense, but it is a light, bright, friendly place where I can generally get help with a quilting problem.

I was at my home away from home, the Joanns in Indy(my home is the Joanns in Bloomington) and met the best clerk!!! I was just there to get my 60 degree triangle and left with $100 of fabric only because I had an appointment. I am debating about returning Fri. I never buy without sale and/or coupons. I an equal opportunity fabric addict. I do flea markets, garage sales, Goodwill, Value World, DAV, thrift stores, rummage sales. My life is an adventure and fabric is my goal. I was on vacation on Pawleys Island and my 1st purchase was fabric. My friend walked in and was in shock as we had driven from IN to buy fabric. I never met a fabric I didn't like.

I went to joann's today armed with 5 50% off coupons and couldn't use any of them because the scissors and thread were already on sale. Because of my huge stash, i didn't even look at the fabric.

you can use the discount on sale items...IF... The coupon discount is better than the sale discount. I wanted a new pair of thread snips that were on sale for 30%off. I had a 50% coupon, so I took the snips at 50% off the regular price. The manager had to clear the sale, but worth asking. I also did this at Hobby Lobby.

I think big block shops like Joann's did get a bad rap in the beginning, but times have changed. I usually shop at my LQS, but do get some fabric at Joann type of shops. Joann's carries the Moda solids which are top quality. They also have some Denise Schmidt and Alexander Henry on occasion. You can't beat their 50% off notion sales. Like you said, you choose the best you can. I agree with the comment about Bonnie Hunter as well. Go to Goodwill and get some cotton shirts. They make great strip quilts.

I find this discussion interesting too. Don't forget who the employees are who work in these big box stores: probably your neighbors. I get that they are not owned locally, but they do provide a lot of jobs for folks in our community. We need to think about supporting the United States globally. (and maybe one day the world when we are all at peace)

I buy all of my fabric .... wherever fabric is sold! :)

As long as we find beautiful fabric that brings someone's heart a smile when they see the love we have put into a quilt, it really doesn't matter where we have purchased it. I love every place I find a piece of fabric that makes me smile.

Some people just like to impress others I guess. I have bought stuff from just about everywhere and don't care what others think. I get what I like and don't care what the "quilt police" say, I haven't been arrested yet.

Ok, I have read every post in this thread with amusement, as with so many other threads in the past discussing the pros and cons of JoAnns and others. I'll throw my two cents in. IN MY OPINION, I have 3 Joanns all about the same 30 miles or so in distance, but in different directions, and I do MOST of my shopping in 2 of the three ( the smaller of the three but the largest of the three by far is also very pleasant to shop in, with several cutters and every time I have been in, at least 5 cashiers. I have never had a problem with staff, I usually stick to buying the premium brands of fabric, but occasionally will pick up some Keepsake, all my notions, iron-on embroidered patches, battings and interfacings, purse making hardware, and occasionally, a book or pattern. I NEVER pay full price, I go armed with coupons from Internet (DH gets them to his email too), the mailers, and anywhere I can find them. I study the sale brochure I get in the mail, make a list of things I want, and if I can't use all the coupons, I give them to someone else shopping that might not have them. I always rummage through the red tag table, and most of the time, manage to save an average of 50% on my total bill. I also have a 10% off total purchase VIP card, even on sale and red tag fabrics. When I receive a coupon for 25% off total purchase, I wait until that is good and shop then. Recently, I looked at Batiks which were not on sale, so I took advantage of one of my 50% coupons to get a couple of yards. In a nutshell, I do my homework to get the most out of the coupons and sales they offer. I rarely need to get something in particular that can't wait until it is either NOT on sale so I can use a coupon, or it is on sale for 40-50% off. If they are busy at the cutting table, I check first, then take a number and continue shopping until my number is called. I usually meet such nice people shopping and will usually strike up a conversation while waiting. I only had one mistake on a receipt, which they fixed immediately. I am sure lucky my experiences with customer service have been good. I feel sorry for you who do not have good employees in your Joanns. I would love to be able to afford to always shop at a LQS, but just can't. When I do go in, I usually look for the sale table or rack and only buy then. (Having just said that, I forgot I did buy at full price the entire set of 9 McKenna Ryan Home Tweet Home patterns and the background/sashing/border fabrics at a LQS on a shop Hop this year). I just enjoy the shopping experience, fondling the fabric! I don't feel I buy inferior fabrics, I check the quality, and so far have been happy with what I buy. I also LOVE Connecting Threads, and have bought a few times from Hancocks on line, but still prefer to buy in person. 'Nuff said-I'm going to bed to dream about the fabric I am NOT buying now because of my moratorium for the year(or until I break down and blow it!)

Agree, agree, agree.....

It's not the fabric I dislike but the customer service. There's never enough people cutting (usually one) and you literally have to take a number and wait in a long line. Then there's only 1 cashier when you're finished. I used to work there about 8 years ago and it has always been that way.

I shop at Joann's all the time. A few years ago they started having better quilting fabric. They still have some of the stuff that is not the best but they also have other choices for better fabric. I love getting the coupons in the mail and paper but sometimes I get irritated because the coupons do not work on stuff that is on sale and they put just about everything "on sale". I wish they would let the coupons work on anything.

Buckeye Rose, I am with you on this.... I also go armed with coupons to JoAnn's. It is VERY seldom I ever pay full price for quality fabric (.i.e. Kona etc.) alway's 40% to 50% off. I had my husband sign up for their flyer also, this way I get double 50% coupons each month. I have purchased fabric on-line, LQS, and Walmart also. But, when I can save 50%, I do it! Bevster

I learned a valuable lesson about fabric. I went to JoAnn and bought a charm pack just to practice using my Dresden ruler. After I practiced I was going to my LQS and buy some "nice" fabric to make my granddaughter a quilt. Well, I liked the fabric from JoAnn so much, I went and bought 2 more charm packs and I made a beautiful quilt that my Granddaughter loved.[ATTACH=CONFIG]388624[/ATTACH]

Everyone here as made all the comments I was going to make. What I have heard is the fabric may not last as long. I have a quilt that was made for me from 'heirloom quality' fabrics from an LQS, it was washed gently once and is only about 8 years old, it is very lightly used but has three tears. I have another one made from Keepsake Calicos from Joanns that is 15 years old, used very roughly by kids, grandkids and washed often. It also has three small tears, but is soooooo soft now. A quilt is only as good as how much it is loved. Enjoy the process, the hobby and the great people you will meet along the way.

I do not have a problem shopping at JoAnn's. I just wish the lines were not so long at the cutting table and again at the register. I worked at a quilt shop for several years so I have a nice stash but now that most of the LQS's are closing, I go where there is fabric if I need something I do not have. Did you know that Hobby Lobby has their own line of fabric and they also have coupons weekly in the paper and on line. We have the Road To California Quilt Show next week and I am making my list and checking it twice.