If you only buy online, just go to reputable companies. Understand that the per yard price of the good stuff is now over $9. I would look for certain manufacturers - personally I like Moda, RJR, Marcus, Timeless Treasures, Kaufman and Benartex. You can get some good deals on Etsy on quilting fabrics if you look for them by manufacturer.

Why are some fabric backs a white or creamy color? I've had/have some and seems like really nice fabric-of coarse it's not been washed yet.

Read the label on the bolt. Look for 100 percent cotton. Then just feel it. If it feels kinda thin or fragile, don't buy it. You will learn with experience what fabrics are okay and which you need to leave at the store.

I find buying on line a challenge too. That which I have purchased has been good quality but I find it hard to match colors, get a "feel" for the size of the print and such. I rarely purchase fabrics that are of the same line/design but if you do the color matching would be much easier. I don't live near a good fabric shop and quilt shops are few and far between so I have a quilt "kitty" that I keep money in and when we travel somewhere, even if it's a day trip, I always seek out quilt shops and buy fabric there. By saving ahead it's not such a shock to my pocketbook. I crumple to see how easily it wrinkles, take swatches of things I'm trying to match, feel to see how smooth and silky it is (good quality fabric with a higher thread count has that feel) listen to my heart to see if the fabric speaks to me, and spend a lot of time himming and hawing trying to decide. Fortunately my husband is understanding plus he knows that I am going to spend time with him going through car lots, car shows and car museums in return!

I spent 5 years in nowhere North Carolina. Loved the people and area, not the shopping and conveniences. Our county was so small and remote, we had no fast food in the county and no pizza places - not even gas station pizza.

Anyway, find a couple of good places on-line and stay with them. I usually purchased from Hobby Lobby, Fabric.com, Hancock's of Paducah and Connecting Threads. Your best bet might be to invest in some color cards. These are manufactured by the larger fabric companies with actually pieces of their fabrics. The one I use the most - still - is my Moda chart. This makes it so much easier to find that exact right color to go with fabrics I have in hand. I have also make a "sample card" set for Connecting Threads basics. I purchased charm packs of all of the basics, spent a little time marking the squares with their names and numbers. Now I can easily match and order the perfect match for my projects.

Hope this helps.

I think the 'hand' (feel) of the fabric is important. If it is stiff it usually has a lot of clay filler in it which will wash away and make the fabric limp. Sometimes the shrinkage in the low twist yarns in these fabrics is to your advantage because it makes the thread count higher and the yarns more compact-however, you lose inches to the shrinkage. But, to me, one of the most important features of good quality fabrics is clear (not muddy) colors and distinct print technique. Sometimes the print is not correctly registered in the printing process and the design is not sharp and distinct.

I don't understand the seeing my hand under the fabric thing. I can see my hand through every fabric I have, even the best brand name ones like Jenny Beyer, Northcott, and Cherrywood, The batiks are the exceptions, sometimes. I go by feel and tugging.

grab a hunk of fabric, rub it hard between you hands. You can pretty much tel the quality this way, if it gets really wrinkled or limp, it's not too good.

Thank you....I do buy from Etsy and I do order Moda. I'm glad to know that I have made a good choice.

Things like wrinkling, seeing light through, and light and dark sides to fabrics are great indicators of quality or lack thereof. BUT as you handle more and more fabrics, your fingers will begin to recognize fabrics with the perfect "hand" or feel for quilting.
I have actually bought fabrics that looked awful sitting in my stash and the minute I touched them I knew why I bought them. QQQ, Quilting Queen Quality - a feel to the cotton that transcends even its color or print. Of course, its much nicer when it's found in fabrics that play well with my colorways. Find a cheap fabric (like cheap cotton at Walmart or similar) and you can feel the rough, coarseness of the piece. Hint, some higher priced pieces feel similar. Let your hands teach you!