I notice in all the exchanges and swaps that it says Quilt shop quality fabric. So my question is , is the fabric from Joannes and Hancocks considered Quilt shop quality ? Thanks for the help.
Sharon

I'm not an expert on the swaps, but I don't consider Joanns and Hancocks quilt shop quality. There are certain fabric manufacturers that won't sell to the "big box" retails, just independent quilt shops (Moda, Bernartex, etc). Those manufacturers are considered quilt shop quality.
But I'm just an admitted quilt shop snob..... :P

I found Hancocks does carry Quilt shop fabric.....Moda,Bernartex....etc.....

Some of the fabric at JoAnn is "quilt shop quality". Some is not. You can usually tell by the price. :roll:

Fabric manufacturers need to stay in business. With the decline in the interest in quiltmaking and fewer quilt stores, they will expand their markets or go out of business.

personally, i don't participate in swaps anymore. i got tired of reading the snide remarks posted by people who'd gotten trades they didn't deem good enough for their precious piles. i was also outraged to find out that at least one member was expelled from a swap because her fabrics and blocks weren't considered "good enough" by one or more of the others.

when someone insists they'll only swap for "shop quality" fabric, what they're really saying is: "i paid a ridiculous amount of money for mine, so don't send me anything that isn't equally outrageously expensive."
it's a country club mentality. it excludes and seperates those who are not fortunate enough to be able to afford to shop in "the shops". it hurts feelings and makes perfectly worthy people feel inferior.

i've said this before and will say it again and again and again: price and source are NOT proof of quality.

most of the fabric in the quilting section at hancock's looks and feels like the fabrics i've seen in shops at much higher prices. yet there are some who won't buy one square inch of it.

most of the fabric i've seen in joann's leaves me cold. yet there are some who absolutely love joann's fabrics.

a small percentage of the fabrics at our local walmart are just as nice as some i've seen in "the shops".

the only fabrics from my stash that have ever bled in the wash have come from shops - with prices starting at $9.99 per yard. some have shrunk, too. a friend of mine paid top dollar for a shop fabric that's so cheesy, i recommended she put a layer of muslin under it for stability.

i received two name brand fabrics that had starting prices of $9.99 per yard. if i hadn't gotten them for a rock-bottom closeout price, i'd have sent them straight back - that's how thin and flimsy they are. if i'd seen them first in person, i wouldn't have paid a dollar for either.

while i'll admit there are other "issues" with walmart fabrics, not one has ever bled on me, and only one has ever shrunk. (not counting the stuff that starts at a dollar a yard. you never know what's going to happen when that goes into the wash.)

no matter what you get, you'd find a line of people who love it ... and another who will turn up their noses in contempt.

buy what YOU like and what YOU can afford. don't worry about anybody else's opinion.

I am a quilt shop snob too.

I don't participate in the swaps so I don't know anything about the rules of fabric.

Sybil

I am hoping that will not happen this time....... :? I would be happy to get fabric from either store. Even from walmart. The walmart in Dumas doesnt have good fabric anymore. Thats why I HAVE to shop at the LQS but I did find Alco have some good fabric. They even have Debbie Mum and some other well known lines for ALOT less.

How about a snob swap and then a everyone else swap? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Sorry was trying to be funny :twisted:

Oh heck, I don't have any of those stores close to me so I have to buy online at "quilt shops" I am considering that to be quilt shop quality especially based on what I have to pay for it. I have seen some of the same stuff that I see on line at Walmart..so who knows???

I play in the swaps to have fun, when that stops happening, I'll stop playing. I'm not a snob of any shape, form or fashion. You play nice with me and I'll play nice with you! :lol: When I want to seriously build my stash...I'll do my own shopping. :wink:

i may not have made clear that i know not everybody who chooses to shop only in "the shops" is a snob. they are fortunate in being able to buy where and what they prefer. they know that and do not ever look down on, or make fun of, others who are not so lucky. they are also gracious enough to accept "non-shop" fabrics with as many thanks as they do the pricey items. that describes the vast majority of our shop-hopping members, by the way.

i was fuming only about the few whose attitudes and comments turned me off to swaps.

i think the "everyone else" swap is a great idea. the question is whether or not we can recruit a volunteer to do all the work that goes into coordinating any kind of swap.

you definitely can't count on me. i'm unreliable. sometimes i get things into the mail in a flash. other times people have waited an awfully long time for what i owed them. :oops:

Okay ditto on the quilt shop fabric bleeding like mad. Oh it makes me crazy to wash and rise something over and over and over and still having it making a bloody mess in the sink. (grumble, grumble).

If Hancocks now carry Moda, I'll shop there! I didn't know that. I'm addicted to Moda and their designers (Fig Tree and 3 Sisters, especially).
I "try" not to pay $9 a yard. I'll wait for a line until it's on closeout, 30% + off.
I'll shop for my wide backs at Joanns. While I was there, I was surprised at some of the prices. They have gone up since last looking. There are some at $9 a yard.
I'll buy some of the licensed stuff at Walmart. I did have one experience with their fabric that I didn't like. I made a top with Avlyn's Zzoom fabric. I used the checkered flag as a border. For the backing, I found a different checker flag at Walmart. The first wash, the Walmart fabric faded from black to gray, whereas the Avlyn was still dark black.
As a machine quilters, I found that buying quality fabric from a quilt shop doesn't guarantee a good piecer. I've seen some badly pieced tops from quilt shop quality fabric.
When first starting to quilt. I shopped exclusively at Joanns. Mainly for the prices. I didn't want to pay more if I were to mess up. Took the stress out of piecing. If I screwed it up, I wasn't out too much. I'll still shop there if I'm trying a new pattern. Just did one recently like that.
Sometimes I wish I didn't discover Moda. Then all the new fabric lines they come out with wouldn't always be screaming my name!! :lol:

I find I can tell the difference but it doesn't matter to me. I use whatever I get my hands on. Yes, the qs quality feels nicer but when you need to live within a budget, you shop Joann's and Wal-Mart too.

I make my quilts to be loved and used, so I just want something appealing to the recipient. Swaps, this is my first, we'll see how it goes. I know that I'm like Patrice, sometimes life gets in the way and you get slow and other times, I'm fast to the post office. I just pick swaps far between.

I stopped participating in swaps, not because of fabric quality, but because, after three trips through the washer, I could still not get rid of the stale cigarette smell in the last fabrics I received. :shock:

As for quality, if the receiver does not want to use "inferior" grade fabrics in a quilt, they can use it for trying new blocks or techniques, a pet quilt, or swap it again with someone else. It's that old looking a gift horse in the mouth thing as far as I'm concerned.

The Hancocks I go to doesn't have good quality fabrics. They use to but now they don't. You can feel the difference.

I am a batik fanatic and it is hard to find good batiks at Joannes or Hancocks.

Batiks are over dyed and should be washed before using because most (not all) of them will run. I use a color catcher sheet in my wash when I put them in. The color catcher comes out a gorgeous color and I send them to my friend who is an art teacher. Her students use them to make collages.

I love Moda fabrics too.

Sybil

Hancock's of Paducah, KY is well known in the quilting world and their quilting fabric is the same you'd find in any "quilt shop". Just make sure you're shopping in the quilt fabric section.

http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/

Hmmmm sounds like me, get busy being busy LOL
I understood what you were saying. I know everyone is NOT a snob just trying to get people to look at themselves. :wink:


Moda hmmm how to put this I refuse to buy their products due to personal political reasons. I will leave it at that.
Yeap LOVE their fabric but ..........

I am rather new to Quilting Board and have found most of my postings to be ignored, i.e., not commented on. I have sent several personal messages and got wonderful, quick replies. I love the QB and have kept my mouth mostly shut and learned a lot. But this subject is near and dear to my heart. I am a fulltime RVer, 62 years old, who learned to quilt in a campground recreation room several years ago. I am told the quilts I have made are beautiful and even sold one for $300, which totally blew my mind. We had a JoAnn's closeby. I had never sewn ANYTHING prior to the quilting and was amazed at the beauty and quality of fabrics from JoAnn's. Then, I got to go to a real quilt shop and was just in awe...still am, usually, when in a quilt shop. I am also amazed at the differences from one quilt shop to another! And, of course, we also bought fabric from the local WalMart. Now, I am on a very low, fixed income which prevents me from most activities. Making a quilt, even with WalMart fabric, is quite an expense for me. What I was taught was to look at the fabric, feel it, and choose good fabric...wherever I might be. I, personally, think that is the key. I do join a few swaps on another board, but usually go to a quilt shop for fabrics (fqs) I send in, if I possibly can. If I make blocks to swap, I use a combination from my stash (a lot of that was gifted to me by other quilters when I first started quilting). When I join a swap, I always wonder if what I send in will be good enough. I wonder if my blocks will be good enough. (I often include a note saying if they don't think my entry is of good enough quality to either keep it, toss it, or return it...they never have.) Judging by what I have gotten back, my blocks are as good as most I receive. My fabric is, too.

Having said all that, I might also add that I know exactly what Patrice was saying and was so appreciative of someone else saying it! Moving around a lot, I try to find local groups to quilt with. One thing I have found over and over are the quilters who are authorities in their own minds. For instance, I walked in the local Sr. Center a month or so ago to check out their quilt group. Three ladies were there...one was labeling pictures in photo albums, one was sewing buttons on an old shirt, and one was actually handling quilts (not sure what she was actually doing!). They welcomed me and wanted me to start coming to join them. And the only one handling quilts let me know in no uncertain terms that she would teach me how to quilt correctly. Now, she had not seen any of my work, my fabric, or my tools, yet she assumed I needed her to teach me. Don't get me wrong. I learn from every quilter I meet. Mostly from the ones who are not trying to teach me anything, but are just doing a wonderful job on things they are doing their way. Or sometimes from the ones who are doing a really poor job on something, I learn what not to do. And I have even had some thank me for what they learned from me!

There are all qualities of fabric, tools, quilts, and quilters. But I find you have to pick and choose among all of those.

Thanks for listening. I hope I haven't talked too much or offended anyone. I find the folks on this board to be wonderful, friendly, and helpful and I appreciate every one of you. Right now, I am not getting to do much sewing or anything else and it's wonderful watching you folks and getting great ideas from you.

Happy Holidays to all with warm, quilty hugs!

Goodness, Lynda, please don't be hurt or take offense when people don't respond to your posts. It's never ever intentional. Sometimes this board is so active I miss half of the messages.

I am not a fabric snob. I am a cheapskate. However, I have found that www.thousandsofbolts.com carries the "name brand" fabrics at Walmart prices, and I have never been disappointed in the fabric or service, so I like to shop there. One thing about LQS fabrics is that they tend to be prettier and develop new lines of fabric more frequently.

Think of the fabrics that our grandmothers used... they weren't even close to the quality of Cranston/VIP.

And Cranston/VIP are wonderful suppporters of their military reservist employees and their families, so I like supporting them! :thumbup:

Cathe, my feelings were not hurt and I was not offended when my posts didn't get commented on. I don't comment on a LOT of stuff I read here...whether I am impressed or disagree! I have always felt welcome here, even when I had not posted at all! Of course, now that I have put my two cents worth in.... :lol:

The quality of the fabric depends on the goods that it is printed on and generally, the printed goods done for the discount stores is of a cheaper base fabric than that for the quilt shops..

Now, that being said.. you will find good fabric in a discount store.. I recently purchased 200 thread count solids at Hancocks and I cant even find a thread count that high in a quilt shop..

So, what I do is look at all of the sources and buy the best where I find it.

I have a small online fabric shop and I do the same when selecting fabrics for my store.. I must feel the fabric before purchase..I have had some nice fabric and some not so nice straight from the manufacturer.

If you purchase a nice fabric for you swap, who will know where you got it?

I guess I'll add my two cents. I purchase fabric where ever I find something I like. I am a handquilter so I go mainly by touch. I love batics but only use them in something that will be machine quilted as they are hard to hand quilt through. It is getting to the point where JoAnns is the only fabric outlet in our area. There are a few shops within a 30 mile area of my home so I indulge on occasion. JoAnns has begun to carry a much better range of price and quality. I always consider where the quilt will end up and who will be caring for it in the future. I only give handquilted items to those who will treat them with a little respect. I make a lot of Linus and other chairity quilts. Those I make of decent but not necessarily "quilt shop " quality fabrics. I expect the recipient to be able to use the quilt not "frame" it.

ooooooooooo ... please keep dropping your pennies in whenever it strikes your fancy.

i think i might "know" why your own posts go so often unanswered. some of us have gotten into the very bad habit of going straight to the "Recent Topics" link at the top of the board page instead of checking through each of the board's topic categories to see the latest posts. (yep. i'm embarrassed to admit that "we" includes "me".)

it's a quick way to catch theeeeeee most recent posts, but things are added so quickly and so often on some days, that a post made in the morning can get pushed off the "recent" list by lunchtime.

i doubt seriously your posts are deliberately ignored by the others. i'll bet they are accidentally missed. tsk tsk tsk, wagging fingers and shame on those of us who have gotten lazy. :shock:

mpspeedy, you make a very good point..

you really need to take into consideration the end result for the quilt.. I have a friend who buys cheap JoAnns fabric for teaching...

However, if the discussion is "what is good for a swap" , Then you should seek out a good quality fabric.. but, it doesnt matter where its purchased..

Well I am in trouble all the way around then. lol I just bought a thousand or so yards at two auctions. rofl some have brand names and some don't and they all came from a quilt shop that closed. Oh well other than a few they are all very nice and if someone else don't like them to bad. Everyone has their opinion and should not condemn others for theirs. We all have some type of restriction on our buying powers and be it small or large we still love our fabrics and will continue to quilt. If i receive something in a swap that I don't like in any form i just put it aside to use with something else or to put in scraps that I donate. I would never hurt anothers feelings over something as simple as a square of fabric or even a block. Can always make another one myself . So everyone please play nice and keep that fabric moving and feeling loved.

Wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS

((((((HUGS)

Linda

I worked for Jo-anns and know for a fact they buy mostly 2nds in the fabric. End of bolts/runs. They buy the same fabs that Walmart does.
I do think that some of the newer quilting fabs are of better quality.
look for the ID of manf. by the printing on the side of the fab... I am not a fabric snob... but try to use only 100% cottons no matter where I buy them..I work to hard on my quilts to use a cheap fabric.

I think it's just awful that someone would be expelled due to their workmanship or choice of fabrics! We are all at different levels of quilting expertise & we need to remember that at all times. I can't imagine the hurt that person had to feel because of that. I think that was inexcusable!

I just finished a round robin where some of us were "experts" & some of us were "beginners". In the end we didn't care, it was fun to see what we ended up with in the end. I've been quilting seriously nearly 30 years now & I still felt intimidated by some of the rounds I had to do. I wanted it to be "just right" so badly. Everyone that received my rounds were so happy with the work it was like a huge weight was lifted off of my shoulders.

The cigarette smoke smell is something I can't tolerate either. It makes me queasy to smell it, so that is the number one reason I don't participate in swaps unless it's listed as non-smokers only.
I think it would be a great idea to catagorize the swaps a little & everyone can join the one that appeals to them. ie: smokers or non-smokers, batiks, 30's fabrics, by tone or color, etc. Lots of ways to have a successful swap!

I know what it feels like to walk into a situation & have everyone "assume" I don't know what I'm doing. If I don't know what to do in a situation I'll ask, but don't assume I'm ignorant! That can be very demeaning! It can also turn a person off from trying anymore. I like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt & give them confidence. I had one gal who used to be in our quilt guild & when I did ask a question, if she was nearby she would actually "shush" me!!!! I finally told her I thought she was one of the rudest persons I had ever met, & she had no right to tell me to shush! She never did it again! I'm a believer there is no such thing as a stupid question! Obviously she was not of like mind!!!

OK my turn on the soap box is over! LOL Everyone enjoy their projects!

I have asthma and it is not just the cigarette smoke that bothers me, but also cat hair. I love cats but I am terribly allergic to anything that has to do with cats. That is the main reason I don't do any kind of swaps.

Sybil

And so many of us quilters have cats! Mine, fortunately stay off the counters & tables... Thus my fabric!

Which is why I won't be doing any swapping. :D

Even if they don't get on the counters and tables their hair probably does if it is anything like my dog. He stays on the floor but his hair is everywhere.

Sybil

All this makes me want to drop out of swaps and rr's....but I've made up my mind that if someone doesn't like what I have to offer thats their problem.............as usual mean people suck :roll: :roll: :roll: :? :? :lol: :lol: 8) 8)

Good for you. Do what makes you happy. :D

Sybil

I have been following this topic without commenting but --- oh, dear!

I am about to begin my first row robin quilt and I'm nervous enough about being creative and doing a good job. Now I have to worry over whether my fabric is good enough or not!

Years ago I got into a debate over making baby quilts. This one woman said that she spent "X" amount of money per quilt to make sure she got "good" fabric. When I told her I could make several baby quilts for that amount of money, she looked down her nose at me and said that the quilts I made were probably useless. Well, you can imagine how I felt and for several years didn't make any at all!!

I finally got over myself and went back to making baby quilts. (I made them mostly for friends and co-workers. It seemed like someone at work was always adding to their family!) The point of my "story" is that most of us are limited in the amount of money we can spend. But I feel that if I can make one toddler happy with my "useless" quilt, then I have done "good" that day. It might not have cost a lot of money to make, but it was made with love.

I also don't give anyone a quilt unless I know it will be used. So many of us put back "nice" stuff to use "later" and what happens? Our relatives sell it at a yard sale after we're gone....

This post has made me very sad and leery of participating in another swap. I am in the block swap to be mailed 1/15/09 and just have 2 blocks left and each is 1/2 done. The fabric I have used I consider good quality, but will others? My greatest concern is that the blocks are made well enough. A lot of the blocks were new to me and I did the best I could and I did learn things that I thought I could not do. Being a newbie made me doubt myself, but I did try!!!

BTW - my house is smoke free!! And I am lucky in that my dog does not shed!

Sewjoyce, that woman was cruel!!! I was nervous with my round robin too but it as also fun !!! Just have fun with it!
I have 2 cats in the house but they pretty much stay out of my sewing room. Just in case I always run a sticky roller over anything I give away or make for someone else! Great for wayward threads too! There are always ways to deal with things. Hopefully no one with bad cat allergies or asthma will suffer because of me. I would feel awful but I would ask if they had these situations in their lives prior to giving it to them. There is always laundering!

Sewjoyce your in the same group as me.......I am just as scared as you are but I know I will so excited about what you put on my quilt and holding my breath on yours. I am a beginner I am doing this to have fun and learn whilst doing. Now unless you put a bunch of santas I can tell you I will NOT be judgemental. If anyone else gets upset over my best then I am sorry, but if you want a perfect quilt then you need to do it yourself. This is about friendship and sharing.
As for fabric I dont care it can even be christmas print or whatever. It can be from walmart, joannes or that exclusive quilt store you have to have an invitation to get in LOL I keep coming back to its about FRIENDSHIP AND SHARING. I spent over 20 years trying to be better than anyone else and found that dont matter. Its whats in your heart and what you are willing to give to another. I will send and do my best and ifthat is not good enough then again I am sorry but you will not make me feel less than. I know who I am and how far I have traveled and what scars and wounds I still have open. I have no clue where you have come from or what battles you are still fighting I will NOT add to them.
I will say I have cats and dogs . I work with cows so there is animal fur in my house. I DO NOT smoke. I am also alergic to cats BIG time but whats a little coughing and stuffy head to a purring kitty LOL Yes that is MY choice.

In my case it is a lot more than coughing and a stuffy head. It is more like suffocating. If you have ever had asthma you would know what I mean. I have no choice but to stay away from them.

Sybil

Hey guys if the meanies bother you send all the crap to me. I'll give it a good hope.......I was a victum....no more...you know the old expression like it or lump it....it still pertains....we all try or best to send our best and that is that..........I'm not dropping out of anything :wink:

Good for you Ruth! Go get 'em! (The blocks that is, LOL)

Just for your info miss I do HAVE asthma. I understand ALL too well the not being able to breath. The shots and then the treatments and the nebulizers and the whole nine yards.
Remember never ASSUME anything about anyone.

David said I should just say
WHATEVER and move on LOL

MsSage I would let everyone in your group know just in case. They maybe can work on it somewhere where there aren't any cats, dogs, smokers or whatever hurts your breathing!
I always think of the show the Odd Couple when they do the scene about never assume. Good advice!