I do believe in supporting our local businesses and LQS but at the same time, I have to be careful with my finances.

I know there are many of women out there who spend lots of $ cuz they can, and will continue to buy what they want, as often as they want, with no concern for their finances.

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

I buy things I actually need to finish a project at the LQS. Does not stop me from shopping their sale tables though. Stash fabric usually comes from sale tables.

I buy what I can afford and I can tell you my budget just doesn't allow me to spend the kind of money LQSs want for fabric. I'm one of those who won't spend more than $3 a yard, so if an LQS can sell it for that I will be there. I don't buy it unless it's on sale. We all work within our means and my means means as inexpensive as possible and still be quality.

I rarely even go to JoAnns Fabrics anymore. Their fabric quality has plummeted to where I don't even bother looking at their fabric anymore. They don't have enough knowledgeable people working at one time, so you always have to wait in a line for anything. If you have a question about something, most don't know the answers or even where to find something. The Hancock's does have quilting fabric, but most is not the nice quality my LQS has. Prices are similar, tho. So I do go to my LQS at least a few times a month. They have lots of patterns/books, the other stores don't have. Also the LQS has very good people working there, that do make quilts and can answer my questions.

Yes, I'm discouraged with our Hancock's, which is closer to me than LQS. Their fabric has gone way up in price and way down in quality. As my mother used to say, "You could throw cats through it."

I love the sales at my LQS, a I said earlier, but there are about 5 shops, not all quilting but sell cottons, and I learned quickly which ones were out for a bigger profit. LQS pays about $4.65-4.95/yd from the mfr's so when you see their fabric marked less than that, they are taking a loss to make room for more new fabrics for us to oggle.

When I see fabric at Joanns and Hancocks that is priced the same, or more, as the bolts at the LQS, I go to the LQS. If I do buy fabric for projects at the box stores, I only do it with a coupon, a big coupon.

hi everyone, i have a question for you all. has anyone taken quilt class on-line??like from fons and porter?? if so, what did you think of class on-line??
all the classes around here seem to be at night,i don't see well in the dark anymore. puglover1

I shop at both LQS and Joann and Hobby Lobby. It sort of depends on where I want the finshed product to go. I have given some quilts and not even had the recipient acknowledge getting them, boy was I glad I used Joann fabric on that one. But making one for my husband I am using LQS stuff. If I am taking a class, I will usually buy most of my fabric at the shop giving the class. I live in a town with 7 quilt shops, so it is pretty tempting to frequent these, and the service is good at all the ones I have gone to. One shop employee spent an hour with me helping me find fabric for a class I was taking elsewhere, total fabric was only a few yards but in 12 colors. You won't get that kind of service anywhere else and I don't mind paying for it.

I am on an extremely tight budget, so i can only shop my local LQS when I have saved for a while. I do know that there are 8 or more quilt guilds in my county, and just 2 LQS, so I know that they keep them in business just so they are there when I can go.