It is absolutely not necessary to use fabric from the LQS. The important thing is to find good quality, not the location of purchase. There are many folks out there who will tell you that because it is $10+ a yard and from the LQS that this guarantees quality. In my experience this is not at all true. In fact, one of the worst fabrics I've ever worked with in terms of fraying and bleeding was from a LQS. What you want to look for is the feel of the fabric, whether you could see through it or not, the way the print looks, etc.

You're in Olympia - not all that far from Fabric Depot in Portland! Sign up for their monthly flyers and you will get coupons for 40% off one fabric each week. They have regular sales in the store and online. Join a local guild and ask how and where the members shop. Join the email list for all the regular internet fabric sites so you will know when they have a sale.

If you fall in love with a less expensive line from a big box store, buy a small piece and wash it. It's amazing how much sizing some fabrics can have. If you have more left than a handful of threads, then buy what you need, wash it and starch it before cutting. Sewing it together and the quilting will stabilize it. Working will some fabrics will make your quilting harder. I have a borderline black in my current quilt. It isn't as easy to work with with the Moda fabrics in the same quilt, but it's not terrible and the color washed well. JoAnn's is tricky. The fabric wall is definitely a mix. The better fabrics are in the straight rows. Use what you can afford, but don't make it harder by using fabric with a low thread count.

TeresaS here is a recent thread about purchasing fabric a lot cheaper (not necessarily cheap fabric) than lqs prices. i have gotten hooked on my lqs fabric also but not the prices. i had made clothes for many years and used only the best fabrics so it is a bit hard for me to buy some of the thinner fabrics today. but i always look for bargains on price. i agree that you should buy what you can afford at the time. wishing you the best on your journey of learning to quilt.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...t178415-3.html

I just received an order from Connecting Threads that consisted of 9 different 1-yard cuts and some matching thread. The fabric is wonderful, exactly the color shown and $5.00/yd. And now there are two more collections that I will have to have some of too......yes, I am an addict! Even the sale fabrics are good at $2.96 a yard! I love the thread too, matching colors and my machine loves it.

Every time this comes up -

What if the only "acceptable" personal transportation available were Rolls Royces and comparable cars? And anyone owning an older low priced car would not be allowed to use the highways?

Sure - top of the line is nice to have - but it's not the only way to go.

Also keep in mind that the quilters before us used old clothing. I have a friend who does most everything scrappy and she buys a lot of cotton shirts at the resale store (during their sales) for her "colors" and then only has to purchase her background and sometimes borders. This isn't for every quilt but can work sometimes.

One of the reasons I seldom take classes at quilt stores is that many require you buy their fabric. I, like most, am unable to spend that kind of money on quilts and other projects I make. I do buy from them whenever they have a sale. Their fabric and selections are great so I do stock up then. This is an expensive way for a beginner to start quilting so d good and keep it for yourself. LOL
I buy fabric from Hobby Lobby as well as Walmart most of the time.

I think it depends on the project you're doing. If you're making a showpiece that is going to require a lot of time and effort, and you want it to last for generations, you'd probably want to stay strictly with the highest quality fabric. Most of the quilts I make don't fit into this category, but are made to be used often, and if they eventually wear out, so be it. I try to buy the best when I'm able, but have had to make a few compromises along the way. One thing I do is to look for good quality fabric that's been discontinued and is on sale for $3.00 or $4.00 a yard. This is especially good for backing because of all the fabric it requires. We've all had those sticker shock experiences at one time or another. :) Good luck with your class!

Try Fabric.com, Hancock's of Paducah, JoAnn's online, and then just google quilt fabric and it should bring up a bunch of places.