If you go to thousand of bolts online you can get quality, brand name fabrics for less than $5.50 a yard.

if you want quality brands do not go to Joanna fabric store, the first time you wash the fabric from there you are left with gauze, or very thing stuff. all the sizing washes out.
If you lived in San Diego I would take you to rose quilt shop: www.rosiescalicocupboard.com/

Check out your LQS, they also may have a reduced section, ask about sale events. EQuilter.com I found to be most true to color for on-line, but have had great luck at Thousand of Bolts, also for less expensive backings. Thing about on-line is you cannot feel the "hand" of the fabric or review colors/value placement as well.

Do not buy fabric with a lot of sizing in it. When you wash it there is nothing left. I usually stick to the well known brands.
good luck with your new project.

If you have a nice quilt shop owner, explain to her you want to know about fabric. She might explain to you, if she is not busy, how fabric is made and thread counts, etc.

I don't know what part of Maryland you're from but I am on the Eastern Shore and if I'm careful (ie if I actually look at the price on the end of the bolt!) I can still get good, LQS fabrics for less $10/yd.

I don't want to jinx you (or myself!) but I have bought a lot of quilt fabric on-line and never been burned by the quality.

my rule of thumb is : if you hold 1 layer up to a well lite area and CAN"T read a newspaper through it then it's usually a good fabric. I have tried the feel or touch method but so fabrics that feel good may not be that great once they are washed. I have never fail with my rule of thumb method. Give it a try, go to any store you wish and pick out a few fabrics that you like and hold them up and compare what you can see through them.

If you can almost see through the quilting cotton, that is not good quilting material. I see a lot of fat quarters made from this at Wal-mart, yet there are a few that is good. Start feeling the quilting fabrics, as you can tell if it is good or bad for quilting, just by the feel. It will feel skimpy or feel thicker.

GO MODA!!!!!