Read the labels on the end of the bolt
 

I have bought many yards of fabric from Wal Mart over the years and have had no more problems with that fabric than with fabric bought at quilt shops. Last weekend someone on the board posted the picture of a Dresden plate made with bandana prints and when I saw five different bandana prints at Wal Mart, I bought enough to make a project similar to the one I had seen on the board. The fabric was with the regular fabric, not in the bargain bin where I have bought fabric to cover bulletin boards in teachers' classrooms, so I took it for granted that it was regular fabric and failed to read the label.

I spent yesterday cutting and sewing enough blades for four Dresden plates, 80 blades in all. When I had them turned and started pressing them, the fabric got sticky, especially the yellow print, which came very close to melting. It got hard, the way nylon rope does when you put a match to it to seal the ends.

What I thought and said is not fit for a family publication. I went to Wal Mart and pulled the bolts to read the labels, which said, "Made in India from undisclosed fiber content."

Mea culpa, caveat emptor and other reminders to read the label. I am taking the fabric back to Wal Mart, including the blades as soon as the sprinkler repairman finishes his work. I don't really expect to get my money back, but wanted to remind everyone to read the label no matter where you buy your fabric. froggyintexas

So glad you posted this experience! I have also bought fabric at walmart but will be more careful the next time I'm tempted to buy there!

I buy some fabric from Walmart for quilts but only from the quilt cotton wall. Most are $7-$8 a yard for the quilt shop quality. If priced lower and not on sale I usually by pass it.

A good reminder for Hobby Lobby shopping as well.

It is still a good idea to read the bolt. Sometimes people put stuff " wherever"

I have " assumed" that just because a fabric was with the all cotton fabrics that this one was, too. Not always so.

I also look at who is the maker of the fabric. Wal-Mart buys a lot of 2nd quality fabrics which are NOT 1st LQS fabric. But I noticed that even Wal-Mart's prices are going up !!

Thank you. I am bad about not reading the labels unless the fabric does not feel right. I bought some from Walmart that had a finish on it that felt like oil cloth but after washing it it was fine. I went back and read the label and it said wash before using.I will be more careful from now on.

Walmart buys all different types of fabric. Some excellent quality some not. I found four bolts of Robert Kauffman solids there last week mixed in with the broadcloth.

Oh my, what a thing to find out. India always tickled me being so proud of their dying of colors. Well they all bleed!!! I try hard never to buy clothing made there, much less fabric.

I don't believe you have to worry about Hobby Lobby fabric. All their cotton fabric is 100 percent cotton. Some are not as good, but that's very few.

I know the 'fabric feel' she's talking about. It feels like pretty good cotton so the stockers put it in with the cottons (yeah. I worked there for too many years). I learned to read the bolts a long time ago. Watch the solids.

Walmart lost my business on this a long time ago. However, I will keep this in mind.

it's a good practice to check the information at the end of the bolt no matter where you shop for fabrics.

this will be especially so if you shop in stores that carry both quilting and garment fabrics. those fabrics will usually start out displayed in separate sections, but they could wind up mixed together once they hit a sale table. check the bolt ends on any sale table to ensure you are getting the fabric/content type you want. [there's nothing wrong with using non-cotton fabrics in a quilt as long as you know that's what your working with so you can take any special care required. just check the bolt ends to ensure they all have the same laundering/drying instructions; and make sure to pre-wash all of it.]

buying solids or blenders? will you need enough to finish one bolt and cut into another? will you need more than one bolt's worth? check the bolt ends to make sure you are getting the same manufacturer, color number/code, and - whenever possible - the same die lot/print run.

no information on the selvages? check the bolt ends so you can make note of the manufacturer, design line, color/print code, and any other information you might need in case you find you must search for more of it.

etc, etc, etc.

I find that I have to watch the bolt ends like a hawk at JoAnn's because more than once I have taken a bolt from a section that said that it was % off only to find that not all the fabrics in that section were on sale. When I have found out at the cutting counter their response to me is that I should have read the end of the bolt and compared it with the sign to see what was on sale. One of the reasons I don't like shopping at JoAnn's is they mix sale fabric and non-sale fabric in the same display and expect the customer to be savvy enough to know the difference.

the end of bolts contain a wealth of information that should be checked- not just the price- it is a good practice to always read all of the content on the end of the bolt- along with price, fabric width, fiber content, place of origin- care instructions- it is all there if you just take the moment to read it. sorry this happened to you- but a good lesson for everyone.

I try to always read the end of the bolt but get so frustrated when the store puts tags over the information. Some times I just want to rip them off so I can get the information.

My question is about the bandana fabric- did this happen because the iron was too hot(cotton setting) or do you think anything hot enough to press out wrinkles would have the same result? This will probably determine whether you can get money back- most Walmarts will at least give store credit I think, hope so anyway. Hope you can find the fabric you need for your project-you should easily find some online. Sorry this happened!

To be the best consumers we need to get all of the information possible. There is a wealth of information on fabric bolt ends. In addition to this information we need to learn about store buyers and store practices regarding how they purchase their stock. Knowing, for instance, that sometimes designers sell their designs to a corporation that will print it on more than one quality of greige goods. There are big differences in the quality and if that is important to you it is your responsibility to know the signs of quality in the fabric you are looking for. A consumer who is well informed is a good consumer.

A few years back I bought several yards of fabric at Hancock Fabrics that had 100% Cotton on the end of the bolt. When I finally got it out to use it, it was a blend and not all cotton. Apparently, they use the empty cardboard and put new fabric on it.

I totally agree I always read the end of the bolt, not only for fabric content, but for washing instructions. I too just want to rip the tags off. When the tags cover some of the information, I keep checking other bolts of the same type fabric. Not just at Walmart but wherever I am shopping for fabrics. It usually does no good to ask the clerk, as many of the clerks do not sew and have no clue, many also have no clue when it comes to cutting fabric either. I have bought a lot of fabric from Walmart over the years, and found that the fabric they carry on a regular basis is pretty good-except for the "Spring" brand - I had problems with that.
I don't purchase what is on the sale and clearance tables.
I do the same when purchasing clothes.

Wow. Thank you for the tip. I only look to see if it is 100% cotton, and never noticed where it was made. Thank you again for being kind enough to share your experience.

I have had good luck with Hobby Lobby fabric. However, they have fabrics from different origins as well. You need to watch their labels so you know what you are buying.

Read the labels on the end of the bolt happy ending
 

I took the offending fabric back to the service desk at Wal Mart. The clerk talked to the fabric department manager who assured her that no refund was in order. I took the fabric I had left--all but six inches on each piece, along with the blades for the Dresden plate and poured it out of the sack onto the cutting table and asked the clerk there to move the fabric out of the places where the regular fabric is. She said no one else has complained, but I think that is because everyone else had sense enough to read the end of the bolt.

In any case, I happened to see the store manager as I was leaving and told him about the problem, that I really did not expect to get my money back although I would like to, and that what I really wanted was that "trash fabric" off the shelves with the regular fabric. He asked me if I would take a store credit for the money I had invested and I said, "Yes, thank you." He got a store credit card for me and quizzed me about where the fabric was on the shelves and what colors and said he would take care of it.

So, all's well that ends well. Thanks for all your comforting comments. froggyintexas

I found a great idea to make the ladies in my quilting bee before Christmas last year. I did buy half a yd of "undisclosed fiber content" at WM but was only going to use it to make a binding for a covered piece of foam board. I didn't think it would matter. I got the strips all cut out and sewn together. Then it was time to press. I thought the stuff had silk or something in it. Nothing flat it stuck to my iron. I'm still trying to get it off in fact. It never dawned on me that the stuff would burn so easy. I have learned my lesson. I will never buy that stuff for any thing...ever again.

I was at Walmart earlier this morning for scripts and went to the fabric section. I learned a while back to check fabric content. If it says anything about unknown content I put it back. I want to be able to put an iron to it without any problems with melting. I'm not crazy about using polyester unless it's going into a crazy quilt and then maybe.

Thanks for the tip and I am sorry about what happened to you. It is a good idea to read the bolts for sure. I have been reading them hoping to find American made fabrics.

I have seen unknown fiber content on some of their bolts also. Much of it does end up in the remnant bin.

wal mart by me puts the price label over the content label...now i no longer by fabric from there unless i can peel the label and read what is underneath

Thank you for sharing your terrible experience....I too will be more careful when I purchase from them.

Our store here has a lot of pretty fabrics. It's a good thing I always check the ends because most of it is from Mexico and it says Contents Unknown Well now that stumped me. How could they not know what the contents are?? Oh and this strange fabric is creeping into JoAnne's as well. So no matter where you shop for fabric ALWAYS read the labels.

Thanks for the warning and for sharing your experience - I am really bad about not reading labels but will strive to be more diligent in the future!

Well said! I bought a small piece at Hobby Lobby because it was a color I needed for a small quilt. When I got home and started to use it, the piece felt thin and stiff. It was RJR, but when I went back one day, I checked the bolt and it said RJR (made for Hobby Lobby) which told me it was a second or cheaper made bolt. I have seen this also on the bolts at Walmart. Just be careful when shopping. Hobby Lobby does have some great fabric, but it is in the quilting section!

So sorry you had such a bad experience, however, it's a good reminder to us all to always read the labels on the end of the bolt no matter where you purchase your fabric.

I think in the end you were treated more than fairly. It isn't really their responsibility to make sure you iron the fabric at the right temp. So, this should be a kudos to that manager who listened and responded kindly.

I've seen clothes that say "dry clean only" but they don't really need it. I don't know why 100% cotton needs to be dry cleaned either, unless they are afraid of colors running and figure they can save themselves and their customers grief by telling them to dry clean it.

Thanks for some very good advice. I always try to read on the bolt but sometimes I am in a hurry and neglect to read. Will try to do better.

I am blessed to be a part of Hobby Lobby. I don't mean to be argumentative, but the truth is that all the cotton I order is 100 percent cotton. HL gets send out fabric. When it's gone, it's gone. This is seasonal fabric. I have never seen a bolt of orderable cotton come in labeled unknown fiber content. And I do not make remnants based on fiber content. There are company procedures and policy I must follow as to when a fabric can be a remnant and nowhere is fiber content listed as a reason to remnant a fabric. At least this is how it is in my store location.

That is a lot of work to go through for such a disappointing result. I hope you do get some sort of satisfaction, even if it's a certificate to get something else.

Wal-Mart will probably give you your money back.

I recently did the same thing at JoAnn's - searched and searched for a "peach" colored fabric....and was so happy when i found it that i didn't read the label.....i was making a Dresden table topper, place mats, hot pads and pot holders for my Aunt...her kitchen is "peach".....when pressing the fabric acted "funny" so i did the match test.....and sure enough - it didn't burn, it melted....POLY !!!! Well...couldn't use that for the hot pads or pot holders...and had already made the topper and place mats. Won't be forgetting to check the content again any time soon !!!