What I experience at my local Walmart is all over the map. We bought a bolt (yes, all 14 yards) of a fabric that was special purchase from China- it was $2 a yard. I feel guilty about that one- sweatshop special, but it fit our needs at the time. Most of the fabrics I am seeing are in the $6-9 range, and I am glad to see the quality is coming up greatly, as are the choice selections. I never know what to expect- there is no consistency at all. I have to look at each fabric individually for quality before deciding to buy, but there are some real bargains in there if you know what you are looking at, and some that are overpriced for the thinness of the fabric or topsurface of the print (color that isn't saturating the layers and will look faded in a hurry with a few washes). It is a buyer beware situation.

Our LQS has from $5.95 to 9.95 a yard for 100% cotton and good quality fabric. Every month or so she also moves stuff on discount table to put in new stuff and that goes from $1.98 to $3.98 a yard.

Aside from the average LQS selling between $11-14 a yard I have seen some sell at much higher prices.

Our LQS has been in business for over 40 years and recently was sold to one of the employees and not much as changed regarding prices with exception of sale items going a tad higher but no more than $3.98 a yard.

Our local Walmart has prices similar to what is mentioned here but go to a neighboring town and it's a couple dollars a yard less and better quality and selection of material. Our local Walmart does not have good quality fabric even at almost $7 a yard. If I can put my hand behind it and see through it ... it definately is not good quality.

Wow..That is high for Wall Mart fabric...Where do you live? I just bought fabric from our Wall Mart on Thursday. Some was 3.97 a yard and the highest was 5.44 a yard. Hope it dosen't go up before I can get back and stock up.

Our Walmart had batik for $3.97 a yard! It was comparable to what JoAnn's sells for $9.99 a yard! Some of the fabric was junk but a lot of it was equal or better than JoAnn's. You just have to be choosy.
Leslie

Has the quality of the fabric improved as the price went up?

We need to keep in mind this fact: while we all quilt, that is not what all that some of us do who sew. Some of us sew costumes for plays which get worn a few times only. Some of us sew for children who wear summer clothes 3 or 4 months and they get tossed. There are legimate uses for some not so sturdily woven fabric. Sometimes I like a see through blouse. Walmart has never intended its fabric to be only quilting fabric just as Hancock or Hobby Lobby is not for only quilting fabric. Sometimes when we say a piece of fabric goods was so thin we couldn't possibly use it for quilting, it is wonderful for a sheer overblouse or some other use. Turning our nose up at a department for having a variety of fabric is like saying "I won't shop in that electronics department ever because when I was there they did not have a single printer that was suitable for my need." You know you may need a camera, TV, movie, etc. at some date. And sometime you MIGHT need a piece of fabric for something other than quilting.
Maybe we should just say, "I can choose from a variety of fabric stores (if you are among those so fortunate) and I choose to buy my quilting fabric at XYZ store." That sounds so much nicer.

Ours is not that high either. I bought 4 different kinds yesterday and they ranged from 2.99 to 5.99.

QUOTE=Jingle;4977110]Our Wal Mart does NOT have fabrics that expensive. I have lots of fabrics there, Joanns has some identical fabric as Wal Mart and just costs more. Buyer Beware!!!!!!!!!![/QUOTE]

I don't think the quality of the walmart fabric is good enough to pay their prices.
Judy

Walmart is able to offer merchandise at lower prices, partly because they go not have to offer the personalized service that smaller shops offer, even tho some of the items are the same as the smaller shops carry.
Because some of us purchase fabric at a store does not mean they should carry it, if it is costing them money to do so. And if it is personalized service we want, then we probably need to frequent the smaller shops. I never minded a wait at the fabric counter, if it meant saving $ on a good piece of fabric. Remember, it takes more than a few dozen people buying fabric to make it profitable for the store to carry it.

i was at our walmart the othr day and the cheapest price for cotton was $7.87 a yard !!!