I am so greatful to live where I still can buy beautiful fabric for 3.99-4.99 per yard. and YES it is great quality. As far as WM goes, I haven't checked in a while - if its $8 per yard, they can keep it, thank you very much!

Glad you mentioned this as I was wondering about the quality of their fabrics.

My Walmart has the pre-packaged stuff, and it is garbage. The fat quarter packs are of poor quality and not cut correctly. They are also full of flaws. The charm packs were ok... but I won't buy there again. I do much better shopping at online QS.

I would spend more than my allowance if I found fabric for $8.00 a yard!!! Our stores (not Walmart) have fabric for $10-11!!!!!!

Here, they are doing the same old thing, lots of fabric from cheapie to good quality. Problem is trying to find someone to cut it when you find what you want. Most of the time I give up and leave it on the cutting table, so they know someone had been there. This is the practice that led to them getting rid of the fabric because it wasn't cost effective for the floor space it took up. It would pay for itself if and only IF someone is available to cut it. They can't seem to get that through their heads.

We have 3 Walmarts within 20 minuts of our home,1 has no fabric and lots of crafty stuff, one has some fabric and they seem to have a person who knows what she is doing(young and learning) the third has gotten lots of fabric and supplies for sewing and quilting and a lady that really knows what she is talking about when she is talking all kind of sewing. I'm still careful about the fabric though as most of it comes from china, as that is what the end bolt tag says.

I saw some beautiful fabric the other day at Wal-Mart. I picked it up and it was $7.96/yard. I felt the fabric and it felt really rough, so I opened it up...I kid you not it was a black fabric and I could see through it and see all of the fabric on the shelf in front of me. I folded it back on the bolt and put the bolt up. Then I went to my LQS's sweetheart sale and got fabrics from $4/yard and up. :)

I was told by a fabric rep that Walmart takes the first few runs of the fabric. When they work out the dyes then the fabric stores take the later runs. That is why same thing but cheaper.

WE have several Walmarts within easy driving distance of my home here in Southern CA. But only one has fabric and it is staffed by permanent people who only work in that dept. Plus it is opened 24 hours a day. The girl there told me that they had done away with it several years ago but customers made such a stink that they bought it back and she told them she would manage it but she made them sign some kind of contract that they would leave it for 4 or 5 years. Something like that. Apparently, Walmart goes through redesigning or revamping their stores ever 4-5 years or something like that. It is a pretty good size fabric dept. I go there when I did a child's print because they seem to carry oodles of them.

I am coming to Melbourne in April and I have been forewarned about the prices for material so I am saving my pennies up. I want to buy some material there to bring back to the states. I remember finding Lindcraft there but there material seems to be like our JoAnns here in the states.

Walmart just isn't the store it used to be in any department. I used to love to go to Walmart and spend lots and lots of money. Don't do it any longer. Just so disappointed in what they have. But then, I'm not happy with Joann's either and those are my choices. Good think I bought hundreds of yards of fabric when I could. I don't think I'll run out, but then I like new ones too! Walmart is missing the boat and big time. No help! No fabric! High prices. These will lead to the demise once again of the fabric department. Plus the quality is downhill!

I was in my local Walmart yesterday. The prices seem to be about $4.95-5.95 range. I talked to the lady working in the dept. and she said her manager wanted the fabric dept. back and is doing everything possible to keep it. She also said that they are very busy in the dept. Of course, they leave a sign on the cutting table to tell you where you can find someone to cut the fabric. They had some really nice new spring fabrics, good quality. I guess it depends on what you are making that might determine what fabric you choose.

There are many good books on the history of quilting. At a recent retreat I won a nice one as a door prize. It features the fabrics available during different eras, and how they were used in quilting. The history of our current quilting evolved through good times and bad, as fabric prices and availability changed. If fabric prices continue to climb, perhaps our methods, designs and fabric choices will once again evolve, exposing new trends in quilting. That won't be so bad, will it? Polyester quilts may come back, along with textures such as corduroys and linen. We'll find delightful ways of quilting thrift store clothing. I can't think of a better way to empty my closets of the now vintage clothing they contain.

lovemypts that's always good to hear and I'm all for supporting all the LQS's. I'll check out your online store!

You guys are funny. Here in Canada, Im lucky to find anything under $12.99\yd or m. Yes we get a couple extra inches if you get it by the meter but some places cut by the yard others are by the meter. if you want better quality stuff you are looking at a minimum of $15.99 and up.

Yup I almost also posted about this. Crazy! $7.95 From the same brand there are still bolts at $3.95 on the shelves.

I would love to pay $8/yard for fabric, we can spend up to $20+ a metre for fabric. I have started to buy fabric online from the States it is cheaper even including postage.

Walmart has to be really really cheap or I won't do business there. the place also gives me a big headache

We still don't have fabric back in my local Walmart and don't see it happening either as they would have to redesign the craft area.

When I visit the US I buy loads and loads of fabric and the family joke is that if I'm lost on a shopping trip they will find me in the Walmart fabric section!! Here fabric is at least €14 a yard.... Yes Walmart fabric is sometimes cheaper quality, but I still use it for certain projects, particularly with my kids classes. Horses for courses.

I went to walmart today and they had 5 carts of new fabric to put out more fabric on the way.they also geting bolts at a 1.50 yard they don't know what the warehouse will send them. At 1.50 we have no fabric for quilting at 8.00 a yard here I found some beautiful cheater cloth that look like a quilt pattern in blue and yellow 90 in wide for 1.50yd

I make Project Linus quilts and I sometimes buy fabric at WM for those, but I go to my LQS for fabric for quilts that I want to keep or give as gifts. Some of the WM fabric is better quality than they before they closed the dept. and reopened it. You have to watch what you buy.

our walmart does not have fabric and dont like the area of the one in town

I got 2 b&w jellyrolls at WM last night on clearance for $1 ea!

i have purchased some fabrics at Walmart in the past, but when they brought fabric back it was higher in price and the selection is poor, so I don't even think of looking for fabric there anymore

ours have also gone up inprice but seems the fabs are better quality cotton has gone up also

Everything has gone UP and UP . WE have to wait for a sale anymore.

Wow You complain at $8.00 a yard we pay $22.00 a mtr or more here in Australia and thats only 3 inches more than a yard

I must agree WM has competition, but in our area my local store has only the fat qtrs and small 5" squares, in Manchester, NH. However, in Amherst, NH they have a full line of sewing & quilting products. Our Joann's store is horrible, they redesigned the store and the quality of the fabric is just not there. We have another fabric store in NH that when asked for Batiks, I found Died Fabric bolts being sold off as Batiks, which were mixed in with other bolts marked Batiks on them the other fabric doesn't have the quality of the Batiks name. This only shows you really have to shop around for good fabric. I have a really great store they have 2 small rooms filled with sale fabric which includes no less Top Line Batiks, this is the store in McCalls Quilting - store name: The Quilted Threads, it's a great place.

I would be so happy to get fabric at that price. LQS is closer to $20 a meter. But we don't have any fabric at our Walmart, other than precuts.

If the WM fabric is of good quality, $8 a yard is reasonable these days. Many shops are now at the $12 plus range.

I have two Wal Mart near me. One cut the fabric department in size, but also improved the quality of the fabric they kept. The other Wal Mart did not reduce the size of the fabric and kept low quality there. I have to say the service is really bad in the first one, unless there is a clerk in the department or the manager during the week, and they have to cover other departments, paint, home interiors etc. and some of the other department personnel do not know how to cut fabric. If a regular worker in the department is not there, I wait for my fabric till it can be cut right.

This is a very interesting thread and so is the differences between the WM stores, even within the same area. I live in Houston Tx and have 5 WM stores within 9 miles of my house. Two of them are equal distance from me. One of those two has brought back yardage fabric, a small cutting table and the fabrics are nicer that what they had before (they took it all away). The quilting cottons range from $4.54 to $7.49 per yard with the most of the stock priced at $5.49 per yd.. The second store (equal distance from me) they have no hint of fabric in that store...none. The third store, no yardage, just a small sampling of the pre-cuts. The fourth store (located in another small city but equally in the suburbs- 9 miles from me) has a large fabric dept. and they never completely got rid of all theirs.... the fifth store (about 8 miles away) but on a major freeway, has a HUGE fabric department, ribbons, trims, beaded trims galore, interfacing, etc. and sewing notions... a large sampling and DD and I happened in there as we were passing through the area and were totally wowed by their extensive amount of stock for sewists and quilters. We even made a mental note together that we would travel to that store on purpose due to their supply. I don't understand why the vast differences in the WM stores (even within a given area).... but I am not a retail marketer.

I was at WM in Newport News, VA yesterday to get fabric. The selection of cottons was good & most were priced around $5 a yard on the bolt. Also got several pre-packaged FQ's for $.97 each. This is the only WM in the ara that kept its fabric department. Then I went across the road to Joann's to look. Found the same FQs for $1.99 each and saw 3 of the 5 pieces of fabric I bought at WM for $9.99 & 30% off. You just have to go everywhere to get the best price and my LQS sells its fabric for $10.99 a yard and up. The LQS has the best and latest selection, but sometimes you don't always have the extra $$ to spend on fabric.

The cotton crop was lost either last year or the year before and that's the reason fabric prices have gone through the roof. Also look at how much everything has gone up. Our economy is suppose to be getting better? I don't know about that.

I have 2 walmarts within reasonable driving distance. One has a tiny, crappy fabric dept with cheap quality and high prices. The other has a very nice, large fabric dept. with good quality and the same prices. Go figure!

Had to respond ......If LQS fabric is so superior to the lowly walmart fabric, you shouldn't have any problems to tell the 2 apart.

[QUOTE=MaggieBB;4980238]We have 3 Walmarts within 20 minuts of our home,1 has no fabric and lots of crafty stuff, one has some fabric and they seem to have a person who knows what she is doing(young and learning) the third has gotten lots of fabric and supplies for sewing and quilting and a lady that really knows what she is talking about when she is talking all kind of sewing. I'm still careful about the fabric though as most of it comes from china, as that is what the end bolt tag says.[/QUOTE

I googled fabric manufacturers. I didn't find any quilting fabric manufacturers listed for the US. The US companies had their manufactuerers listed as being in China,Pakinstan,Thailand,and India, as the main countries, then Turkey, Phillipines, etc. Does ANYONE have any other information about the manufacture of quilting fabric being in the US or in NATO countries? I would much prefer to buy those.

I was in wal-mart the other day and watched as they upped the price of fabric that has been there for quite some time. Higher prices but no better quality. I would rather pay more at a fabric store and get good quality fabric when I am putting many hours into a project.