What is considered quality fabric?
 

Hello there!

I'm new to sewing and quilting. I've purchased some fabric from my local Hobby Lobby for my first quilt. It was roughly $6-7/yd. As I read through tutorials and blogs, I keep seeing references and recommendations to purchase quality fabric. As far as I know, I should look for 100% cotton. However, I'm not sure how to determine thread counts, etc. I can look at some fabric and tell that it is heavier than others.

Thanks in advance!

Signed,
Confused newbie

I think you will get many varied opinions on this. To me, the high quality fabrics are smooth, tightly woven, have some (but not too much) body and drape nicely. Lesser quality fabrics may be very thin (see if you can see the outline of your hand under a single layer), have off grain weaving, have nubs or slubs in the fabric from poor quality threads) or are very stiff from too much sizing used to try to give thin limp fabric more body. If you have a local quilt shop, I suggest you go in and browse and feel those $12 yard fabrics for comparison. Don't judge by price alone however. Also look at and feel fabric from quality manufacturers like Kaufman, Moda etc to start learning the differences. It does take some experience and practice.

Jeanne is dead on. When I first started quilting I didn't know any better either. I figured cotton fabric was cotton fabric. Even though I had sewed garments in my youth, I never paid much attention to fabric. So when I started my quilting journey 25 years ago I went to my local JoAnnes and bought their low end Keepsake Calico stuff for my first couple of quilts. The fabric seemed fine to me but it faded horribly in a very short period of time and a few pieces of it went threadbare and seemed to kind of disintegrate in some of my patchwork pieces. After spending hundreds of hours working on my beautiful quilts I wanted them to last. So I started paying attention and buying my fabric from other sources than big box stores. I loved working with name brand LQS fabrics like Robert Kaufman, Moda, Hoffman of California, Timeless Treasures, etc. After a while I started recognizing the type of fabric I liked working with and paid attention to the selvage marking so would know what brands I liked.
Now I feel I can confidently buy on line based on brand name. That isn't to say I don't get the occasional dud now and then but for the most part I can find name brand high quality quilting cottons on line in prices ranging from as little as $4 per yard if I find a good close out sale. On average I stay in the $7 to $9 per yard price.

Thank you! That information is very helpful. Are there any online stores that you recommend? I am a big fan of Etsy.com and have found some beautiful fabrics there as well.

Oh yes there are so many,

Thousands of bolts http://www.thousandsofbolts.com/
Hancocks of Paducah is one of my favorites as they always seem to have something on sale http://www.hancocks-paducah.com/
Fabric.com https://www.fabric.com/
The Cotton loft http://www.quiltingcotton.com/cgi-bi...=frameset.html
Whittles fabric http://www.whittlesfabrics.com/
Old Country store http://www.oldcountrystorefabrics.com/

These are just a few. There are so many on line sources. You will have fun with these. Thousands of bolts only cuts in one yard increments. Some of the others are like that too but I can't remember which.

FelineFanantic named many of the online shops I use as well. In addition I also frequently buy from The Fat Quarter Shop and AbbiMay's. My favorite Etsy shop is The Meandering thread--found fabrics there I have not seen anywhere else.

Jeanne gave you very good advice on what to look for. I use a lot of Hobby Lobby fabric and have always been happy with it. I order from Hancocks of Paducah, Keepsake Quilting and Connecting Threads. I find Connecting Threads fabric thinner but have found it to be good fabric. I do sometimes buy from Walmart but they carry good and not so good lines and you have to be careful and check it over good.

When I first started quilting I didn't know how to choose good fabric. I bought a yard of the best fabric the LQS had. I based all other purchases on how it compared to feel and heft to that fabric. I buy from many online shops when I find a sale but most of my fabric stash comes from from Marshall's Dry Goods.

The fabric quality depends on the "gray goods" (base fabric) they use in printing the fabric. Some of the base fabric can be a poorer quality, rougher or more loosely woven, therefore the finished fabric will be the same. The better ones feel nicer and smoother. Just because fabric is sold at a quilt shop doesn't mean it's a better quality base fabric. I was told by the LQS they received a Frozen (from the movie) fabric and it's a poorer quality base fabric.

First off, I am not a fan of Hobby Lobby fabric. Thin fabric and horrible designs. That's just my opinion. Some people feel it's wonderful. My favorites are Connecting Threads, Missouri Star Quilting Company and Green Fairy Quilts. Green Fairy Quilts has the added perk of free shipping. In person, I like Zooks in Lancaster and Old Country Store. My favorite local quilt store is The Village Quiltery in Tannersville, Pa. Good luck with your search.

I seldom buy fabric from the LQSs because they are never open when I can shop. I work 8-5, have a 30 minute commute, and most of the stores close by 5:30 p.m. And Saturdays are cleaning and errand days, and are completely filled. I purchase fabric at my local Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's, because they stay open later in the evenings, but I have to feel the fabric. If it is stiff, rough or thin feeling, I won't purchase it. I prefer the Hobby Lobby fabrics to those at JoAnn's, and I can get Kona Cotton for $6 a yard.

I shop on line at several of the stores that Feline Fanatic listed -- Thousands of Bolts, Fabric.com, Old Country Store. I also shop at Missouri Star Quilt Company, Cotton Club, Sew Batik, and Batiks Plus.

Also, check out Craftsy. They not only have on-line classes, they have a store where you can purchase patterns and fabric, all of it name quality. If you purchase a pattern, check the store, as they may have a kit in several different colorways.

Finally, sign up to do the next fabshophop. You will visit lots of online stores.

I see you're in Houston. I live about 35 miles north of Houston, but work downtown. What area are you in?

I found a lovely quilt shop in Seattle who also sell through etsy.com/shop/under cover quilts. The material I bought was top quality.

I buy locally for my fabric. Fabric I've purchased online I've had to return because of worn lines through the fabric and being able to see my wrinkled hands through the fabric. Some fabrics are ok from Hobby Lobby and some not so good. That is why I like to play touchy feely with the fabric I purchase. I always buy extra atleast qtr yd to allow for shrinkage. I always pre wash each fabric. Goes into the washer before the sewing room.

I live inside the loop and work a few blocks from the Galleria. What is a fabshophop?

Wow. Thank you all for the overwhelming response! I will definitely visit a few local shops to become better acquainted with fabrics in general and also brands. Meanwhile, I will start browsing the recommended online shops for sales. I'm a sucker for a good deal!

I really appreciate the tips on what not to look for (stiffness, transparency, etc.).

I've already started reading lots of views (on both sides) about whether to pre-wash or not, and the same for starching. So much to learn and figure out, it can be overwhelming. My plan is to research and become knowledgeable on one thing at a time.

Don't be afraid to experiment, too. What works for 10 people might not work at all for you!

You live in Houston where there are many quilt shops within 40 miles. Visit 1 or 2 of those and feel the fabric from manufacturers like Moda, Blank, Maywood, Kaufman, etc. and see how they feel in your hands.
Go ahead and buy a half yard of one that feels especially wonderful to you.
Take that with you when you shop at places like Hobby Lobby and chain stores; compare the "hand" of those store's fabrics to the piece you bought in the quilt shop, and see if you can tell a difference.

Jan in VA

My only hint is if it seems too cheap in price, then it is probably too cheap to put into a quilt. If you have a JAF nearby, feel the fabric of some of their lower price cotton compared to the nicer stuff that is $12.99 a yard, there IS a difference. Just be sure to have FUN quilting.

Dear Confused,

The best quality fabric is the one you can afford!

I have NEVER checked for thread count on a fabric. But I do check for the 'hand' of a fabric - does it feel right to me? Lots of others will explain what the 'hand' means, my brain just turned that thought off!

Having said that, I have been able to find good quality fabric and not so good quality fabric in every quilt shop I've ever entered - even the chains.

I frequently use both 100% cotton and poly/cotton blend sheets for backing and have had no problem with that - so far. However, if you plan to hand quilt, a sheet might be difficult to use.


Good luck and have fun!

I buy a good bit of fabric at Hobby Lobby and Hancocks and have had good luck with it. I buy from a lot of the online stores that were mentioned, equilter.com is a good one also.

One of the very best pieces of fabric that I have ever bought - in my humble opinion - came from Jo-Ann Fabric. It was their high priced fabric and I think that I got it 60% or 50% off. You just have to look and keep your eyes open.

There are so many wonderful on-line quilt shops! I usually discover them by accident googling for specific slightly older fabrics. Fabricworm and Hawthorne Threads are two very nice websites that specialize in modern fabrics. Shabby Fabrics is also a wonderful on-line shop.

I have to honestly admit that if someone gave me a bunch of fabrics without the selvage, I wouldn't feel confident in whether it was good or bad. There seems to be an enormous variation in the hand of LQS fabrics, so I just go on trust. It usually feels very different once it's washed.

A "good" quality fabric will feel NICER after it is washed than before it was washed.

Although that is hard to tell when you are still in the store.

"Good" quality fabrics can still be good and have different hands. For example, Kaufman Kona feels heavy and rather coarse to me, but is considered "good."

I am not particularly impressed with the Moda fabrics I have purchased. I have some OLDER VIPs and Peter Pans that I consider to be almost ideal for my purposes.

Batiks are generally very tightly woven compared to the "usual" quilting fabric.

A lot depends on the feel and look that you prefer.

(Excluding the really inferior pieces, of course.)

Back to the original question:

What I consider to be "good quality" cotton quilting fabric.

It is colorfast. It shrinks no more than 3% in either direction. It feels nice and smooth. It is thick enough to that one cannot see easily through it. (Most fabrics have some "see-through" when held up to bright light!) The design is printed on-grain. It is wound on-grain on to the bolt. It has only a very small amount of sizing in it. It does not need to be starched or sized to be usable after it is washed (although if people like to do that, great - but it does not behave like overcooked spaghetti).

I so wish I had read this thread before my ill-fated Linus challenge quilt! I bought "sky" fabric (with clouds, you know) from my LQS and it just kept growing and growing! Of course, I didn't pre-wash it, which certainly would have helped. By the time I was finished quilting, the fabric was bunched and pinched and totally ugly. Of course it was on a deadline, and it went to a national meeting! I am still embarrassed, even though no one knows it was mine.

Final thought - listen to the kind people on this board and may you never have such a problem!

Here's the link to fabshophop - http://fabshophop.com/ You can read all about it.

Tracey Smith - I am going to be in Seattle on Saturday. Can you please tell me the name of the great quilt shop you found? Thanks!

I usually go by the feel of the fabric if it feels nice I use it if it feels flimsy I pass it up

I agree with bearisgray; if the fabric isn't color fast (& the thread, too), I don't buy it.

I will say that sometimes there are surprises in the upscale quilting fabrics that Joann sells. A client of mine found a Robert Kaufman fabric in that section of Joann -- with a 50% off coupon, it turned out to be quite the steal! That said, I've also bought fabric (back when I didn't know any better) fat quarters from Joann that turned out to be basically sheer (if you held it in front of your face, you could still see objects on the other side of the room -- they just took on the pinkish hue of the fabric). I ended up using them to make fabric yo-yo's. Really they were useless for anything else & I'm not even sure the yo-yo's will hold up in the wash.

I also look for frayed edges on the cut edge of the bolt. If the fabric is already fraying before it's even made it out of the store, it's not going to hold up well in a quilt. Someone mentioned novelty fabrics, so far, the best brand I've found is V.I.P Fabrics, available at my LQS.

One way I keep costs down and still get good quality fabric is to always scope out the sale rack/room at a local quilt shop. Most of the time they are not very obvious and I have to ask. Usually the fabrics are in the 40-60% off range. They are not much left on the bolt, the left overs from a fabric line, out of season, not as popular etc. I went shop hopping to pick up row by row patterns with a friend who is a fairly new quilter and she was able to get fabric for a quilt whose pattern called for 10 different fabrics all from the sale area of the different quilt shops. It was beautiful and she didn't feel like she was settling for something only because of the price. I always get backings for my quilts this way. I rarely get anything at JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby because of the quality and if I have to pay in the $12 range to get quality at JoAnn's I'd rather support a local shop where the person who waits on me sews/quilts and is anxious to hear about my project.

Good idea too is to start with a smaller project... like Potholders and Table Runners and Mug Rugs or Tote bags . You said you are new to sewing. This way you can work on the Skills for Pieceing the Quilt Squares, binding, Choosing Colors... ( pot holders need the nicer heavier Cottons..) and Mug rugs are easy to make and Quilt by machine.. Tote bags can have pieced Quilt Squares on the sides as part of the Design ... Table Runners can be made almost any size and all of these make nice Gifts.. as you are learning about sewing and Quilting... Table runners are good projects for hand Quilting if you choose... I have gotten some really nice fabric on sale at Connecting Threads, Keepsake Quilting, and I have found OK fabrics at Joann and Walmart. Local Quilt shop moved and rest of any fabric stores are about 1 hr away... Just depends on what you are looking for... and what you are using it for... Good Luck and Have Fun...

I use the fingers test, if it feels smooth, it is tightly woven and good, if it feels rough, it is loosely woven and leave it on the shelf. Ordering online, I have often bought at Thousands of bolts, Fabric. com and several closeout sites that carry premium fabric. I order select fabrics from Hobby Lobby often and it is very good fabric.

Fabshophop is a "shop hop" of online fabric stores. You have to register, then each month you get a list of links to participating shops. Click on the links to visit the stores, then find and click on the bunny icon to indicate you visited. Try to visit as many stores as possible because there are prizes, some directly from the stores. http://www.fabshophop.com/

If you Google "Quilt fabric stores Houston", you will come up with several that are inside or just outside the loop. Here is one. I haven't been there, but it looks interesting. http://www.teatimequilting.com/

If you're like me, Sunday is the only day I can shop, and there are only two shops that I know of that are open on Sundays -- Quilter's Emporium in Stafford and Pinwheels & Posies in Dickinson.

Also, Google Houston Quilt Guilds. You will meet quilters at all skill levels, and, depending on the guild, you will get to hear local to nationally known teachers. And most of them have workshops that you can take.

Also, the Houston International Quilt Festival is held here every year, and it's a lot of fun. You can go to the Quilts, Inc. website and download their catalogue. They have classes Monday thru Sunday of the Festival and the Quilt Show opens on Wednesday Preview night.

Once you understand "hand" (that's) how the fabric feels, you wwill be able to tell--most of the time--whether the fabric is worth the price. Don't ever judge by price alone or even by brand names. I have paid premium prices for some band name fabric that was wonky as could be when it was torn and the longer it sat after being cut, the more it raveled. And (drum roll, please) some of us occasionally use blends because they wear forever and never fade. froggyintexas

I have used all of the aboved on-line stores and never had a problem. I also use "Thousands of Bolts" and eQuilter. Always good fabric!

I buy most if not all of my fabric from Etsy.com. I stick with Moda and Robert Kaufman fabrics and have not been disappointed. I'm, also, what I consider a Newbie. Enjoy. :wave:

I buy most fabric at Walmarts and Hobby Lobby. I give most of my quilts away and it is goos quality. I go by the feel, I have not been unhappy with it. I only buy 100% cotton.
I have bought from a popular online store and their quality is good also. Last time I got a lot more than I wanted.Online says yards but it is cut at units and that was twice as much. Needless to say I will only buy from above sources. Colors are not the same as in person.
I only pay where the prices meet my money. Lots say to buy from local quilt shops but that is more than I want to spend. I don't see where it is any better quality.
I have made over 136 quilts.

Here I am, 79 years old and have learned to use my intuition and rely on my past experiences. You will gain confidence in your choices the more exposure you have to the subject. If you plan to enter your work in a competition, your fabric choices are as important as your techniques. Learn to judge by comparison. Study quilt magazines and online sites for well known designers and companies producing fabrics. They have a reputation to maintain.

Jeanne S. advice is 100%!

Best. Answer. Yet. :thumbup:

Jan in VA