Where are the 108" wide fabrics in JoAnn's?
 

Made a quick stop at JoAnn's last night and did not take the time to ask, but where in your store do they keep these wide fabrics? THX

In my local Joann's, the wide fabrics are located with the muslin fabrics.

Does your Jo Ann's have a section for quilter's quality fabrics? We have just a small Jo Ann's here but I often go up to the one in the closest big city to us, a Jo Ann's Etc., and both keep their backing fabrics by the quilter's cottons. They are usually more expensive, like $16 a yard, and kept in a separate area from the calico wall.

same here. With the broad cloths and muslins.

In my Joanns they are with the muslins and are on the very top shelf and they only have 3 or 4 bolts, none of it very pretty. When I bought the piece I bought, It was cut so badly that I lost over a foot of fabric. They wouldn't take it back since I had washed it.

In my Joanns they are tucked away among other fabrics...you have to ask. And by the way they only have 3 choices all the same pattern just different colors. You would do better getting on line and finding other vendors.

Wow Karen - Consider writing their home office and raise a major stink. A foot off is horrible to not get some compensation out of it. I am very careful when i buy from JoAnn's anymore because they are more concerned about not giving up one single extra inch of fabric instead of making sure it's straight. I always buy an extra 1/8 to 1/4 yd to make sure, but that would not have even been enough.

Look online...there are some reasonable prices too...I can't remember who I was just looking at..Connecting Threads maybe or....someone on here will know.

This just supports my aggrivation at cutting wide backing. You can't just cut it off as the double/double fold does not keep it straight. So when you buy wide backing rom any store make sure they refold and cut it so you have a minimum loss. I agrue with my local store all the time as I usually loose 6" on one end and another 6 on the other. they usually say "we add extra for this" but it never happens. So be sure it is cut corectly. I usualy as that they tare the fabric to make sure I get ehat I pay for.

My JoAnns has very very few wide backings( 3 or 4 that are colored prints)... and it seems they are always changing the location.. I have to ask every time. The only exception is the wide muslin.. its usually with the other muslin... notice I said usually.

Ours has some in ugly colors except the white on white pattern. I was in a hurry a few days ago so I went there and got the wide white backing. Very poor quality fabric and just as expensive as LQS.

My Joanns had about 6 or 8 different colors but none matched what I needed. I check on FatBacks a lot for basic colors or even Ebay has a lot of wide backings.

well i guess that explains the mess they made of my wide muslin i bought last time then it looked like someone drunk had cut it and i really didnt notice that at the store just when i got home and started using it but i always buy extra anyway so it wasnt a big deal but wow what if i hadnt. sometimes i cut wrong so unless a fabric is just really expensive i always get extra and then i just have some let for my stash.
carla

I am glad that my local chain store offers to tear wider fabrics. At least I know it is on the straight grain.

I have also had the staff check the cut end to make sure it is straight, before cutting my yardage.

Years ago I bought a woven plaid, no excuse at all for being off grain when you have a line to follow. The cut end of the fabric was 12 inches off. This was at Walmart and the cutter had to come from the shoe department. She was not a sewer, but when I pointed out how off the cut was, she measured from the short edge.

It changes in my Joann's store also and I agree with others the selection is very bad and the quality is not very good.

I just bought some beautiful backing fabric from 5bucksayard.com. It's Northern Lights Southern Skies by Thimbleberries. It was on sale for 9.99 a yard and it's really beautiful.

You're right, I should. But I'm not very good at that. I just put it in my stash and I will use it for charity quilts. It's really not even very pretty.

I hope the big shots at Joann's read this thread. Maybe the situation will change.

in our joanns it in with the muslin

Don't hold your breath:D

I never get backing at Joann's anymore, I wasn't happy with the quality. I buy most of mine online. Recently found Backside Fabrics www.backsidefabrics.com - All they sell is wide backing and they have some lovely choices!

At Lolly's in Shipshewana, IN they tear the wide fabric to make sure it's straight. Wish they all did that.

Yes they are expensive, but remember they are 108" wide or wider. If you buy 3.5 yards of the backing fabric, you will pay roughly 56.00, and if you buy 5.5 yards of regular width fabric at 12.00 a yard, you will pay roughly 60.00. There's not much difference and you don't have to seam the wide backing fabric. Check out Connecting Threads backing fabrics also.

I just ask at the cutting table and they point me to them.

I just bought some beautiful backing fabrics from thousandsofbolts.com and marshalldrygoods.com -- and their prices were very reasonable.

Have you tried this site?

http://www.marshalldrygoods.com/

I primarily use 108" backs. I generally get them from Backsidequilters.com but you can find them at many sites; e.g., Keepsake, Hancock, etc. I found that most of the backing this size comes from Pakistan or China. Cottons from Pakistan, to me, warp much more than from other places. I've found this to be true on bed linens as well. I usually order 1/2 yard more than I need, wash it, then rip, instead of cut, at the raw edges so I'll get the true grain. Once I've done that I measure how much I need for the particular quilt and rip to get a piece with that measurement. It makes it much easier when you're putting your quilt sandwich together. If I don't have a use for the rest, I put it aside and donate it to a group that makes quilts for homeless children. They really appreciate the long strips they can get from my leftovers.

Lolly's is a must stop (and shop of course!) when DH and I visit family in the area. Love the lower level shop where markdown fabrics and "boat" load of fat qtrs are found. Yoder's is also a great source for fabric - love their expansion.

Have you looked online? I FABRIC.com has 108" and wider. They are around 13 a yard but I got 25% off and free shipping with sales and coupons. Also, 5bucksayard.com has 108 for 9.99 a yard, but limited selection. Finally THOUSANDSOFBOLTS.com has a good selection averaging 10-12 a yard. I got some great wide backing at fabric.com. Been pleased with everything Ive gotten from that store. Have fun shopping.

Don't count on people from Jo-Anns reading these threads. I've talked to some of them about some things that I learned about here, and they are clueless about things that have been talked about many times on this board.

Look around for the white broadcloth and other linings. We have to pull out a bolt and look at the width, since for the most part it doesn't have its own space. Most is white, maybe ecru too.

the JoAnn's I work at in Waco it is on the back wall on the right by the solids and Muslin. it is mixed with the 45 and 120 Inch ones.

At out JoAnn's, when you walk in and turn right, immediately, it's along that front wall. Not much to choose from, but that's where it is.

Has anyone bought the wide fabric online? Any suggestions where? And were you satisfied with it?

The 108" fabric is with the Preimum Quilters fabric. In other words it's with the quilting fabric.

mine has very few so i order from thousand bolts that has a nice selection.

Mine just has muslin the last time, a couple of weeks ago, I checked. Hancock Fabrics had some. I have ordered off internet now to get a bigger variety.

I have not been too happy with the wide fabrics at Joann's. They have a very limited selection.