luvTooQuilt

Well said...

ragquilter

If you are doing a swap then you must follow the rules. I think they may specify LQS fabric so everyone is getting the same quality of fabric, so the swap is fair to everyone involved. If you are buying for yourself then it is up to you what you buy. I seldom buy "new" fabric, I prefer to use what is already made (being green), so I never enter a swap. It is your choice to enter or not, but you must be willing to abide by the rules.

Quiltngolfer

My guess would be that they were looking for all fabrics in the swap to be of comparable quality so that a quilt made of them would look and feel right. Participation in the swap is voluntary, so if a person doesn't want to shop at a LQS, they wouldn't have to be in that particular swap. I like to shop at the LQS. They always offer a corner of sale fabrics, and I like to find great bargains there as well as regular priced items. I always try to support them because I would hate to see them leave. I also shop at Hancock's and Hobby Lobby which are in my hometown too. I want to keep the all. I loooooooove fabric!

nhweaver

When you sign up for a swap there are rules and regulations. If I do not agree with the swap, I pass it by. I have been involved in swaps where I sent in blocks, well executed and done to the best of my ability, and have received blocks that were out of square and the fabric was thin and bare. It is the way it is with a swap. I have seen some of the same patterns of fabric at the LQS and Hancocks or Joann's - so how can the "cake" moderator tell? If you want to participate, look for quality and go for it.

lynndianne

I buy fabric from many places. I get some for the local quilt shops (but gee, that gets expensive). My husband loves to drag me into a fabric shop and where I would buy one yard, he keeps after me until I have 5 or 6 yards of fabric. The stores love to see him in the shop. I have bought fabric from Walmart, Joanns and Hancock. Just check the look and feel of the fabric. I also get fabric from clothing I purchase at thrift stores. I work at one thrift store and when I see fabric come in, I'm on it. I've also gotten many good quilt books there. Oh, I also buy fabric that folks on this site.

Lynn
(can't have too much fabric)

pollyjvan9

This is why I don't participate in swaps. I have a large stash, but I don't always remember where it came from. I can always tell if it was originally a garment, but other than that I have a problem. I buy a lot of my fabric at a fabric outlet where the prices are VERY good, the only thing different is that it may be from last year or from several years ago.

bearisgray

When participating in a swap, it seems reasonable to me to follow the guidelines.

If one doesn't want to follow them, then don't play.

I think participating in swaps is kind of expensive - so one should probably be selective in which ones one wants to join.

gollytwo

I buy most of my fabric from shops on-line.
However, I also buy from Joanns and Michaels if they have something I like.
It is true that the big chains sell less than 1st quality, but I don't care as long as it's all cotton and not too thin.

Thanks for the link though. Distant Pickles has a terrific tutorial for a tube quilt.

Bneighbor

I purchase fabrics from many places. My local quilt shop has beautiful fabrics and I do buy certain lines from her. I also buy from Joanns , hobby lobby, and Walmart. When we travel, I will stop at mom and pop fabric shops and some quilt shops...I get "souvenirs" of our trips. I have found fantastic fabrics...wonderful quality...at great prices at both quilt shops and big box stores. And have found the opposite...low quality....high price. Actually stopped at a cute shop on one of our trips. Beautiful fabric but the prices were out of this world....one piece was 15.00 a yard. The woman was nasty when I questioned the price...of course she did not make a sale. Just down the road, the next town down, was a small Ben Franklin store (I thought they closed). There was the same beautiful fabric for 6.00 a yard. I got several yards of that and of others she had.
We all purchase where we can, and most seem to understand "high price" does not equate to "high quality", nor does " low price" mean " poor quality".
I am sure the swap is not requiring large amounts of fabric to be purchased by each participant...maybe your budget can allow a small amount to splurge and enjoy the participation in a swap.

maybeblue

I haven't always, but now I try very hard to only buy fabric now from local quilt stores. It's partly a quality issue, but more than that, it is also a recognition of all of how valuable they are to me. If I have a question about colors or binding, etc., I can go in and ask them, whereas I'd never be able to do that at a crowded Joann's cutting counter, or a walmart. My LQS sponsors quilt retreats and work days. They know me by name. It's a community as much as a place of business. I'd be sad if they had to close because they couldn't compete with the lower prices of the chain stores. It does mean that if I'm buying for my stash, I usually buy a fat quarter rather than a yard of fabric, but that's OK because I like scrappy quilts.