I don't go to Joann's for anything partially because I used to work with someone who now works at the local store and would simply prefer to avoid her, but also because some of the fabrics I purchased there weren't quite the quality I wanted them to be. The yard of flannel I prewashed ended up being less rectangular and more rhombus-shaped, as an example, or I could never find fabrics with the lovely, soft hand that I could at my local quilt shop. I also didn't like the weird pricing game they seem to play. Since I haven't been in Joann's for a few years, I can't speak to what they carry now v. then.
That said, the only time I end up paying $12/yard is when I'm buying fat quarters bundles (and even then, I'll weigh if it's really worth it to me or not). It's not impossible to find Moda/Kaufmann/Riley Blake/whatever at a lower price point, if you look around, or shop during sales.