Anyone notice that Joann's fabrics are better quality than LQS?
08-14-2012, 09:49 AM
#41
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: metro Portland, OR
Posts: 2,286
Prices for cotton fabric will keep going up, not because of the gas prices but because of drought. Many cotton farmers have lost all their crop and others are struggling to keep what little is left. Made in USA will become more costly. Wholesale prices have gone up to over $7.25 a yard.
08-14-2012, 10:33 AM
#42
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ferndale, WA
Posts: 586
Yes, JoAnns is getting some nice quality fabrics. They have premium lines like Denise Schmidt and Susan Winget, sometimes Alexander Henry, and of course they carry the Kona solids (great when you buy a whole bolt at 50% off with coupon). I'm cautious about their other fabrics. The old saying, "you get what you pay for." I guess if you making a small table runner for yourself it's fine to use the cheaper stuff, but a lot quilts I make as gifts and I don't want folks washing them only to find they coming apart. Regarding the prices going up, you have to remember that we had a cotton shortage last year and on top of that we exported most of what we had to China--go figure. Now it's coming back to bite us locally. I try to support our LQS but sometimes I have to cave to online stores if things are on sale.
08-14-2012, 10:51 AM
#43
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: The Finger Lakes of upstate NY
Posts: 3,819
Actually, the price of cotton has gone down significantly in the last six months. (see www.indexmundi.com/commodities/?commodity=cotton, or just check enter "raw cotton price" in your favorite search engine.
We had a Joann's superstore open here a couple of years ago, but they are not generally well staffed. If there is somebody at the cutting counter, there's not at the check out and vice-versa. I shop there for notions and batting, but not fabric. Our Walmart does not carry fabric other than pre-packaged. However, I have a couple of Mennonite stores locally that carry LQS fabric at much lower prices. Not LQS ambiance, but when I get the fabric home, it's the same fabric either way, lol. So I shop there, at LQS sales, or online.
To my way of thinking, many things count into frugality. The quality, my time, cost of gas, etc.
We had a Joann's superstore open here a couple of years ago, but they are not generally well staffed. If there is somebody at the cutting counter, there's not at the check out and vice-versa. I shop there for notions and batting, but not fabric. Our Walmart does not carry fabric other than pre-packaged. However, I have a couple of Mennonite stores locally that carry LQS fabric at much lower prices. Not LQS ambiance, but when I get the fabric home, it's the same fabric either way, lol. So I shop there, at LQS sales, or online.
To my way of thinking, many things count into frugality. The quality, my time, cost of gas, etc.
08-14-2012, 12:00 PM
#48
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Washington
Posts: 4,001
I agree with oh munner!
I don't think for one minute that JoAnn's has better fabric that a quilt shop or Hobby Lobby. In fact, In my opinion, I think their quality of fabric has gone from not too bad to awful. When you can see your hand through a piece of material you're NOT getting quality. Their prices have increased considerably, but their quality certainly hasn't followed suit by any stretch of the imagination! Not only that, but do they ever hire anyone who knows a thing about sewing anymore? I think that since the new owners have taken over the whole store has gone down the drain.
08-14-2012, 12:37 PM
#50
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Glenmoore, PA
Posts: 7,941
Well, I was at Joann's today to take advantage of their $1 off per yard on quilting cotton, and half price on the "better quality" fabric selling for $7.99 per yard. I got some of both, and as far as I'm concerned there is no difference in the quality between the two groupings. Then I went to the Red Tag section to see what they had. It was all $6 & $7 per yard.....for clearance cottons. Yikes!!! I don't have a LQS any more. Then since I had a 40% off coupon for one regular priced item, I decided to buy a new pair of my favorite titaniun spring handle shears. Got to the register and she said I didn't have anything to use the coupon on. I said, "Oh, are the shears on sale too?" She looked and said no, but that the computer wouldn't take the coupon on the shears. So I said, forget it, I don't need them that bad. She was determined to make that coupon work, and finally she did. When I got home and checked my receipt, she ended up putting the coupon in as AC Moore coupon. That is a craft store for those of you who don't have them. Anyway I got the shears, so that is good. The moral of the story is to stick to your guns, the clerks are more than willing to help. But I am not in a rush to return to Joanns for fabric. Back to on-line shopping.
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