Originally Posted by AUQuilter

You will get different answers from everyone! I prefer to touch the fabrics and feel the thickness and hopefully softness - maybe some of you also do the same. I have never touched a Blank Quilting fabric I didn't like. Other brands at LQS - I won't mention names- often feel the same as those at Joann's, WM... So it is up to you- my thought is- it is your quilt and do it your way!

Originally Posted by feline fanatic

I prefer LQS, Amish shops or mennonite shops and shopping on line. On line I have never been disappointed in quality except once with some closeout stuff I got from Connecting Threads. I liked the thickness of the fab but the printing process they used on it was heavy, almost rubbery. But I only paid around $3 a yard. It will get used somewhere. I have been disappointed in that the color wasn't exactly what I thought it was on a few occasions. Again the fabric will eventually be used, just not for the project intended.

I have been burned by Jo Anne fabric so will not buy fabric there. It faded horribly and did not last and this is in i a quilt that doesn't get heavy use. I will buy notions and such from there and batting but not fabric.

When I spend years working on a hand quilted quilt I DO want it to last so I will buy the best I can afford and shy away from the big box stores like Walmart, Hobby Lobby and JoAnnes.

Batting is something else you should consider. If you are handquilting I would stay away from W&N or W&W. Very difficult to needle. If you want 100% cotton you can try Mountain Mist, Hobbs, or Quilters Dream but QD cotton batting is very very low loft. Your BAQ sounds like it should have wool batting! Dreamy to handquilt and heirloom quality.

Originally Posted by DogHouseMom

Because you are doing hand applique I think it will be important to choose fabric with a close weave. A fabric that has a looser weave is going to ravel more and will make needle turning difficult if not impossible (especially if your new at it). The looser the thread count the more difficult it will be to get good straight lines and make nice smooth curves.

You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.

I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.

Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.

Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.

And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.

The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.

Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.

If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.

I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.

And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!

Originally Posted by DogHouseMom

Because you are doing hand applique I think it will be important to choose fabric with a close weave. A fabric that has a looser weave is going to ravel more and will make needle turning difficult if not impossible (especially if your new at it). The looser the thread count the more difficult it will be to get good straight lines and make nice smooth curves.

You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.

I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.

Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.

Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.

And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.

The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.

Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.

If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.

I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.

And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!

Originally Posted by grammy Dwynn

You will get many opinions as to where to shop.

When I started I also did not understand 'the difference', but with years of 'feeling' and studying, yes, I have become a fabric 'snob'.

Here is a article about making fabrics, to help you understand (a little).
http://quiltbug.com/articles/choosing-fabric.htm

Now, I am not saying that everyone should shop 'only' at LQS. Funds play a big part in what one can afford, and even convenience/location play into that decision.

IMHO if you are thinking of doing hand applique, I would go with the batiks. They fray the least when doing applique (my avatar is batik and reversed appliqued).

good luck on your project(s)

Originally Posted by DogHouseMom

Because you are doing hand applique I think it will be important to choose fabric with a close weave. A fabric that has a looser weave is going to ravel more and will make needle turning difficult if not impossible (especially if your new at it). The looser the thread count the more difficult it will be to get good straight lines and make nice smooth curves.

You should be able to see and feel the difference between a tighter weave and a looser weave. Some extreme examples are a batik (tightly woven) and a homespun (loosely woven). Or to use your bed sheet example of feel and look - the difference between a 200 thread count and a 600 or 800 thread count.

I CAN feel and see the difference in some of the Joanne's Fat Quarters I recently purchased for a small wall hanging project. I would not ever consider using these for applique.

Batiks are typically a tighter thread weave, and batiks are dyed. Calico's and other fabrics are screen printed. The main difference in dye vs screen print is that dyed fabrics the fabric is either in a dye bath or liberally painted on and the color goes through the whole cloth.

Screen prints use a series of die plates (large rubber or silicon material - like a rubber stamp), there is one for each color used. The fabric moves through a series of these die plates and is imprinted with ink on the die plate. The color "sits" on the top of the fabric, it doesn't go through.

And then there are homespuns, mostly plaids, and these are made by weaving different color threads - so like a batik the color is all the way through. These may still be quality fabrics, using quality cotton - but the nature of the weave lends them to a limited number of uses - typically not applique, but they are used quite often in pieced quilts. Although come to think of it, I have felt some homespuns that are a nice tight weave that I would use in applique.

The quality of the fabric has more to do with the type of greige (raw material) used, and the process used to weave it.

Some fabric, a lot of the Asian prints come to mind, are a thicker greige/weave, a bit stiffer to the hand. I personally wouldn't want to needle turn one of these.

If I were going to take the time to hand applique a Baltimore Album I would use the best quality I could find.

I'd start by visiting a LQS - finger all the different type of fabric. Purchase what you think feels like good quality, nicely woven, soft fabric. Buy a fat quarter of one batik and one screen print. Then go to Joanne's and do the same thing. Take them home and make small tests blocks of each of them - just cut a simple applique of a heart (has curves, straight lines, and points) and hand applique it to muslin (or the other half of one of the fat quarters) and see how each of the fabrics behave. You'll know more by working with each of them than you will from any of us talking about it.

And I have to add ... new to quilting and wanting to do Balitmore Album. You go girl!!!