Buying quality fabric
05-13-2010, 05:57 AM
#42
Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Heber, Utah
Posts: 2
Quilt store quality fabric is a higher thread count, and not more loosely woven. Quite the opposite, it's soft because it doesn't have the "sizing" finish the cheap yard goods have. The dyes are generally more stable (dark reds being an exception) and they will hold up better to repeated washings better than the cheap fabrics. That being said, you can always look for stores who buy "flat folds" (the short lengths not on bolts) from the well known fabric manufacturers. Although it's never this year's llines, you can usually get them for at least 40% cheaper than the quilt store prices.
05-13-2010, 06:12 AM
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Texas
Posts: 310
I recently bought several pieces of fabric for pillows from our LQS at $9.99. Then while buying batting from Hobby Lobby I ran across the identical fabric, labels and all, for $7.99 with a 30% discount.
Check your Hobby Lobby stores occasionally. They have some nice pieces at a more reasonable price.
Check your Hobby Lobby stores occasionally. They have some nice pieces at a more reasonable price.
05-13-2010, 06:31 AM
#45
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,281
Quilt shop fabric is not always the best quality. I took my one and only quilt class sometime ago at a quilt shop. I needed a fabric to go with the top I was working on, so got it at the shop. $8.99 a yard. It had to be the worse peice of fabric I have ever purchased. I took it all apart when I got home and used something from my stash which may have have come from Walmart. I will never bad mouth discount store fabric. I have quilts that my grandmother made in the 30s and 40s that are still beautiful, and she sure didn't use quilt shop quality fabric. Use what you can afford, and don't appoligize for it.
05-13-2010, 06:32 AM
#46
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Orchard Park, NY (near Buffalo, which is near Niagara Falls)
Posts: 3,884
Sara, you'll find, as you go, that there are a few brands that you prefer. Once you know that, then you can go and confidently look for those brands, whether they're new and full-price at a LQS, or whether they're sale or past-season prints that you can find at the discount places. If you're shopping online, then it's really very important to shop from a place that does tell you who the manufacturer of the fabrics is!
One thing I've noticed about the fabrics at JoAnn's: the designs lately are very nice... but you have to unroll the fabric and carefully inspect it, for 3/4 yard or so, to make sure that the printing itself is top-notch. I've found a lot of times there are little unprinted spots that repeat every so often throughout the whole bolt. If you're doing patchwork, you can probably work around that sort of thing, but if it's for backing or even borders, then you'll have a problem.
One thing I've noticed about the fabrics at JoAnn's: the designs lately are very nice... but you have to unroll the fabric and carefully inspect it, for 3/4 yard or so, to make sure that the printing itself is top-notch. I've found a lot of times there are little unprinted spots that repeat every so often throughout the whole bolt. If you're doing patchwork, you can probably work around that sort of thing, but if it's for backing or even borders, then you'll have a problem.
05-13-2010, 06:44 AM
#47
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Kansas
Posts: 530
Originally Posted by teddysmom
Do I get better quality fabric if I buy from a quilt/fabric shop vs Wal-Mart, JoAnn's etc?
Sara in NC
Sara in NC
05-13-2010, 08:25 AM
#48
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 33
For my first quilt I bought the cheap fabric and lovingly made a beautiful tulip pattern with black background and green leaves. 12 years later the colors have faded and it looks CHEAP! I really regret all that work I put into it and not using good fabric, it would still beautiful if I had.
05-13-2010, 08:26 AM
#49
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 33
For my first quilt I bought the cheap fabric and lovingly made a beautiful tulip pattern with black background and green leaves. 12 years later the colors have faded and it looks CHEAP! I really regret all that work I put into it and not using good fabric, it would still beautiful if I had.
05-13-2010, 08:26 AM
#50
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 33
For my first quilt I bought the cheap fabric and lovingly made a beautiful tulip pattern with black background and green leaves. 12 years later the colors have faded and it looks CHEAP! I really regret all that work I put into it and not using good fabric, it would still beautiful if I had.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
craftybear
Links and Resources
0
06-25-2010 02:15 PM
