Spinoff of "Bad Rap..." So how DO you tell good quality fab from poor?
#2
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The thing I notice first which usually seperates it from the good or the bad is the feel of the fabric. Cheaper, lower quality fabrics (cotton) tend to come from the manufacturer stiffer than others (you should be able to tell). It's not a death sentence if you end up with this type of fabric in your stash, but I try to steer clear of it if I can.
#4
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You can tell by the "feel" of the fabric. Just like bed sheets, the better quality is less stiff, wrinkles less, etc. Like everything else, you get what you pay for, but the better quality does go on sale.
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
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In addition to what others have mentioned, I look at the quality of the print. Often cheaper fabrics have "muddier" prints and/or colors. If you take some time to closely observe fabrics at Walmart and then fabrics at a LQS, you may start to notice the difference. I think this is easiest to see in floral fabrics (especially small florals).
#8
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Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
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Where do you live? Can you visit a quilt store near you and 'fondle' fabric for a while? Then go to a Walmart or Joannes and feel some of their 'home brand' of fabric; you'll catch on quickly enough!
Jan in VA
Edited: Let it be noted that I DO buy fabric at Joannes, too. BUT, I have been doing this long enough to tell quickly by feel whether I want a particular fabric in my collection. I find many more of those I do not want at Joanne's, Walmart, Hancocks (chain-not Paducah), Ben Franklin, etc., than I do at quilt shops.
Jan in VA
Edited: Let it be noted that I DO buy fabric at Joannes, too. BUT, I have been doing this long enough to tell quickly by feel whether I want a particular fabric in my collection. I find many more of those I do not want at Joanne's, Walmart, Hancocks (chain-not Paducah), Ben Franklin, etc., than I do at quilt shops.
Last edited by Jan in VA; 01-15-2013 at 09:48 AM.
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