soccertxi

I try to buy local first, but if I cannot find what I'm looking for after 2 or 3 shops, I hit the internet. I did that recently when I was looking for Dr Seuss fabric. One store had a couple, but only the accompanying fabrics, not the main fabric. The 2nd store had Grinch christmas flannel...nope...called the 3rd store and they had nothing. FatQuartershop.com got my business that day.

ckcowl

i really don't feel that shopping on line along with frequenting my lqs is (not being loyal to the lqs)
i love my lqs and go there when i need something -and when it's convienient to shop/browse---i also shop on line alot- my lqs is small- and does not carry everything---shopping around does not cause any sense of guilt---i always tell people about the shop- recommend it- and go there when ever i can---they know that lots and lots of my quilts contain fabric they do not carry- they do not have any problem with that- sometimes they even ask where something came from so they can get some too
save your guilt for something worthy of guilt

susie-susie-susie

I shop both LQS and on line. I love to look at my LQS and touch and feel the fabric, but on line is great especially when they have a sale. My stash is growing quickly. My DH gets nervous when the mail comes. lol I don't feel guilty at all. The only time I would feel guilty is if I buy the exact same thing by mail and then see it in the LQS. I try to support the LQS.
Sue

Rose L

Eww. I have very strong opinions over the prices of fabrics so I'll just bow out of this conversation. I do hope though that everyone finds great deals at home and away. Things are getting tougher everyday.

newbee3

I do alot of my shopping local that is where I got my machine and when ever I need help they help me. I find that most of the time I can get what I want right there. When I can't of course I go elsewhere.

lfstamper

I'm loyal to quilt shops online and local versus Joann's, Hobby Lobby or Hancocks. The selection and quality seem better to me. We have so many LQS that I don't pick just one! Do what works for you, no apology necessary.

Mad Mimm

I am very lucky in that I have four local quilt shops that offer good quality and a variety of fabric, each no more than 20 minutes drive away. If I travel into Portland, there are even more choices. I do not buy fabric on line because I can't feel it, and the colors on my monitor are not true to the actual fabric colors. Typically when I shop, I am buying for a specific project and have scraps in my hands I want to match with. I can't do that on line, plus I prefer the experience of shopping in a brick and mortar store. Notions/books are a different story but for fabric, I'm strictly an LQS kinda gal.

jeank

This sounds like a wonderful shop to visit. Please let us know where it is, your state has FL, I winter in FL and would look it up.


Jean

Posted by Scraps:
The owner is fabulous. She has her own fabric line - patterns - is in many magazines and she loves people and we all love her! We have never been in her store that we didn't get a "lesson" on something or at least a demonstration. She promotes her whole town - on her web site she encourages shopping at the town stores and eating lunch out at the local eateries. She has been voted Business Woman of the Year several times!!

Bikergma

I shop at my LQS`s and also drive 100KM to other shops. I also shop at Fabricland which have 50% off for members every month or so. They do get good fabric in sometimes. I have lots of fabric in my stash at the present time.

ghostrider

When you shop at a locally owned business, 60 cents of your dollar goes back into the community.
When you shop at a chain store, about 20 cents stays in the area. When you shop at a discount store, only 6 cents of your dollar remains local. And when you shop online, in most cases, none of it benefits your community.

I shop locally unless I absolutely cannot find what I need...and since Keepsake Quilting is 'local' for me, that doesn't happen too often. There are many quilt shops in this area, with a huge selection of quality fabrics of every type and all of them have friendly staff, lots of 'extras', and are a pleasure to do business with. They are always eager to see what you are working on and love it when customers bring things in to show them.

The friendships, the sense of neighborliness, that all means something to this small-town soul and is worth so much more than the few pennies I would save by doing all my buying in cyberspace. Do whatever works for you, but buying local (and that goes for everything, not just quilting stuff) works best for me.