The better quilters' cotton is always....better! Some people think that hand quilting through the batik dyed cottons is harder because they are *usually* a much tighter weave. Other than the batiks, high quality quilters' cotton is very nice to hand quilt, some are even a dream to quilt.

If you are a beginner, I would suggest that you "look and feel" your way through a specialty quilters' shop. Make notes of those brands of fabric that have a very nice hand and feel really good to you. Observe the price per yard of these better fabrics. And write down the brand names!!! Memorize them! Then you can order online when you see a good price or free shipping and you can be assured that the fabrics you are ordering are the quality that you want.

Remember, that almost all cotton fabrics have their place in our stash; if you are making a floor throw for toddlers (or the dog) you can use those lesser quality fabrics from Joann's and Wal-mart. If you are making a scrap quilt, you can add in little bits of cheaper fabrics and even (washed) men's 100% cotton shirts from the thrift shop. If you making a very special wedding quilt for your child, you probably want to use the best fabrics that you can afford.

If you pre-wash your fabrics, you won't have to worry about cheaper fabrics shrinking or color running.

Just my .02 worth - up to .05 with inflation added in - lol!
Teresa

It's really difficult sometimes to tell how a fabric will handle, because some manufacturers pump so much sizing into it, so that it's attractive on the bolt. Then when it's washed, it feels and handles entirely differently than it does on the bolt.

I hand quilt, so it's a really important issue to me how easily they are needled, but at the same time I don't want to work with the equivalent of tissue paper. I also don't like to work with fabrics with the tendency to ravel wildly. Threads per square inch ....... well you'd think that would tell the story entirely, but it doesn't. I've worked with some high thread count fabrics easy and had a horrible time with some low thread count fabrics. They can be easily 'pulled' like a runner through them when stitched, and resist the needle. I don't know why.

I run across the gamut, since I do mostly scrappy quilts. I find the fabrics at *mart to be pretty cheaply made, but have seen the gamut run at JoAnn's from really good to lower quality. I know one of the pattern fabrics I bought to do my special quilt in I got at JoAnn's is exactly the same as featured on many quilting fabric sites at twice the price, because it's trademarked.

I've often been tempted to tuck a needle in my purse and run it through the fabric before I buy it, lol.

Oh, and it doesn't help that sometimes I pick out a seam two or three times!
Marcia

You can dramatically reduce fraying during the piecing process by starching your fabrics as you go. Try it--it really does make a huge difference.

Annie

And the fraying isn't always relative to quality and price. Some of my most expensive, heavier cottons from the quilt store fray more than the cheaper ones.

Amen. I bought a length of homespun and got so exasperated with the way it frays I put it away and used something else.

Yes, Annie, I finally broke down and bought a can of spray starch. I haven't used it in maybe twenty years because of the way it makes the iron gummy. I used the old fashioned liquid if I need to starch something. But, you're right, I used it when I was making the crazy quilt blocks and it helped a lot!

Years ago, when I was first making bed sized quilts, I made a queen sized quilt for my brother and his wife entirely with sale fabrics from W'mart. Later as I learned more about fabric, I felt kind of bad that I had used such inexpensive stuff. But they love this quilt, have used it now for about 15 years, wash & dry it regularly, etc. Use the nicest fabric you can, but don't feel badly about the bargains. You can stitch as much love into them as you can the $12/yd cloth.

I didn't start this thread, but I've enjoyed reading everyone's comments. Thank you from a newbie.

Salijo

I love fabric and tend to buy from quilt shops who offer quality fabric. Frequently they will have real bargains which I look to first, then I look to the manufacture. With experience you will find those that meet your taste. As to Jo-Anne's, they do offer some fabric that is reasonable quality so I wouldn't take them off my list completely. I think the key is to learn to feel, crumple,and read the ends of the bolts. A soft hand, wrinkles that come out after the squeeze test, thread count, and manufacture are ways that I check if it will go into my stash. If I am going to put my time into something I feel it is worth the best I can afford. Bad experances teach the quickest and most lasting lessons.
Take heart and enjoy, each new project is a growing experience. Jayne