Nancy ,Windham fabric is a very good line of fabric as well ,they do have alot of civil war fabric and it is wonderful ,feels fabulous and a good tight weave to the fabric and sew up great ,I give it 2 thumbs up .
EAT!! SLEEP !! QUILT!!
Updated: 08.01.2012 / 11 p.m.
Chart removed for next update.
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
Just an FYI Nancy. Timeless Treasures do not make Bali Pops. Those are from Hoffman Fabrics.
Here's and article from Keepsake quilting about fabric quality
http://www.keepsakequilting.com/articles/quality2.aspx
Kris: Just an FYI Nancy. Timeless Treasures do not make Bali Pops. Those are from Hoffman Fabrics.
Sorry, that was my mistake. The fabric I was rating is Tonga Treats by Timeless Treasures. Got my batiks mixed up!
Nancy, Love this thread so very helpful. I just came back from my LQS that is actually expanding and bought a lot of yummy fabric. I didn't pay much attention to the manufacturers as I went on feel, and color since I was in person. I will look to see if those aren't mentioned in your list and send you my ratings on them.
Nancy, I just purchased some fabric from Joann's which is not something I do very often ,but this was halloween fabric , made for joann ,and I'm very pleased with it , nice strong weave ,yet soft to touch , good color in the weave , I give it a thumbs up .and I don't do that to often with this fabric. Just have to shop and feel when buying from them.
the Second fabric I got there was by David Textiles Inc, they to had a nice weave ,with the fabric soft and good color. I am not familiar with this fabric ,but it appeared to be of good quality . I give both a thumbs up
Thanks, Jacy - good article and the follow-up article was interesting, too. I still wish someone would definitively answer whether or not the name brand fabric companies sell inferior runs to the the discount stores using their regular brand name. Is it guaranteed that if I purchase a cut of RJR fabric that it will be the same quality no matter where I get it from? And, for that matter, are all of RJR's lines the same quality? I bought some Thimbleberries fabric (RJR) once that I thought frayed excessively.
Nancy if you go to the fabric swap group ,and cllick on pages ,I have three very good articles there on fabric , that might answer your question. I found all of these online and are wonderful artlicles . Barbara
Barbara:go to the fabric swap group ,and cllick on pages ,I have three very good articles there on fabric , that might answer your question
Barbara, the first article [How to Choose Quality Fabric] is excellent! I hope all new quilters read it. Unfortunately, it only applies to purchasing fabric at stores. I started this thread particularly for ordering online when all you have to go by is a picture and a brand name. I understand how important it is to support the local quilt shops, but I also know my money goes a lot further online. I tried to balance my purchases between the two.
Okay, off to read the other two articles.
Nancy thanks I really liked them as well ,They really give you a lot of info in a short space. and Yes I understand about the online. I just thought this might help with the buying of fabrics from places like Joann's and Walmart. explaining how the seconds come to be.
QCA-ers, please help us develop this fabric review chart into a meaningful tool. With only one or two thumbs up, I wouldn't advise rushing out to order that brand. When we start seeing 20 to 30 thumbs, we'll be on to something.
Over the next weeks, try to find a few minutes to take a look (and feel) through your stash. Come back here and tell us 4 or 5 brands you really like for their quality and 1 or 2 that don't quite measure up. I try to update the chart each evening. Thanks!
Nancy,
Looking over your list, I have a couple of immediate responses without going to my stash.
Kaufman Kona solids - like them for color choices and stitching, but if you are planning on hand quilting - thumbs down - the weave and thickness make it difficult to needle.
Henry Glass- thumbs up- any of these fabrics lines that I have purchased have been of a really good quality.
Moda Marbles by Patrick Lose - I purchased mine back in the 90's - they are a thinner fabrics, although the colors are nice and they keep their shape after washing. I haven't purchased any since, because there are much better choices these days. I would give them a thumbs down.
There have been a lot of discussions about fabric quality, greige goods, first runs, etc. Some of these brands can be found at Wal-mart and would not recommend them for quality. Timeless Treasures and VIP come to mind. I prewash and these fabrics tend to be starched, which washes out and causes warping. My experience anyway.
Pamela
Thanks for your input, Pamela.
As far as the Patrick Lose Marble line going back to the 1990's - I'm wondering if that is like the early Connecting Threads batiks - a bad batch to start with and improvement after the consumers weighed in. Input anyone - have you seen an improvement in that line?