The purpose of this guide is to list many of the brand name fabrics out there for use in quilting and crafts. For quilting, it is best to use 100% quality cotton, but the brand name is just as important, especially when buying fabric on-line where you cannot touch the fabric before purchase.

The first list is "premium" brand names. They are also called "quilting shop quality" because they are usually not sold to chains but rather to independent fabric retailers.

The premium brands often cost more because they are made of higher quality greige goods (the cloth that the design is printed on). They also have a higher thread count which means they will hold up better over time.

The following list is not all-inclusive but lists some of the major brand names:

Avlyn, Benartex, David Textiles, Free Spirit, Galaxy, Hoffman, Kaufman, Marcus Brothers, Maywood Studio, Michael Miller, Moda, Northcott, RJR (Jinny Beyer & Thimbleberries), Rowan (Kaffe Fasset), Shamash & Sons, South Sea Imports (Debbie Mumm), Timeless Treasures, Windham Fabrics

The next list contains some more common brand names that are still nice but not "premium". They can be found at places like Wal-Mart, Jo-Ann or other chain stores. They are less expensive than the premium brands but are often much stiffer because of extra sizing applied to the fabric to control stability. Some of the name brand crafters distribute their brands through these channels to reach a wider audience.

Cranston, Daisy Kingdom, Donna Dewberry, Fabric Traditions, Mary Engelbreit, Springs, VIP