In January I went on a spree for my birthday - now remember here in Canada fabric is more expensive than in America - and I spent over $500! It was at 4 fabric stores and one store by itself was over $250, but there I bought all they had left of my favourite fabric -about 10-15 metres! I've curbed my spending lots - I leave the credit card at home and working at the quilt shop helps satisfy my cravings, too. I have enough projects to last me at least a year though!

Oh, and my DH is really the sweetest man, but when it comes to spending, he flips, so he doesn't see these receipts and he has no idea how much quilt fabric is... he did his spending on his hobbies in the past, and every year, gets new licenses and other guy stuff...

I spent $200 at Hancocks of Paducah back in March. Saw a pattern I wanted so I ordered it, some flannel on sale, and two new rulers (cause mine were deformed and I wasn't cutting straight anymore - I had to have them). Only needed to spend $20 more for free shipping and the shipping was $12 so I spent the extra $20 but was really only $18. But - I didn't just buy a couple of yards of fabric for $20 I bought a kit for $80 - whoops. But boy or boy is it pretty and I can't wait to tear into it :)

I told Jerry about the cost of fabric per yard ($9) for the stuff for our room and he said- well, we don't do it very often. (OK- once in 12 years- duh!)

I never carry a balance on my credit card so whatever I buy, I must pay for right away. Keeps me in line. Plus, my weekly allowance- I can save by packing my lunch. So I stash my cash until the urge strikes and then I just go nuts over the feel of fabric.

I must say though- since finding this group, I've been stash building because of the info posted and it's grown quite nicely. I keep telling myself I'm buying now because if I don't have work and money coming in, I can always sew to keep me warm. :)

I do have 2 nice machines (Juki 98Q and Viking Rose) that I got for decent prices and my trusty Singer Touch N Sew, so I don't really need much more. So I'm content buying fabric every so often.

Barb

I have taken $2-300 in cash to the road to California Quilt show and still had to charge another $150 or so plus hotel, 3 meals and gas. At a shop in Anaheim the first time I went I spent about $260. and almost everything was under $3. per yard. Got several great fabrics for backs. My husband knows I try to spend mostly cash and usually doesn't ask how much, He just looks at my stash and shakes his head. Sometime's asks "don't you have enough?" If it's a project he knows I'm working on for a gift or something I charge it because he knows I'm buying for that gift.

At one shop or on a spree. I once went from SO CA to Reno up the 395 stopping at any and every quilt shop I could find. I'm guessing, it was about 15 years ago around $3500.00. I spent just shy of $500.00 at a store called Wendi Moon in Reno. We had to ship boxes along the way.
A couple years ago a friend said she kept track of every quilt/related purchase for a year. I thought Oh! I'll do that, hubby looked at it and kept track with me, bad idea. I can never say anything about his hobby again restoring old cars.

sounds like a wonderful trip, and you were bad. I'd love to do a trip where I stopped at every available quilt shop. The most I've done in a day is our Central Coast Quilt Run when we had 15 stores and we did 12 one day and 3 the next with another 2 not on the run thrown in. Great fun. I have no idea what I spend on quilting stuff each year, I don't think I want to know.

I recently spent $75 when I went to the store for a spool of thread. Pretty expensive thread. But I couldn't resist the fabric. I agree

I'm the money shy one in our house. I don't like to spend it, I hate to watch the tally at the grocery store and if dh is with me when I shop I always try to put stuff back. But my husband follows behind me and picks it all back up to buy, if I try again to leave it behind, he makes me EXPLAIN why it needs to be put back, and the answer must be better than "it costs to much", or he'll buy it for me anyway.

When he's not with me I tell him how much I spent, I'd show him reciepts, but he never asks. It's a fun guessing game we play when I think I've found a good deal.

Our best shopping day, was after work when we were still a pretty new couple, we went shopping and "happened" by the Christmas stuff (it was mid November), and I sat on the floor of that store and pulled out boxes and boxes of BEAUTIFUL handpainted ornaments, seriously we had piles of them all around us. Then when I was done I started to put it all back saying "okay well now we know what we like and how much it will cost". That man wouldn't let me put them back! He bought EVERY SINGLE box that we had liked a even just a little! (that year we had a 11' Blue Spruce which we put up infont of mirrors, so it was decorated on all sizes)

So now every year we put up our Christmas tree, I see all the beautiful ornaments and am once again reminded, what an amazing husband I have. Now can we all get a giant AWWWWWWW! :D

OH! I nearly forgot! Barbm! That old comforter! Use it as batting. Seriously a friend of mine saw this whole show on making old things new again, and they re"covered" old ugly comforters! That saves money and will soothe your daughter.

The most I've spent at one time was $245.00, but the fabric was on sale (of course). That doesn't count the speeding ticket for $130 on the way back cause I was thinking of all the fabric and what I was going to do with it!!! Female trouper and she didn't appreciate my being a quilter.

reading all your posts and enjoying them. just want to tell you all to be thankful you got your husbands and i know you all are by the way you say nice things about them. my husband died in 1977 - i've only been quilting about a year and a half. but i know he wouldn't mind if he were here, he never minded years ago when i bought yarn to crochet afghans.
here's the first quilt i ever made and i didn't do a very good job but i'll post it anyhow, i made it as a memory quilt for my daughter. in the middle is my husband and I when we married in 1954, isn't that funny to look at now. love this site and all the wonderful people here!!