We've often talked about the high cost of quilting.

So what's the least $ you've spent on a quilt--lap quilt or larger size?

Has anyone ever spent nothing on making one--by that I mean, ever had the fabric given to you or cut up old clothes and used an old wool blanket (or a castoff blanket, non wool) for the batting--and recycled for the backing as well?

We often bemoan the high cost of our hobby. I'd love to hear some creative ways you've NOT spent a lot on a quilt. (And pulling it out of your stash doesn't count, unless when you put it in there, you got the fabric for free.)

For example, maybe you bought fabric at $1/yard (yard sale) and were given the batting and backing, so you managed to make it for say, $8 plus thread.

In all honesty, the majority of my quilts have very little cost involved. The majority of my fabric stash has been given to me by friends and family that no longer sew/quilt. My father gave me the wonderful tip of using old blankets for batting. Plus my MIL and Father gave me their thread supplies and my SIL buys me something at her craft store adventures every time she goes. She does not quilt or sew....so she does through me.

I also spend time cutting old clothing into quilt squares and using the pieces to make scrap quilts. Another thing I do to save money is save cardboard boxes (cereal, tea...) and make the templates that I need for applique and piecing. It is such a great feeling knowing I can make a quilt for someone that is put together with nothing more than love and the love of others.

I am so grateful for all of their help and have a great time quilting!

i have made a few quilts lap and babt size for under $10 i got the fabric eather given to me or got it cheap at a yard sale i think my cheapest quilt was a realy prety one i made for my grandfather when he was in the hospital i think it cost about $4 i was given batting scraps and peiced them together the main fabric that i also used for the backing was $1 a yard at a yard sale and i was given a sewing machine cabinit that had a drawer full of thread so it was a very inexpensive quilt and he absolutly loved it you couldent tell i spent so little on it.

I was helping some church ladies for a while and almost everything we used was donated. Fabric was lots of scraps and backings were old sheets. Thread and crochet thread for tying were donated. Some blankets were used. The only thing bought were rolls of batting and that was at a discount. So it can be done.

I have become a master at finding the garage sale/rummage sale bargain. Just got a roll of 48 inch wide battng for my charity quilts. I am using scraps and strings from a friend and the foundation is newspapers.

Right now, my fabric purchases have averaged $1 and are used for backing and sashing.

A retreat neighbor made a wonderful nautical looking quilt of recycled blue and white mens shirts with a red one thrown in for contrast. It was lovely and only took a weekend to make.

I was just given fabric from an acquaintance of my mother's whose eyesight is too poor to quilt anymore. I pieced together an entire "puzzle piece quilt" in 2 days from her scraps. It is 60x60. I could get away with piecing the back but I want something really cool to put on the back. The quilt is for my Nana's 94th birthday,

I can never get away with making a quilt without buying batting...

I have made a few quilt tops just from scraps though...

I was given a medium box of fabric that I was digging thru at a garage sale that was closing down and she gave me the box for free. At the same sale she had a old long arm that was really very old and missing parts and she told me to take it. I didn't take her up on that offer because I may not have been able to find parts to fix it.

I actually recycle thread by taking old clothes apart, carefully, from one side of the seam and you can save the long piece of thread on the other side, wind it on a spool to reuse.




HAH - had you going there for a bit didn't I??!!

DH would do this, he is WAY cheaper than me...

You did have me going! Thanks for the laugh. :lol: :lol:

Almost exclusively sew from my stash; thirft store finds, recycled clothes, garage sale finds, etc. Bought a box of thread on this board too. I do buy batting, but always use a coupon from Hobby Lobby - 40% off and/or piece leftover scraps to make my own batting.