People tend to think homemade = inexpensive, but it's not the case anymore. And not just quilting - a typical clothing pattern alone costs more than a finished garment, forget about buying the materials! My mom and her sisters used to make their own clothes because it was the only way they could get new clothes - now I make clothes for my kids as a treat - my daughter gets a couple of homemade dresses a year, usually in the spring - I spend as much on those as I do on the rest of her summer clothes combined.