kaelynangelfoot

I buy a lot of fabric on Ebay. If you hunt around you can find some great deals, such as boxes of misc fabric quarters/yards sold by the pound. I bought a box of 10 lbs of cotton quilting fabric for $50 (including shipping) and estimate that I got about 25 yards of usable fabric out of it.

EllieGirl

I am retired and have set aside $200 a month for quilting. I even have my own separate checking account for it. I've noticed I spend about $150 average each month. It's like budgeting your checking account. Set aside money for it and stick with that budget.

pyffer3

Well, I must confess what I have been purchasing. I have bought blankets (feels simular to an electric blanket, only thinner) at $5.00 for twin size at the local dollar store. I have only completed 3 quilts and two more I am currently glueing together to get ready for quilting this weekend/next week. I use these blankets for my batting. Then I purchase twin size sheets from Wal-Mart at $4.97 for the backing. I know these are probably not "real" quilting items, but I didn't want to spend a lot of money because 1. I wasn't sure I would like quilting and 2. I am on a budget too. I have purchased good fabric for the quilt tops....Connecting Threads, Ebay, JoAnne's, Hobby Lobby. So, I figured up what I spent on the quilt I am currently working on for my sister's wedding gift. It's just a lap size. I bought the fabric in the clearance section on Connecting Threads for the top, spent about $16.00 with enough left over to make a couple of throw pillos, $5.00 for the blanket/batting, $4.97 for the sheet backing, $3.00 for the thread, and I did purchase more fabric for the binding - about $6.00. So, I only have about $35.00 total into the quilt. I don't think that's bad and I can afford to keep quilting. Also, those soft, fleecy throws are only $2.50 at the local dollar store and made a perfect backing for a large baby blanket I recently finished for my first grandchild. After using the blanket for batting I went back to the dollar store and bought all they had so I have 4 more left to use. So, I guess I am mindful of the expense associated with quilting. Fabric is really expensive!

tessagin

Good Morning! Everyone. I'm new on the QB and have only done a couple small quilts. I did make a diaper bag. I found one at a garage sale, took it apart and just winged it. That was 8 years ago. it did turn out pretty cute and was disposed of. That just hit me the wrong way and I just stopped. I've decided that if any quilting I did was going to be disposed of the way I wanted it. so enough of the pityparty. I'm back and ready. I never got rid of my stash though. When I started going through it, I was amazed at what I had. I also remembered all the places that I picked up my material. That was a couple of weeks ago. I informed my husband I going sailing (as in garage, estate, moving, etc.). "OK, that's what I thought. Anything you want me to do?) He knew something was up when the machine was sitting back on the card table. I told him to just keep his eyes open and enough cash in his wallet. He picks material up for me also to and from work. So just "GO SAILING".

Vicki I

I retired a year ago and still work part-time. Thank goodness for a rather extensive stash of fabric otherwise I would not be able to quilt. I did buy a longarm quilting machine with part of my retirement money and am taking in quilting to help support my habit but it is very slow going trying to build a quilting business.
I was recently asked to donate a couple of quilts for a fundraiser and had to search my stash and determine if i had the fabric to do it with buying more before I could commit. I also told my guild I would quilt a couple of their donation quilts each month rather than spending money on fabric to make donation quilts.
I think you just have to make different decisions when your budget is more limited. I can't imagine giving up quilting. I am learning to make scrappier quilts also.

sherlstar

I am retired and use most of my fabric stash for charity quilts. I ask my family and friends to give me gift cards to fabric stores when it is an occasion for a gift such as my birthday. I use these cards mostly for quilting tools but last week I used three cards to purchase enough fabric to make a quilt for myself.

P-BurgKay

I am 67 and haven't retired yet, but I am buying fabric for certain quilts that I want to make and finish after I retire, I also get the backing and the batting so that I will not have that much out of pocket when I do retire. Just a thought.

AZ Jane

Excellent answer and what I was going to say. You do save a lot by not working! But you have to be realistic on your budget.

Grace MooreLinker

I shop for good sheets at the thrift stores to use for backing. retired ,can't afford to give away to much now. It's a shame that have the time and not the money now. So just have to be thrifty.

sap

I worried the same way you are worrying, before I retired. I've found that if I think outside of the box there are many, many ways to find the fabric I need for what I want to do since I retired. I'm loving it!