thimblebug6000

Yes, in BC our prices at LQS yesterday for a metre were $20.49 Cdn for the new stock. The fabric I purchased for a backing on a baby quilt was $16.49/metre and as I was admiring the animals on it, the clerk said it was 2015 stock.... but no... no reduction in price. But I had searched at a Fabric discount store earlier and there just wasn't anything to complement the baby quilt, and the fabrics were much thinner. I am thankful for my fabric stash and the front of the quilt all came from it, even the embroidery floss.

nativetexan

I agree. I recently gave away two stacks of quilt magazines. tied the Quilt with Style ones together because they had continued PP patterns in several issues. I just hope some quilter out there buys them some time. They dated back to 2003 and 2005 and 2007. also gave two bags of fat qtrs away. and yes, i still have more. I shop sales if I need some more fabric but am trying hard to use what I have now.

elnan

My husband knows that digging around in Thrift Stores pleases me. Since I do most of the driving, he will offer me a meal or his company to hit all the thrift stores in a special area. Sometimes he even spots something he thinks I will like. About 50 miles from here is a town with an abundance of thrift stores. Several days ago we made the trip to have the bottles filled for 4-H air rifles, nothing like that closer to us, and this place fills the bottles without doing any damage to them or the stores equipment. At one of the stores, I picked up a big piece of yardage, then put it back because all I saw was the price of $19.99. I took about one step away, then picked it up again. How could I walk away from 10 yds. of 100 percent cotton, red background with scattered small multi-color stars? It took a few seconds to realize that I could get 10 yds. of this excellent fabric at a cost of $2 per yard. I left there with a shopping cart more than half full of large pieces of desirable fabric, all measured and priced with tags tied on with gift wrap ribbon. For more than a year I have been looking for a fabric that looks like an Easter sunrise. There it was, several yards rolled up and tied with a bow, waiting for me. I had been prepared to pay $5 for a half yard from an Etsy shop online. Sometimes I will pick up items that relate to quilting or sewing and when checking out will be asked "What is that?" Many times I have had sewing machines follow me home, and have even made return trips after I thought about what I had looked at.
Early in our marriage my husband would hide out in the car while I made a trip through a thrift store. It was obvious that he was embarrassed, until the day I pushed and prodded to get him to "just go in". That was the day he found a $90 motorcycle carbuerator still in the original box, for just $9.00. Since that day, he has never looked at St. Vinnies the same.

mosher92

Rating all these post about fabric and the cost going up I must share my most recent find. Listed on our area yard sale site was "10 bins of fabric $2.00 a yard". I called the phone number that was listed and was able to purchase the I tire lot for less than $1.00 per yard. Lots of lovely fabrics to enhance my stash. Lord knows I would not have been able to afford half the stash at our local quilt shop price of $12.00 +

TraceyS

Elnan, that is a lovely story! I am happy that you were able to find such a bargain, and exactly what you were looking for! It is wonderful when that happens. I love thrift shopping, too, and am glad that my husband and girls enjoy it as well.

MadQuilter

"Getting" expensive? I think we passed that hurdle and went straight to "got." I understand that it is mostly due to cotton prices going up exponentially. I balance between LQS and other sales because I do need to support the LQS but I also don't want to break the bank.

jcraine

I buy lots of my fabric at thrift stores as well and have gotten some really beautiful fabrics there, I guess from quilters who no longer quilt. You just have to be sure to go at least once a week to find them before somebody else does. Ebay can be a great place to find bargain-priced fabric if you find the right seller which is getting harder and harder to do. Thread is absolutely over-priced and it makes me mad to have to pay anything from $5 to $10 a spool for something that won't even finish a large quilt.

jcraine

So jealous. I wish my husband wanted to go with me to thrift shops.

Jordan

I agree with you about the expensive prices of fabrics and I think I appreciate my stash more and more. I meet with 6 ladies once a week and if one of us needs something to match their project we always can come thru for her. Quilting is an expensive hobby but it sure is good therapy and relieves alot of stress!!!! So I enjoy it and go digging in my stash quite often.

SusieQOH

I have a nice stash and only need to fill in from time to time. I will say that I do most of my shopping online. The prices are much better- Fabric.com, Missouri Star etc.
I know this isn't being supportive of local quilt shops but their prices are ridiculous.
Off to pet my stash!