Have a mega stash including bolts and bolts (my sister and I made small quilts for trunk shows and wholesale trade shows for a fabric manufacturer (like Benartex, Hoffman, etc.) We did not hoard the fabric for ourselves, much of it was used for charity quilts. Also bought bolts at a garage sale (Benartex) and the Goodwill-Moda and Marcus Bros, which we believe came from a lqs that went out of business. Probably the best buy from thrift store was a bundle of fabric for $25. Each bundle had 100+ yds in various sizes and only a few pieces were from JoAnn or Hancock. My sister bought 3 and I bought 2. I do buy from the one of the lqs in my home town (there are 3 there). However, my greatest coups were bolts of vintage fabric 3 from thrift stores and 1 from antique mall and on sale. The best thing with thrift stores is the hunt. You never know what you will find. Fabric has gotten really expensive and in 3 counties in Washington our sales tax is over 10% and license tabs and property taxes are higher also to pay for a transit system that many taxpayers will never get to use since it will take so long to construct.

I have to agree that fabric prices are "out of sight"! I spend a lot of time searching the web to find the best prices. I am a widow, and on a very limited income. I won't and can't pay $10 a yard for fabric My answer to this problem is I watch for sales. Recently, I bought batting at 70% off of by-the-yard batting. I've also shopped at Marshall's where I've gotten some very nice fabric at reasonable prices. The fabric may not have a "big name" brand on the fabric, but if it's quality fabric, I don't give a darn about the "big name". I do have a relatively small stash, but not enough fabric to construct quilts. I buy fabric for the project at hand -- that's the only way I can continue to make quilts, so I watch for sales -- and I buy fabric for the quilt top, excluding the borders. By the time I have the main top pieced, I will then purchase border fabric if the quilt is to have borders. Once the borders are completed and attached to the quilt top, it's time to purchase the batting and backing. During this whole process, I am watching for sales, coupons, etc. -- perhaps that's just my methodology, but it also keeps me within my budgetary limitations. But, I still won't and can't buy fabric at $10 a yard and above, it's just out of reach.

I have talked to so many girls lately and they are all using their stash or pulling out ufo's that were started years ago. It really has to be special for me to spend the money for quilt shop fabric. Expensive way to keep us off the street.

Joanne, my favorites are Missouri Star Quilt Company and fabric.com
There are others but those 2 are my favorites.

thousandsofbolts.com is an excellent place to get high quality/good price fabric.

I believe in recycling. Thrift shops offer a myriad of opportunities to recycle new or like new fabrics. I go once a week and find it an enjoyable way to feed my stash. I go to Saver's and focus on the fabric, bedding and decor area of the store. I can afford to keep quilting and that matters a great deal to me.

I agree. I love thrift stores for finding fabric. It is always a little like Christmas when I find some. Often it is vintage stuff that brings back memories from when my grown kids were young and I was just learning to sew. Sometimes it is newer stuff.

The one thing that makes me sad is when I find beautiful work that someone put heart and soul into, that was donated to a TS. My husband says I am a "rescuer" because I have to bring them home. I repurpose the items I find and that makes me happy again! lol

Several months ago I found two gorgeous wall hangings and several table runners that were very recently made, just guessing by the fabric used, and I bought them ALL for the ridiculous price of $8. The wall hangings are displayed proudly on my walls, and one table runner is in use, the other three I gifted to a young woman who was moving into her first apartment.

I celebrate the person who made them every time I look at them. They bring me much joy.

Wow. Quilt stores around here have fabric around $12 per yard.

I agree that I can never find fabric at thrift shops.

For those that don't get fabric yardage at your local thrift stores, talk to management. If they know you'd buy it if they put it out instead of lumping it with rags, they would probably start putting it on the shelves. After all, they are interested in making money. Just a thought.