If hubby balks, just tell him what full-priced fabric is running these days at the LQS. That will shut him up :)

I think that the reason some thrift stores are better than others is probably due to the sorters and volunteers who clean and price the stuff. When I volunteered for a local thrift shop, we all got first dibs on the stuff that came in, so it was picked through before it even hit the store. If you have a local thrift store that never has machines or fabrics or notions, chances are a quilter is working behind the scenes, haha!

Enjoy that fabric find my dear, you hit the MOTHERLODE!!!

Don't you just love a GOOD day shopping it the good will. and Just think of all the help you can send to your quilt borad friends if we are working a postage stamp quilt or a scrap. this is how I look at me great finds like this and it makes my gave-away quilts that much easer to say goodby to.

Good Thought!:)

Wow...We have more than enough needy people in the US that aren't getting the help they need...why send it to another country?! If we could help everyone here FIRST I'd be ok with that.

When I see a post like this I feel so blessed that in 52 years of marriage I have never been put in that position. I know there have been times when I wantonly spent money on something I had to have at the moment (even though I knew I shouldn't) but I have never been disenfranchised in my relationship.:)

Just to make it clear my husband knows what I buy and never has a problem. He has his hobbies (model trains and trike/bike riding). We each have funds available to support our needs. This is just so much at one time that it is a bit overwhelming. I think what I am going to do is to keep checking and buying. Then I will keep cuts of each and see if someone from the board that is close to me would like to buy some. I would like to be greedy but it just too much for one person.
By the way my husband is my go to person for color choices. He can pick colors that go together and make a quilt "sing".

It's all in the presentation. When you tell him be sure and point out the money you saved! You bought fabric for $1.99 rather than the $10-$12 per yard at the fabric store. 170 yds at $2 per yard equals $340, at $10 per yard it equals $1700! So, instead of talking about how much you've spent, tell him that you made money. If you take the $340 that you did spend from the $1700 that it COULD have cost you are left with a whopping savings of $660!!!! So, not only did you get the fabric for free, you MADE money!
Saving is when you save less than half of the original cost---if you "save" more than 50% then you've actually MADE MONEY!!!!!! YEA FOR YOU!!!! Now, if you get him to accept this rationalization.................lol

Raptureready beat me to the punch line. I buy what I want when I see it but it is always on sale. I just tell hubby how much I saved. He has his tracters and such so he never complains.

At that price how can you leave it there? You can lots of sewing and not feel guilty at that price.

I go to a Good Will store in my area all the time. I don't find much fabric, only on occasion. The biggest haul I ever made was at St. Vincents Retail Thrift Store. I also go to the Salvation Army, especially if I need white. They must have gotten every sheet manufactured from someplace. They are crib size and youth bed size, many never used. Congratulations on your find. Would love to find your Good Will store. I don't need any more fabric, but if I see it and like it, I buy it. Compulsive, no?

WOW congratulations on your find. I am so jealous. My Goodwill never has fabric. I have found a few ugly pieces but nothing good. Why do you have to tell your husband. WHat happens at Goodwill stays at Goodwill. If it was me I would have probably have bought it all.

That is awesome. I couldn't pass up a deal like that either. The shops around here never have any fabric though.

My hubby will see me working on something and ask when I got that fabric. I say, "Oh...back some time ago." I'm not lying because even yesterday is back some time ago. ;) We have a rather large Goodwill and I never find anything like that in ours. BOOHOO!!

OMG! If you were not 2000+ miles away from me, I would be there to help you finish buying what they had left! LOL I have checked Goodwill stores before and found a little bit, but nothing that I would want to take home with me, that find sounds like a quilter passed and the family didn't know what to do with her stash. Shame really, but a beneficent to you!
As someone else said, quarantine the fabric, inspect it really well and if you can, hang it out to air, wash it or at least take it to a laundry mat, put it in pillow cases and tumble dry it on HIGH heat to make sure any creatures are not living in it. It may be totally fine from the donating person, but you never know what might have crawled into it in the back room of the goodwill and what hands have touched it as they have walked down the isles.. JMHO, but it still sounds like a great find! OMG I would have snatched it up in a heart beat at $1.99 a yard!!!

Awesome find! The goodwills near me only have small fabrics and not often one I like. Wish it weren't so!

I wouldn't be able to resist going back. but would be in trouble with dh.

congrats! My goodwill never has fabric....although I have found a few machines...LOL.

I`m very happy for you, but I don`t understand why our Good Will (Which I donate a lot to) don`t have any material?
They tell me to buy their old washed out sheets & pillow cases as thats all Good Will carries. And I have seen beautiful
material deals from them in this space many times.

Sure wish I lived in your neighborhood!!!!!!

If it kept me out of quilt shops my DH would be thrilled. That's amazing to find that much at Goodwill, at least when I think of ours which has mostly clothes, very little craft things. They must ship it all up for you!!!

Sounds like someone could have a de-stashing sale once you sort through your hall. Is this good quality fabric? I don't think I could resist going back either. Lucky you!!

Goodwill is a hit or miss thing. I haven't bought too much fabric there, but picked up an old (not too old) sewing machine that needed oiling for 12.21, and a set of two large entertainment centers that are now entertaining my fabric in the garage for $55. Also picked up a wood top ironing board that probably survived from the late 40's or 50's. Unfortunately, it has only one height setting and it is too low for me. I'm trying to talk my DH into putting the board on my "newer" Walmart model as I really like the flatness of the wooden board.

And it's fun to hunt...

I agree with Tartan.........get that fabric washed and dried before you do anything with it. Too much risk of pesky bugs, and especially given the warnings about bed bugs in old and stored fabrics and clothing. Having said that, congratulations! You have yourself a once in a lifetime fabric deal. Wish I could be so lucky.

Wow, congrats! There is nothing like finding such a good deal. Our Goodwills never have much fabric, but other thrift stores in the area do. Go thrift shops, and bless the people who donate fabric there for us to find.

The only thing that would keep me from going back is a place to store all that fabric. Of course there are friends that might help out. Renting a storage space might be a bit too much. LOL Congrats on your find.

Hey, could be worse! It could be 170 yards at $8.00-$12.00 a yard! You could always turn it into a money making venture to buy other quilting supplies. Keep what you need or want, then sell the rest for $2.99 a yard. It will then have paid for itself!!

You lucky gal, so if hubby is unhappy, then remind him that these quality fabrics would cost up to $15.00 a yard if you went to a quality shop to buy, so you actually are saving him money. Be sure to mention saving money??!!! Grinning.

What? Tell you not to keep going back! I for one will not tell you that. I say don't walk but keep running and buy it up.

You will find a way to buy it at that price cause later in the year what you find there may be seen in a fabric store somewhere at $5 and up a yard. Wish we had such fortune here. I did however last year get some pretty good deals in good quality fabric at about 50 cents or a dollar bundle and most often it was a couple yards or more in each that I bought.

Just act all excited with your hubby by saying something like "look what I got for $1.99 a yard and this stuff cost $5.99 a yard at ???????. I just saved US $4.00 a yard. That's a savings of $680. for 170 yards of fabric. He'll be happy you just saved HIM $680 in the long run.

I thought I did well. We had a LQS that had fabric for $2.50/yd last week.

Send the extra down here. Our Goodwill never has fabric and it is a big Goodwill!!!!

I've come to the conclusion we are a sneaky lot.......LOL>>>>>>>

" I will have him post pictures."

Sounds like a good incentive to learn how to post pictures yourself. haha Trust me, if I can figure this computer stuff out, I know you can. You've figured out this new board and that's a big start!

I knew I wasn't the only one who had scored great fabric at Goodwill, but GOSH, my finds are miniscule compared to the treasures you've been hauling home! Congratulations! And go right back! You never know when this streak will end, and you can't afford to miss great bargains! I'd go! In fact, I believe I will. You've inspired me, and tomorrow, I shall make my rounds of my "Previous Fabric Sightings in Thrift Shops"! We've got a "Goodwill MegaStore", and they almost always have some fabric!

Cheers!

That will teach him to leave you alone for the weekend! LOL! Congrats great find!:o

I would do as someone else suggested, go through it, pick out what you know you would put in a quilt and sell the rest. Remember, don't sell it only for $2 or 3 dollars since you will be charged by PayPal, gas and washing and ironing it. Good luck, keep doing what you like to do, going to Good Will. Good luck!! By the way, don't use a credit card to buy it, sounds like a mother right??

the goodwill in south central wisconsin seems to always have a lot of fabric. it must be some sort of feeder supply there such as a fabric warehouse or such. since many of us may not live near the goodwill she keeps finding these incredable bargains, you know you can shop at the goodwill online. visit their website at http://www.shopgoodwill.com/ and shop til you drop. they ship anywhere. if you want to look specifically in wisconsin, then click on the search box at top, click on sellers and chose the wisconsin goodwills. i know the south central one has had plenty of fabric for sale and several vintage sewing machines.

what a great find. congrats.

I don't know where everyone finds these great Goodwill stores, I've been to one in NJ and 2 different ones in CT and never found any fabric or great anything?? Is it me? or the area?

UPDATE: check online the goodwill in fort wayne in aslo. there seems to be several lots of fabric up for bid.

That is a great find.