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-   -   Be Honest Please - Quilting: love it. Should I quit while I am ahead? (https://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/honest-please-quilting-love-should-i-quit-while-i-am-ahead-t209749.html)

mcfay 12-31-2012 05:01 PM

Tell your nephew you will make him a quilt if he will buy the fabric for it, also tell him if he'll buy the fabric for the quilts to sell then you will give him 10% of the profit. That may change his mind.

I am also disabled and cannot hold down a public job. I have to be able to sit when I need to or stand when I need to. I had some scraps that I accumulated a little at a time through the years. I'm sewn clothes all my life and when I would have left over from making clothing I would keep them. Also when I worked at sewing factories when they would have scrap sales I would pick up scraps really cheap. I finely had enough to make a log cabin lap quilt. That got me hooked.

My DIL brought me a bunch of fabric she bought at a yard sale. She gave 10.00 for all she could fit in the back of her SUV. Then I've been picking up some at the Goodwill. I can usually get a bundle for anywhere from 2.99 to 4.99. I also heard a woman advertize on a radio program the call the Swap Shop that she had some quilt scraps she needed to get rid of. I called her and made arrangement to get them. She said she had advertized every day for a week and no one wanted them.

I have made 3 large quilts for my grown kids for Christmas and 3 lap sized for my 3 grown granddaughters for Christmas. I think in all for those 6 quilts I made I only bought enough fabric for 2 backs and one top. The rest was freebie.

So NO do not give up on something you enjoy. You just have to be clever in finding ways to afford what you need.

jcrow 12-31-2012 05:02 PM

Do you know how to check your PMs? I can send you a couple of quilt kits. They have a pattern and all the fabric to make the top. I will find an easy couple of them for a beginner if you take me up on my offer. Why don't you click on my user name and then click on private message and reply to me IF you are interested. I could ship them out Wednesday. I'll check tomorrow for a reply and if you responded, check your private messages tomorrow for my reply.

barri1 12-31-2012 05:25 PM

You can't quit. You are hooked..
You have more than enough stuff to work with. You didn't mention thread, and needles. Joann's has that on sale all the time, or use a coupon. I don't use patterns, but I'm sure there are free ones all over, and the library has books..
Yes, there are plenty of board members that will help out with fabric. If they can't give you yardage, there are plenty that don't like making scrap quilts, and will be glad to send you their left overs. I was fortune enough to mention the need for scraps, and got a bunch of offers. There are also scrap swaps, and if you are really ambicious, you can join the 1.5" stamp swap. mariposa is running a swap for 1.5" squares. I have bought flannel sheets, and shirts at thrift stores. I love getting fabric from there. Mens xl, and bigger have a lot of fabric. I've bought jeans there, and made jean quilts.
Where there is a will, there is a way. Let you imagination go wild, and be creative.

joyce blint 12-31-2012 05:57 PM

Pls check your private messages and get back to me.

patchsamkim 12-31-2012 07:02 PM

You have gotten some great suggestions here...and lots of encouragement to not quit...sounds like you have found out that quilting is something that you love...and that it is theraputical...it is...and you will need to become creative in how you fund your new love. Selling a quilt occasionally would help bring in some income to buy new fabric, watching for sales, shopping Goodwill for used clothing or materials that coiuld be used in quilts, seeing if you could get some fabric free through Freecycle are all great ideas. Hopr you find a way to quilt for a long time. My income is a lot less than it used to be when my husband was alive, so I do have to be thrifty also...and use quilting as my therapy...it makes me happy...and I try to find time to quilt at least a few times a week. Wish it could be every day, but too much else going on. Good luck!

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter 12-31-2012 07:53 PM

Just remember women on the Oregon Trail quilted. It must not have cost too much or required anything very fancy.

Try out some of the things that have been suggested. You can quilt if you want to quilt. You may not be able to by all your fabric at fancy stores or have your own long arm machine, but in the end you will still have a wonderful quilt created with love.

kookey426 12-31-2012 08:02 PM

I live on disability also.....DON'T QUIT!!! Sounds like you have the basics to begin with,and you can pick up things on sale along the way! There are lots of free sites..Leah Day has some great tutorials on her site. Just be sensible with your money,as there are a lot of'gadgets' out there that you really don't need! Good luck and keep quilting!

Chasing Hawk 12-31-2012 08:44 PM

You don't need several hundred dollars a month for this hobby. Browse thrift stores for fabric. Some even buy shirts, sheets for quilting material. I use fleece for my backing most of the time. It makes the quilts a lot warmer and cuddly. :)

You do what you can with what you got.

vondae 12-31-2012 11:43 PM

Please don't quit. It gives you so much pleasure. I can tell by the way you wrote about it. You don't have to have a lot of fancy gadgets to quilt. Look at the pioneer ladies. Feed sacks, needle & some thread. You obviously are very creative in finding reasonably priced fabric. You can get some great deals here on the QB. I to have a disability, so I understand what you are talking about when you say it gives you something to do & fill up some of your time. Keep doing what you can. God knows your situation & he puts people & things in our lives just when we need them the most. He has blessed us all when we found this QB. Everyone is so helpful & supportive. So when you get low on fabric or need help, just let us know & I'm sure there are plenty who will be very willing to share a little of their of fabric stores. We are not all rich in $'s but, we are rich in friendships on here. Happy New Year & keep that sewing machine stitchin'. We're here for you. God Bless you.

earthwalker 01-01-2013 12:34 AM

Ok..you've got loads of good ideas to go on with, please don't quit quilting. Not only will it bring you joy.and friendship.....it is the greatest therapy I know. Many of us here have disabilities/low income and other stuff...but we still quilt....it will keep you going....promise:).


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