I know with the price of fabric going up, many of us will have to be frugal with ourhobbies. I would love to hear all of your tips on saving money on quilting! Please?
Heres my tip....
Trade fabric scraps with friends that also like scrap quilts. Your throw aways could be another quilters treasure!

Buy batting in bulk...it seems expensive but get it on sale...I bought 40 yards for 200.00 when there was a 50 percent off sale. (its still on sale...) I was almost sick from spending that much but....it is a huge savings. I have to remember that I would spend much more than that buying smaller amounts at a time.

ask for it on freecycle- you never know what you might get and its free

I like to browse thrift shops sometimes, men's shirts make pretty awesome quilts!!

Cheers!
Rachel

Use coupons and the money you save goes to the fabric budget. I found yard sale clothing prices much cheaper then thrift store prices and I buy lots of men's cotton shirts at yard sales. A big church or group yard sale is the best, they want everything sold fast.

Measure twice, cut once! Actually I have had a few laser cut quilts done and that is pretty economical when you consider the time it takes to cut, and if I make a mistake.

I watch at the LQS's for their clearance... and when they add a 20% off when you finish the bolt. These fabrics I use for backings sometimes, or I work them in somehow.

For myself I would rather spend my time/money/life making 10 GOOD quality quilts vs. spending my time/money/life making a thousand cheap quilts. So I save up for those special things!

for all else (charity work) I do scrappy stuff using up shirts I buy at my thrift store for $.23!

I also buy denim, flannel and wool and re-purpose those items as well!

YOu can save by not buying more magazines and books..take the time to revisit the ones you already have on the shelves!

DO NOT print off every pattern somebody sends a link to..instead, save the file or bookmark the site and then revisit in a year and see if you still like it.

DO NOT buy every template, ruler or notion mentioned at guild, or on this group...instead see if you make what you already work for you..99% of the time you can!

Each time you avoid a "spur of the moment" purchase, log what it was, and how much it was. Then once a month add that up and see what you saved for next GOOD project!

Take a weekend (a long one is best) and make KITS up using magazines, printed off patterns, etc...using only your stash...then when the impulse to shop hits, shop in your kit box! These can be little gifts, home decor, holiday items...just remember, even something small is good!

Make an inventory of what you already have, include the original cost, todays value, and the amount you have on hand. THat alone might keep you from spending any more!

If you do not belong to a guild join one..you will gain more education, more resources by doing so!

Join your local Freecycle and watch for give aways...or ask for them!

Great tips you guys, and Thanks.
Another one is look for used quilting books and magazines at rummage sales, thrift stores and of course the thriftiest, libray!

At the end of a project, cut up the scraps in sizes you would use for a scrappy quilt. Store in appropriate boxes and shop your stash for the next project.

When collecting for a certain type of quilt, I place the pattern and magazine articles in the collection box. Ideas are present along with pattern (s) considered. I can grab the box and go to work :)

piece scraps of batting together using a zig zag stitch. I just finished two wallhangings this way. it's great for small projects!

oh! just thought of another. I do the lqs's buck a block. I figure I can always find a coordinating fabric for sashing after I've had a little time to save.

These are great tips!!!

just thought of another one..that I have been doing all week..

UNSUBSCRIBE! I have unsubbed from every online quilt shop newsletter....if they have a sale..yeah for them....
I do NOT need to keep buying it just because it was on sale..even if fabric goes to $15 yd in the next 2 years....

I also wanted to add that when it comes to saving files, I have folders labeled, king, queen, twin, throw, wall hanging, decor, holiday

then when I want a certain project I know where the file/link is!

Shirts at the thrift store for .23 cents???? Wow! I think our thrift store doesn't know any price below $3.00. Went to look for sheets for backing and the worst ones were $5.00!

What is "freecycle"?

Freecycle is a group through the web for people who want to recycle their items, not put them in the garbage pile or landfill. They post like we do here that they have items available for pick up.

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of 4,903 groups with 8,059,633 members across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns and thus keeping good stuff out of landfills.

Membership is free, and everything posted must be FREE, legal and appropriate for all ages. To view the items being given away or sought in Clovis-Portales-Cannon, you must be a member of the local group. To view the local group posts, visit the local Yahoo Group where they are located by clicking on the link below.

If you are already a member, you may use the "Post" tab on the top right of this page to make your post to the local group. Otherwise, go to the Yahoo Group linked to below and click on "Join" first in order to view the posts. Thanks so much and have fun!


http://www.freecycle.org/

I think of my fabric purchasing strategies a lot like wardrobe strategies. You know how they suggest used to suggest that for suits and shoes, you have a core color, be it black or navy or brown or ivory, and then buy coordinating colors in blouses and shirts? Well, that was the advice back in the day when I dressed for a professional job every day.

So I have just a couple of core neutral colors I use, and buy in large quantities -- a true white, a true black and a certain brown I really like. I may be tempted by gray or white on white, or cream every now and then, but I try to stick with my core, tried and true colors. When I buy new fabrics, I tend to buy things that are going to look good with those. And interestingly, the fabrics that are going to look good with pure white and pure black tend to look good with one another too.

So by limiting your palette, you actually open up a lot of mix and match opportunities, and thereby save money in the long run.

That and never buy mags (web has better stuff) or books (library is free).

RST

Our local DAV Thrift Store (Disabled Veterans) has a 25 cent sale on Sundays. 25 cents each or 5 for $1.00 for certain colored tags. I go before church each Sunday and I have purchased shirts, skirts, jackets, or bags of scraps for this price.

FREECYLE.org is a website to give and get items for free to keep them out the landfills as long as possible...it is amazing what you can get...

YES, I have a thrift store that sells things on Fri-Tues for $.23 I used to feel bad about buying all those clothes and cutting them up, then one day the lady told me not to. Reason, those clothes are there for 3 months before they hit the clearance corner, if someone did not buy before that, then it is mine to do with what I please and guilt free!

I have a garage full of clothes to cut up still! Need to work on that soon!

Wow, such GREAT tips everyone!
I think Craigslist has a Free area too, but I dont know if you could posted WANTED ads there. I have bought some scraps off a lady from Craigslist...was so fun digging through her scraps.

What is a Freecycle. Haven't heard of it.

Fran, just scroll up and read, a couple of ladies expalined it. Sounds like a nice website!

Did that as well one of best moves ever. Will do again when use up, more than half way there.

at my local guild, everyone brings in fabrics, patterns etc they wont use and we just trade with each other........ works very well and no money is spent

If you have a used book store in your area, check it out, we have one that is about 70 miles away, but always check it when I get to that town.

the guild sounds nice...love to trade!

Thrift stores are a good place to pick up bed skirts, window valances/curtains and pillow shams. These often have little or no wear and sometimes have brightly colored juvenile prints, just be sure the fabric is cotton. On occasion I've bought scrub tops with little wear at yard sales and used the backs of those in quilt tops. Again, be sure the fabric is cotton.

u can also buy those $5-10 blankets at walmart or big lots and use them in place of batting. They dont fall apart when washed and they are warmer. Saves alot on batting.

Could you tell me what is freecycle that everyone is talking about Thanks :)

I find with online projects/patterns, I copy the link and then post it to a page on my computer. Open a Word page, I set up table-style and it is basically like this:

Beautiful butterfly quilt / (link)
Quilt tutorial - binding / (link)

That saves me a lot of paper and ink for a pattern that I "might" make someday. Then when I am looking for something to do, I browse my list. I also use this idea for recipes and label it like "Chicken - creamy casserole"/ (link). In the case of recipes, if crester a table, you can sort the list.
Marysewfun

what is freecycle?

Not gonna want to hear this, but moderation is best in all things. Self-discipline is a great quality to develop.

I have gotten quilting books and fabric at the antique stores quite cheap. I go to the fabric outlets and buy LQS fabric for way less, it just the last years fabric. I go to the Goodwill and Salvation Army but there hasn't been as much for fabric over the winter. WE can look forward to garage sales this spring!

Thanks for all the great ideas, everyone. I think finding free patterns on the web has been my biggest money saver, along with this site, of course! My best money saver has been to STAY OUT OF QUILT FABRIC SHOPS! This is very sad for me (not going into LQS's), but I have enough fabric in my stash to last me the rest of my life and several other lives! I just cannot go into a fabric shop without buying anything... If I happen onto an online store, sometimes I make out an order, fantasize about it, then I erase it without ordering... I do that with clothes and shoes, too. I have actually gotten money in my savings account with this strategy!!!

Deborah, I never thought to look into the Antique stores! Good idea!
Linda, I really need to stay outof the LQSs too....I just go to get one piece of fabric, and soon I am grabbing bolts..........

use inexpensive flannel in place of higher priced batting, just be sure to launder flannel first cuz of possible shrinkage.

I love flannel as batt, nice and soft and the quilt folds better etc.

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

I also belong to Freecycle and I have better luck getting rid of things than I do getting them from other members. Seems someone else always responds faster than I can. In 4 years I've only gotten 3 things but I've gotten rid of lots of stuff that I was purging or my hubby was going to put in the trash!

warm quilt hugs, sue in CA

You can post wanted ads on Craigslist or Freecycle, although some freecycle groups want you to post Offers before requests.
I have used both, freecycle seems to attract fewer scam artists as no money is involved.

I have been making quilts for over 30 years and just LOVE that quilting is going back to its roots and quilters are recycling clothes to make quilts the way our ancestors did!! I had not realized this before finding the QB.

I've never used flannel for batting (love it for backing even if the front is cotton). I'm going to give it a try. Thanks for the idea.

remember because you are using stuff for quilting there are other type of stores that have things that work the same like storage items, the blades at harbor frieght and my Sil just showed me a large piece of insulbrite material that she gets at lowes by the yard i'm going to go this weekend and get some. also a lot of recycling useable items. For example i got a letter holder with different slots to hold mail but never used it for that purpose but works great to hold my quilting rulers. There are lots a useful info on here also that has been great, makes one say why didn't i think of that lol as for fabric i only buy for a project that i am doing so my stash is smaller peices or scraps. even the ones you would throw away i have started saving up again for fabric bowls and slit them with my rotary to bits depending how i am doing the bowl. i used them around holidays to give co workers goodies in when i worked. right now i have some strong boxes from xmas that i will cut the sizes of the fabic organizers and wrap them with contact paper my Sil needs help organing her stash on shelves.