*The last passage should have read “donate” not damage. Stupid autocorrect drives me crazy when I don’t catch the mistakes. Lol.

This is true. I had some fabrics that I didn't really like that well. I think I got them at fabric swaps or Christmas exchanges. I used a bunch of them when I made a coat using a variation of the log cabin. By the time I made it a bit smaller to use on the coat I had strips that were 1 1/2" cut. When sewn together some of the ones I didn't like looked great because all you really saw was the color.

I've never much bought the latest and greatest or whole fabric lines. I find that if you don't have exactly what everyone else thinks is in style, then it never really is out of style either :D

1.5" is routine for me, the largest piece I ever use is 2.5".

Prism99. I buy my backing at the 1/2 off rack plus border around a panel of which I have many for the back. I have been quilting for about 20 years. I know longer buy focus fabric only background fabric. I saw a post that Target had 200 count sheets that were good for backing but that was 2-3 years ago. I have a moderate stash. I used to be a notion junky but no more. We are having a yard sale and I am going to get rid of any notion I haven’t used in at least a year, rulers I bought and never used, dmc floss which I have hundreds of skeins, and doll house kits and furniture I won’t ever make. I just need to get rid of it because we are down sizing next year.

I don't think I'd send a quilt out to be quilted even if I could afford it, because I want to do it myself, and because I would probably never stop thinking about all the fabric that amount of money would have bought, lol.

I haven't been quilting for very long, so I am quilting my simpler tops first, and hopefully by the time I get to the fancier ones, I will have developed the skill needed to do them justice. I have a Handiquilter Sweet Sixteen, and I recently finally purchased a walking foot for my old Singer, so am planning to try some walking foot quilting on that.

I'm both a long arm quilter (professional) and also teach beginner quilt classes. In the classes I strive to get all the beginners comfortable with both the basics of piecing and also the finishing of a small project--we spend the last class on "walking foot (or regular)" quilting of their sampler. I encourage this as I believe that quilters that can do their smaller projects on their own machine are going to not only do more quilting, but are also more likely to send larger quilts to professional quilters, and maybe even pay for true custom quilting on some quilts.

That being said there are several ways to minimize your quilting costs--rent time on a long arm machine at a shop;learn how to do "quilt as you go"(I found this difficult when I first started but many do it well) pay to have your professional quilter baste your larger quilt so you have an easier time working on it with your domestic machine; make sure that you talk with your quilter (hopefully he/she will cover this with you too) specifically about what you want to spend and what your vision is for the quilt (one color thread, not SID all over; Edge to Edge or allover; no ruler work are all cheaper) and lastly--make sure that your borders and quilt are square, your backing is ample enough and square will help as the quilter can work faster and time is $$ for a quilter. But keep in mind--buying lots of fabric does not mean a quilt is made--it's not a quilt until it's actually quilted!

Some of the older tablecloths are cottoBe on the look out for them at thrift stores, yard sales, etc. They are lovely for backings. Nobody seems to want them, so they are foldable.

Target sells sheets individually. I have used them as backings on my quilts. They are relatively inexpensive. They hold up well and are easy to hand quilt

:D I was thinking "well that seems kind of harsh..." LOL!!!

Keep in mind that your fabric you no longer care for (ugly fabric) is only that way because you have not cut it small enough! If you chop it up you may find that once again you like it!