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I have always been picky and never just bought because it was a good price.
I figured I would soon have a stash of nothing but ugly fabrics I would not know what to do with. If I like it and I would buy it at a fabric store then it goes home with me. |
I used to but lots of "cool stuff" from the thrift store until I realized that it was ending up going back to the thrift store without ever being used. One person's junk is another person's future junk!
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Originally Posted by Suzi
Picky? No! I shop the thrift stores for sheets and tablecloths, books, teapots and VCR's and never walk out empty handed. I get more fabric in one sheet than in 5 men's shirts and it all matches ----- use them for backings ----- and each sheet costs me a grand total of $1.50. Some of the fabric is cotton/poly and it wears like iron and is no problem handquilting. I'm always amazed at the brand new items that people simply throw away ......... unbelievable! The one thing that I do is to donate a large trash bag stuffed full of goodies on each day that I go "treasure hunting" ...... makes DH happy that way.
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I make a lot of quilts for project Linus. If it is of a good quality, I know that I will use it for that. I can usually find as good or better quality at Jo Anns during a sale, or with a coupon...so it has to be a really good deal.
Johanna in WI |
Do you buy garments and use them for quilts. Our thrift shops don't have yard goods and I made one quilt from men's shirts but hadn't thought about buying them to use for fabric. I think more people are shopping our thrift stores now than ever and it is a good place for bargains.
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I only buy what I like. I don't have that much luck with fabric buys at thrift shops either. Also since we moved I don't have much space.
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I ended up with 200lbs (after felting and cutting away waste and linings) of wool coats from Goodwill before they figured out what I was doing. The coats were part of their tag sale - one color tag is 50% off on Sun and Mon-and I was getting the coats for $2-$5 each. One coat was a mens 5XL. I washed it in hot water to felt it and it was so heavy I had to have my DH put it in the dryer on hot to finish the felting. I use it all for wool applique. I was not about to pay for the mega-expensive wool my LQS sells. I also felted some blazers for more patterns, but you don't get as much fabric from them. I have also purchased beaded shirts etc for use in art quilts. You can't imagine the fun!
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Originally Posted by Joanie2
So, I am a thrift store junkie and proud of it. I have often found some really neat things. I've been reading a lot about some of the fabric finds you all are picking up and so I have a question for you --- are you particular about what fabrics you find and purchase at thrift stores or do you simply say to yourself "it's fabric! I have to have it! I don't need it for any project I'm working on but I simply can't pass it up. Surely I will find a use for it." ? I am starting to view my shopping in a different way in that I no longer purchase all the fabrics I come across just because the price is great. I look it over more carefully and ask myself if I will actually use it and I no longer buy it just because it's there. I'm getting more particular and thrifty with my thrift store shopping. How about you? Are you buying just to buy?
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I go to the thrift shops and buy old velvety dresses for a few dollars to use for Holiday crafts and table runners, fancy pin cushions, etc. I sometimes find baggies or jars of buttons, too.
Judy |
If it is cotton and I like it, I usually buy it if it is reasonable. Some of the thrift stores we used to like are jumping their prices way up - buying from them has certainly slowed down.
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I go to thrift shops all the time and seldom find fabric. :( Wish I had the luxury of being picky! I guess I have found polyester and felt. Didn't buy those. But I would probably buy any cottons I could find at a decent price.
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Originally Posted by Ethel Hoffman
Do you buy garments and use them for quilts. Our thrift shops don't have yard goods and I made one quilt from men's shirts but hadn't thought about buying them to use for fabric. I think more people are shopping our thrift stores now than ever and it is a good place for bargains.
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I am picky to a degree----if it is usable for a quilt, buy it if cheap enough. If it is extremely cheap and I like it always buy regardless of content as I find I always find a use for things I like.
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i have never seen any at our thrift store, or even at our goodwill store...
I have seen yarn, but it was the same price you would buy it at a regular store! I don't know if I would buy it or not... I guess it would depend! |
My favorite thrift store is run by women that some of which are quilters. You have to pay to volunteer there! I find some very nice scraps once in a while. I usually am ther to make a donation. I rarely go in thrift stores anymore. I am too busy to get out and I have everything I need really. I find in my later years that less is more for me.
Yes I am picky. I agree that if you are going to make something, it should be of a quality that will make you proud to keep or give. |
When I can, I make "kiddie" quilts for others. I can see a use in every piece of COTTON fabric I find. :-)
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I'm very picky about everything I buy at thrift stores and garage/estate sales, etc. If I don't have a use for it, it doesn't ride in my car. Having said that - yesterday I was in Goodwill and found some beautiful balls of yarn and wasn't familiar with the brand. Nine balls for $5. It was S. Charles, Venus collection, product of Italy. When I got home and researched my purchase, I found that each ball sells for $11.35. Talk about happy!! I had planned to knit a long scarf, but a $100.00 scarf? It's gonna really be good.
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I know I don't buy ugly just for the yardage. I do buy mens shirts that still have some quilting life left in them and can add to my stash once they are cut up, but still if they are ugly...............NO
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I only buy 100% cotton for quilting and only Men's shirts, the larger the better, with long sleeves usually and NO stripes, nothing thin!
Same here. I like some kind of design sometimes, too, because I use a lot of them for my Linus quilts. But definitely only 100% cotton. |
i LOVE thrift stores, yard sales, anywhere i can find a bargain...when i buy fabric at one of these places, when i get it home, i do the "burn" test on it, then lable it for future use...i save my 'cotton blends' for backing on bibs for babies, for table runners (for my or my family's use), for 'stablizing' on applique pieces, or anywhere else i need it.....i do not pass up fabric if it is a good price.......gina
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There's not a lot of fabric in thrift stores around here, but I usually just buy fabric for a specific project. My sister-in-law works for a thrift shop and she says that a lot of shops donate their fabric to groups that make comfort quilts for people in hospitals or servicemen and women. The only fabric they sell in the shop is fabric that is only good for rags. That's a GOOD reason why there's no good fabric in thrift shops, I guess!
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I check out the fabric to make sure it is a good quality cotton - nothing too thin. I usually buy a variety of colors (hoping) that I will use them someday for a quilt!! I can't pass up the good prices especially when I see how the prices are going up in the fabric stores!!
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I hear you. I've been thinking alot about this lately. My DH came in my sewing room just this morning and shook his head, his remark "You'll never get all this sewn." I ordered some fabric last week and when it came I thought: Do I have a current need for it; Is it something I really love; Or did I buy it just because it was on sale. I ended up sending back two 6yd pieces and one 2 1/2 yd piece; for a total of $90. Thank goodness fabric.com is 100% guarantee and free return shipping.
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If you do charity quilts it is good as scraps for them.
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I look for 100% cotton but sometimes the fabric content is not labeled. Can you look at cotton-appearing fabric and tell whether there is polyester in it???? I don't want to put a lot of work into a quilt only to have it be part polyester.
I buy vibrant colors or ones that catch my eye. I plan to use them all, not just go for the bargain AND if I'm not careful, I will go for the bargain (if it's cotton and cute). I'll have to retire to use all that I have now and yet I'm going to a Stash Sale on Saturday in Tacoma (taking only a limited amount of cash so that I won't overdo). |
most of my stash I bought at thrift stores or garage sales. I never knew what I was going to use it for, just knew if I can buy a yard of cotton material for 50 cents or a dollar, I wouldn't have to go pay new price for what I wanted. I make lots of scrap quilts so it works for me. I don't buy everything tho, I have to like the material.
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Oh, for me it depends on the day.
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I typically look for 100% wool clothing that can be washed over and over to 'felt' it.
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I've definitely gotten pickier. I seem to be much slower in producing quilts than some of you, so will only buy if I think I will use it in the next year...and at my slow pace...it is unlikely! I still like to look and touch though!
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Just don't get to one very often, can barely make it to grocery store lately, work and all.
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Just went to thrift store today. Got 20 yds. for $17.00. Some are childrens prints, some plain colors, just couldn't pass these up. Most are cottons. So yes, I buy.
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No I am more pratical than I used to be.
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Rarely find good fabric at any of the local thrift stores :( When I do, I buy. I like scrap quilts & the group I belong to does a lot of charity baby blankets, so as long as it's cotton & I can't read through it, I buy :)
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I've never seen fabric, but yesterday I found a 30 x 36 like new cutting board for $8.
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Originally Posted by Joanie2
So, I am a thrift store junkie and proud of it. I have often found some really neat things. I've been reading a lot about some of the fabric finds you all are picking up and so I have a question for you --- are you particular about what fabrics you find and purchase at thrift stores or do you simply say to yourself "it's fabric! I have to have it! I don't need it for any project I'm working on but I simply can't pass it up. Surely I will find a use for it." ? I am starting to view my shopping in a different way in that I no longer purchase all the fabrics I come across just because the price is great. I look it over more carefully and ask myself if I will actually use it and I no longer buy it just because it's there. I'm getting more particular and thrifty with my thrift store shopping. How about you? Are you buying just to buy?
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Kinda picky here. Even with true vintage fabric, I still want usable threads with color or patterns that I think will have appeal. I sometimes get donations (for 4-H use)of fabrics which I would pass by. I let the kids practice their stitches on these fabrics rather than have a possible mess up on something they really like - which would make them feel bad. I must say, however, that I have passed up some grays and browns which I regretted a year later.
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I have to see a project in mind or something that I am already working on before I will buy the fabric.
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We recently moved to our area six months ago and I have found that our thrift stores don't have much in the way of fabric. In SoCal there was one store I loved to go to because I could find pieces that were yards and yards. I would buy it if I thought I might have a use for it in the near future and the price was good. Up in NorCal I find the pieces too small for much of anything other than a scrappy (of which I'm not a big fan to put together 'cause I like "order") and the prices are sometimes quite outrageous. Sometimes I find great bargains on zippers but most of the time those are priced too high as well ($1.39 for a 7" zipper that was "donated"). So, I guess even though I am picky, the stores have helped me be even more picky. I always forget to look at the sheets for backing fabric.
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Love your cathedral quilt! Recently bought a book to do one but have another quilt on the quilting frame that is for hubby so I have to finish it and then go from there. how long did it tke you to complete???
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Hesitate and it's gone! If you really like it, snap it up!
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