Trying to keep costs down
 

Costs: have never had to worry about it. Not filthy rich.
I've chosen to spend on this hobby. Keep cars until they die. Spend little on restaurants.
Oh yeah. The other things we spend money on are: AC, gardening, fire insurance. We're trying to get AC and fire insurance under control.

I am certainly not filthy rich, I think everyone has things they spend money on like eating out, smoking, travel, alcohol, collecting things, etc. . This can be a expensive hobby especially now days with prices on the rise. I have a stash I have accumulated over the years, IMHO, a quilt can only be used one side at a time and I have no issue using good quality muslin or a nice sheet for a backing to save on cost. If someone were to complain about a backing then they certainly won’t appreciate the effort I put into the top, and chances are they would not be deemed Quilt Worthy by me. I shop sales and use coupons extensively, and I have a longarm in which to quilt my own quilts because my ex insisted that I have everything I wanted for quilting and purchased it for me.

I am not quilting as much as I used to and I am exploring new hobbies, but I do plan to continue quilting. I am a person who prefers solitude so I don’t spend money on eating out, clothes, makeup or on social activities etc. . Lots of people hit thrift stores in search of cotton shirts, sheets, fabric etc for quilts and don’t forget Estate sales. I think many quilters are happy to piece their backings from scraps, use muslin (do try Legacy Premium Muslin from Joann) or a nice low thread count sheet. Where there is a will there is a way that will work.

Tell me about it... no don't! :shock: Yes, it can be expensive, but....

It helps in that, I watch for sales all the time, that and use coupons when I have them. I don't buy fabric unless I have a planned project for it, so that helps a lot. It also helps me in that I buy in bulk when there is a good sale, with items such as batting (by the roll), thread - usually buy a dozen or more at a time (I use three basic colors), and also fabric if it will go with numerous projects - buy the full bolt on sale, especially solids. And I plan ahead so I'm ready for the cost when I need to refresh my supplies.

I also do my own quilting, so I don't have that expense. (unless I'm buying a new quilting ruler) I pretty much have what I like in that department, but I still keep an eye out of new designs. I use the Westalee rulers, and luvs them.

Above all, I take care of my quilting tools, to keep them in good shape. (saves on replacement/repair costs)

I'm pretty much like the poster above, I keep an eye on what I spend, but I have chosen to spend on this hobby. DH is also the same with his woodworking. It works for us in that we spend little elsewhere. Preferring to be homebodies, and enjoying our sanctuary. :)

We don't go on lavish vacations or spend a lot elsewhere. We drive a used car, read a lot from the public library, live simply.

I'm not filthy rich, but my husband is a millionaire. We do not share bank accounts, or credit cards, we both wanted it this way. He pays the household bills and his credit card; I pay all my bills and buy the groceries and clothing bills. We eat out once or twice a week, at regular everyday restaurants. No country clubs for us. Call me an independent woman. Still quilting is expensive for me as it is for every woman out there. I'd rather do some traveling and see some fantastic sites, than look at my sewing machine everyday, but he's already traveled the world when he worked for a major corporation and doesn't care to do it again.
So, my sewing, quilting keeps me busy and out of trouble and I do the Project Linus Quilts because it's what I can afford to do.

You are right ….. this is an expensive hobby. Sometimes I wonder if I’m crazy. When I consider how much time and materials go into making even a throw or baby quilt, I can only hope the recipient is as happy with the quilt as I was making it. And I guess that is the point for me ….. I really enjoy making it. I listen to music, books, Fresh Air, podcasts, and rock out singing my favorite Patsy Cline in my sewing room. It makes me happy to sew.

Like others have said, we are not big spenders in other departments. Kids are grown and thankfully working so we are only spending for the two of us.

Sometime folks ask for aquilt and I make kinda big lap quilts. When they say how much do I owe you well I tell them two yards of good quilt fabric or a roll of Hobbs cotton batting. i too use sheets and good muslin for backing and quilt on my juki 2010 not fancy but it works for me. I am alone now so quilting keeps my hands and brain busy I try to sew everyday

I decided I liked scrappy quilts when I discovered members of my quilt guild give away their scraps! I have bought most all my yardage fabric off craigslist/offer up and from a local store that was going out of business (40%off!).
I also have skimped on batting and chosen to use flannel yardage instead. much cheaper and works well for those in warmer climates. When I do use batting, I save the trimmed off scraps and then piece them together until they are a usable size again.
I am a slow quilter, so I may only spend a few hundred dollars a year on quilt supplies.

I knew about when I'd retire so decided to grab all the toys I thought I'd need beforehand while I could still afford them as I knew my pension would only be about half of what I was used to bringing in with all my over-time. Also collected a lot of fabric back then. Didn't realized just how much fabric I'd collected until I had to start packing it away as I was also going to sell the house and move back to the midwest.

Once moved, unpacked, etc. I continued to collect fabric, usually from Connecting Threads as their prices were right up my alley as all my quilts are gits to folks. When I saw a sale on backings on other fabric sites I'd grab them if they had what I thought I might need in the future for the quilts on my list. Also my quilting thread came from Connecting Threads, their cotton which is very linty as well as their polyesters. I kept a log of which colors I used the most and stock up on them up to 10 spools at a time.

Since Nov 2018 I have bought fabric until just last week when I needed some for a backing for a doggie quilt. I've only ordered embroidery threads which I can also use on my quilt machine so a plus there. I have ordered a bolt of batting but only when it's on sale. Just recently though I did order 4 king size battings while on sale as I have most of my battings already cut for the quilts in line to be quilted plus some left on the bolt so figured 4 more battings should do the trick for what I have yet to start, finish or dream up.

Since my quilts are all gifts and I don't skimp on quality if I can help it as I feel making a quilt takes time, emotions, energy at times so I want the best of me in them. I don't like to waste fabric either so will use cutoffs where I can on the quilts whether on the borders or the backings if I'm having to piece them together. As for the doggie quilt, the fabrics were leftovers from a larger queen quilt I made for a gal who suddenly passed on before I could give it to her. Tried to make her a lap quilt while she was in the nursing home but she went within a week's time. Found someone that liked the quilt and he has a big shepherd dog so thought why not make the lap quilt for her.

Anyway, I'm not rich by any means but I do okay. Not spending on my hobby these past couple years has saved me a ton of money though as I remember my expenses were tight back then.

My suggestions is buy when on sale, have a list of projects you'd like to make and keep a list of what you need whether fabrics, battings, backings and/or threads so when the sale comes around you know what you should be looking for.

I watch for sales especially those that have the remainder of the bolt for at least 50% off, then I look for ones that could be used for a backing if there is enough yardage on the remaining bolt. Now, I don't always have a completed top for the backings, but I have chosen's one that are neutral or something in the texture and colors I usually work with and haven't bought a specific backing for a finished top for years; shopping instead from my backing stash. Right now, I have about 10 potential backings with at least 8 yards of fabric. I don't make show quilts but make ones that people will actually use, can be washed and dried in the machines. I do buy good quality fabric though, just on sale. I did years ago buy some on sale that had bold patterns and interesting, each of these found a quilt top that actually worked very well those backings! Batting I buy by the roll and that has gotten really expensive now especially as I have to have them shipped. I am also working on using up my batting stash although I only have 2 partial rolls and a few packaged.

I realize that not all areas are equal, but I've been buying most of my fabrics while thrift/estate shopping for years now. I'm paying typically $1-2 per yard or buying in large lots. No, you can't just go out and get the perfect fabric when you want it. You have to collect fabric and know how to use it. Fortunately for me, I work in a scrappy style and I don't try to copy other projects. Unfortunately, it means you have to store fabric for when you might use it and that builds up stash.

My biggest issue is backs, I'm pretty much out of anything in stash that is 6 yards or so. I've developed ideas for using coordinating/contrasting 3 yard pieces. I try to spend $20 or less on backs and that's pretty challenging. One thing is the extra wide fabrics are typically not on sale with the other quilting fabrics at Joann and are something that you can actually use the 50% off coupon.

Edit/Forgot -- one place I have gotten large amounts of fabric for cheap is on Craig's List or an Auction site I like. Nope, just like the thrift stores it isn't new stuff but it is unused. This auction went higher than I would pay (I'm cheap) but is an example of being able to get a lot for just a couple yards of new.
https://maxsold.maxsold.com/auction/...ters-b-3752983

By no means rich! I have been quilting for over 20 years so have a great stash that I have built up during that time. I rarely buy fabric if it’s not on sale. You can find beautiful quality fabric at Marshall’s Dry Goods for $7.99 a yard. I buy the 108” wide fabric for backings and have certainly used it in the top. I buy batting from Joann’s that’s 90” wide by the roll obviously using a coupon. Even the quilting doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg if you know where to have it done or right now straight line quilting seems to be the thing people are opting to do. Probably 90% of the quilts I make are bed size and it’s not that bad for me. I think it’s up to you what you choose to spend.

When I do buy new, I have a couple of places I typically order from. My first stop is general eQuilter, especially when I am looking for backs. Yes, I usually blow my $20 desired budget but at $14.50 and on sale I've come close! LOL, I've also spent a lot more... horrified myself last year spending something close to $100 on a single piece of fabric, but it was a beautiful digitized print and worth it for the Judy Niemeyer top.

When they have them and if you are collecting fabrics for a particular project, I've found their Scrap Packs to be a lot of fun. They are the ends of bolts sorted by theme or color and sold by weight:
https://www.equilter.com/category/38...se-scrap-packs

I can tell there are a lot of savvy shoppers out there like me. Everyone has to decide what works for them. I personally am a on sale/coupon/thrift store shopper and that is fun in itself. To each his own how and what they want to spend their money on. Just enjoy the process.

I agree it's an expensive hobby but so are many others, like painting, golf, etc. It's totally worth the cost to me given how much I love it and it makes me happy.
About backings- I'm not too fussy about them. I rarely use yardage for that purpose. I use muslin, piece the backs, or use something I got for a great price that coordinates. I've never used sheets but that's probably a good idea. I once used an ugly fabric for my backing and regretted it. I won't do that again.
I don't shop thrift stores but many people do. That's probably a place to save some money.

We're lucky to have this hobby. I see people who have nothing going on but hours of TV watching. Ugh!

Always been frugal and live just fine. DH is a very handy fella & saved us untold dollars through the years. we have a new truck & an old car & no mortgage. We’ve always been money managers.
Our church has a huge stash (donated & purchased). I make many juvenile quilts (from their fabric) because Children Protection needs them & they’re appreciated which is important to me. A local cancer center has a quilt room with sewing machines and I make a few every month for them with their stash. These projects cost me nothing except thread. Speaking of thread, I bought 200 spools at a garage sale for $12. I give them the “snap test” to see if they’re strong & most of them are. I kept track one year and emptied over 80 spools. Of course they weren’t all full. That’s about 6 cents a spool. Sewing for charity is great but I’m selective where finished quilts go.

I have a generous disposable income so don't have to think about what I spend for quilting or spend on the grandkids. LOL I do shop fabric sales and bargain hunt. If I see a great buy on quilting tools or fabric I always buy enough to share my four quilting friends. We share all our quilting stash. I send some of my quilts to Missouri Star to be quilted. Some I do myself. The rest are donation quilts and the guild has LAs that do those.
My husband said he would never leave the US again after his service in the military during war. I have been all over the US and seen all the historic places, beautiful scenery, museums, landmarks, etc. We bought a beautiful forever home in a wonderful location so it's easy to stay home and be with my family and friends, my own tiny world. I am looking forward to going to some of the major quilt shows this year.

I'm far from filthy rich... I'm a stay at home mom of four kiddos, ages 5 and under, and we live on one income. Where do I draw the line with quilting costs? I never buy brand new or big name brands unless 50% off. The big name fabric is nice, but I still find beautiful fabric at garage sales and estate sales. I save an envelope (Dave Ramsey style) for my batting, thread and quilty notions expenses and I use that sparingly. Saving for something I want makes me be far more careful than just swiping debit cards. I make a lot of scrap quilts from estate/garage/thrift store finds. And, I maybe making a quilting sin, but I put pretty much anything large enough on the back of my quilts. I try to match, but don't stress about it. Sometimes Wal-Mart is having a huge fabric clearance where they are selling quilting fabric at $3-$4 a yard; I buy a couple of bolts for backings then.

Just remember, quilting used to be a make-do method of keeping family and friends warm. Our grandmas and great-grandma's weren't filthy rich but made gorgeous quilts. They made from scraps and very rarely bought fabric specifically for a quilt.

How do you make a small fortune on horses?



Start with a large fortune.


There's a lot of expensive hobbies. Quilting is what I choose to spend money on.

The main things I do are:

1. I don't worry about fancy backing. I use whatever is laying around. I piece chunks together. During covid, I even used sheets.
2. Same with binding. I use whatever is around, typically whatever is left from sewing the top. Rarely I will buy fabric for a binding (if it's a special gift).
3. I buy batting by the roll. If you quilt a lot this will save you a bunch of money. I also sew together batting pieces to get bigger pieces.

:eek: :DThis made me laugh this morning.

I have used a lot of sheets for backings they are used. I do not feel that the backing has to be coordinated with the front of the quilt. I have found a lot of fabric over the years at thrift shops most of that was not new fabric, but it was usually unused. I have just recently started piecing the backing there are many different ways to do that with different fabrics and even orphan projects left over.

I'm right there with the homebodies. We don't do vacations except a weekend here or there and since I have a lot of food sensitivities, we don't eat out. So we spend out money on what is really important to us. Sewing is important to me! I love scrappy quilts and have a huge stash so I've been making a lot of scrappy quilts. I'm still working part time and with Darby on hospice and the business not doing well, my sewing time has been limited so I make what I want when I want to and don't worry too much about it. I do watch for sales especially for batting and backing since that's mostly what I make. And, no, I'm not filthy rich. I"m not even a little rich. ;)

I've used coupons and collected packages of W & N for a few years now. I cut up several of my deceased brothers' all cotton, button down, business shirts. Our local quilt guild has a "Mall in the Hall" sale twice a year. After 7PM items are discounted 50%. Absolutely hit the sale bolts at the LQS. For backing I will use Cuddl Dud flannel sheets, around Thanksgiving they can be bought at Kohls for a great price.

I too am a homebody. One way to spend less is to do big or more complex - time consuming quilts. You may finish less quilts in a year but you are not buying a jellyroll or other fabric for a new quilt every month.

I liked your post petthefabric
Quilting is one of my favorite hobbies and it brings me joy. I’m not filthy rich but not extravagant either…we just live comfortably and feel very blessed.

I have made very few quilts where I start from scratch and buy all new, all coordinated fabrics. That said, just this week I met with a man who has asked me to make a quilt for his wife for their anniversary. Ok, can do. But when I sat down and calculated just the materials all fresh from the quilt shop and not from my stash, it came to nearly $200. He say OK without a blink. So it is.

Most of my quilts come from my stash.. Thus many of my quilts are scrappy. I pick up fabrics at my quilt group when someone is cleaning out their stash or occasionally from quilters who are no longer going to be quilting and just giving away fabric. Truly the primary expense I have is backing and batting. I bought a HUGE roll of batting two years ago at the start of the Pandemic on sale and delivered to my door, yeah JoAnns. I still have enough for several more quilts. I also piece my batting for smaller quilts. Lots of ways to save a few dollars and to keep quilting without devastating my budget.

Oh yes, I limit the number of quilts that go out a long arm quilter, about 3 a year and those are the really special ones or the really big ones. All the rest of the quilts are done by me on my domestic machine. That is why I bought it, right? :)

I bought a longarm when I retired, a lot of my friends took a cruise. I thought about it long and hard as it was a chunk of money, well I have had it now for about 11 years and made at least 60 quilts on it. I have over this time had one quilt sent out to a professional (Judy Nieymer pattern) This was gifted to my nephew to hang on his wall, and I just don't have the talent for that. I figure that longarm by now has actually almost paid for itself by what I have saved, and I am very happy that the longarm is probably the one and only thing related to my stitching habit that has actually paid for itself! Tee Hee!

When I buy fabrics, including high quality brands, I always buy closeout or on sale to save $$. I have a very large stash that I only paid pennies a yard for when I purchased part of someone's who passed away. I will occasionally pick up a few new pieces here and there, as I just did. I am also gifted fabrics often enough to make it worth mentioning. This is one way I keep the cost lower.
Good thread is one of my more expensive cost.
I also look for quality, but less expensive backing fabrics. There are many good shops online that meet my needs.
I still hand quilt or have been recently LA'ing some of my quilts. I have a mid arm machine that is out of service right now and greatly missed. I also use my DSM to quilt with when ever I can.
Yes, it can get quite costly which is why I am very selective on who I gift my quilts to.
I am working on 2 quilts right now. One is bogging me down a bit but I will get it finished. The other one is coming along very nicely. I hope to have them both done by spring.
I am not a rich woman with a lot of $$ to throw around but if I have to have a hobby that is fulfilling then quilting it is.

Yes! I've been horrified at the cost of fabric nowadays. Like others, quilting and sheep herding with my corgis is what I spend money on. We don't travel now that we are older. I guess we spend more money than most on food as I cook everything fresh to control how much salt my elderly husband gets. However, most of the quilting stores have gone out of business. I hate buying fabric online because it never looks like it does on my monitor. I've been so disappointed in precut fabrics that I buy online that haven't used any of it yet...a lot of duplicates in layer cakes, fabrics that don't blend well together etc. I planned for my retirement well and saved a lot when I was working so that I wouldn't have to cut back drastically, But, I sure regret the price of fabric! It really keeps younger people from wanting to learn this skill and keeps me from purchasing fabric that does not fit well in my stash. Where I used to buy an unsual color or something unique to experiment with, I just can't expand my stash more with fabric that does play will with others already

when I was working, I discovered it was far easier to buy fabric then actually use so developed quite a stash, I felt guilty once I retired and had time to organize it and see how much I had. I have been retired 11 years and now I think that fabric stash I acquired when I was working was one of the best retirement savings plans, I could have! What I paid $5-6 dollars a yard for then is now going to be 11-12! Also, I have noticed that my older fabric actually has a better feel to it than some of the newer, thinner, yet quilt shop fabric that is available today. I also have developed quite a fabric, rotary cutter blades, cutting mats, patterns, books Stash as well. So, my hobby has not cost much these last few years although I did splurge and got a couple of new machines as my old ones just were getting clunky and outdated.

I remember when I could buy name brand fabric at Marshall's for less then $ 3 yard. If I liked a fabric I bought the whole bolt for about $30. Buying the bolt was cheaper per yard. I have bolts of vintage Robert Kauffman, Andover, Free Spirit of Tula Pink, Kaffe, and others. Lots of Hoffman Batiks. I am so glad I did. Fabric is expensive now but in ten years time it could possibly triple in price. Newer quilters should be buying all the sale fabric they can now.

It can be expensive when making one from a new line of fabric with a decorative fabric back. I think the most expensive one I ever made used the little license plates from row by row. But oh, how much fun I had shop hopping and collecting those little plates. I keep costs down by purchasing when on sale, using a plain back, and purchasing my batting by the roll. I love scrappy which helps and I rarely purchase at full price, I wait for a sale.

Today I bought fabric. It was 30% off for holiday sale. I was very selective about what I really wanted and what I needed. My purchase was $.89 for 1/8 yd solid black.

Another way I've saved is to get my quilting fix, 1 block at a time on the BOOM 27. Lots of creative juice for each block.

I am by no means rich. DH and I are very much like mentioned previously in this thread, homebodies. We don't eat out, we don't go on expensive vacations, and we too are driving vehicles that don't have payments. We each have our hobbies that we enjoy, and we stay home and do them. And I am thrifty about it. I watch for sales, use coupons, and I make and sell items to help support my hobby. And I wouldn't change a thing, because quilting/sewing makes me happy.

I am really enjoying all of your stories. Many hit home with me. My biggest regret is my purchasing habit. I too have mostly just bought fabrics on sale. However, the downside of that is only buying the ones I really liked which resulted in buying one or two fabrics from a line, as a limited number were available. So now I struggle with trying to coordinate my fabric, and despite my very large stash, sometimes I have a problem pulling it all together. I'm not as big a fan of scrappy, although I still think some scrappy quilts are pretty.

Also the available yardage on sale has really dried up in the past two years, making purchasing individual yardage at a more reasonable cost is becoming more difficult. I do very much agree with the sentiment about this hobby bringing you joy. Besides sewing, a fun time for me is sitting down and just looking at my fabric, and visualizing what I will make with it. I have made so many quilts in my head.

I just gifted by sister-in-law a quilt that she loved. It had a pieced binding and she thought it was amazing. I love pieced bindings mainly for the look but it also uses up scraps.

My most recent quilts were made from kits, usually on sale. A kit gives me a selection of coordinated fabrics in amounts that I can design a quilt around. I'll also buy quilt backs. A yard of a 108" backing is three yards of fabric that amounts to about $5.00 a yard.