When you find that perfect fabric
 

When you find that perfect fabric for a quilt, do you buy it without regards to cost?? If so, do you feel guilty for paying so much?

I am making my SIL a quilt and he loves Ford trucks and Mustangs. He had a Ford truck and my DGS loved it. He even named it Cheyenne. Something happened to his truck and he could not afford repair it. I found some fabric with Ford trucks, Ford Mustangs and Ford neon logo signs. I just needed one more print for his quilt. I found a blue (perfect shade!) of Ford logo with flames (also blue) on Ebay. It was $11.99 a yard and plus shipping. I bought the two yards available and the total was almost $28. I have never paid that much for two yards of fabric!!! Part of me feels guilty (a tiny part) for paying so much but the other part is thrilled to have found the fabric.

My SIL is DD's second husband. He is such a wonderful husband to DD and awesome step-daddy to the grandkids. So that is my reasoning for paying so much. I want to make him something special. I will also be making him a matching pillowcase.

If it is worth it to you ( and it sounds like it is) then there is no reason to feel guilty. If you are spending money that should be going toward bills or groceries any amount is too much, if you can afford the purchase and it is exactly what you needed/wanted then it is fine. I do look for deals when possible, but if I need something in particular I pay the price necessary to get what I need - without guilt

Well said!

Sometimes something is just right and you know it will make someone happy. I've done it many times. If you need more, Over the Rainbow has some Ford truck and Mustang fabric. They decent pricing and quick shipping. Excellent customer service too. One of my favorite shops.

http://www.overrainbow.com/cgi-bin/Store/store.cgi

Because we (Canadians) have been paying far more than that per meter for years, I don't think that's out of line. As to the question...is there a limit to what I would pay?..... if it's the perfect fabric for someone I love and respect and I have the resources to purchase it, no hesitation.

It wouldn't bother me. You really only paid about $1 to $1.50 over the standard LQS pricing

You love your son in law. That is all the reason you need to purchase the fabric for a quilt that will delight him!

I wouldn't give it a second thought! If it is the PERFECT fabric, it is PRICELESS!!!!!

I never think twice about buying something I can afford if I want it.

At the end of the year, you wont have missed the few dollars extra you paid. But he will certainly remember the quilt you made for him, and you'll be glad you found that fabric.

why feel guilty. It cost almost 18 dollars in most other countries, even though we consider it pricey Our fabric is still cheaper than other countries. I don't have a problem spending if I like it especially if its something hard to find

Late last year I put myself on fabric buying moratorium. It worked well -- until earlier this year when I saw a fabric with daisies which I just had to have. I broke down and bought some of that fabric and will make a quilt that will remind me of spring time all the time! It is a "happy" print which makes me smile. :) No guilt here.

If it is the 'perfect' fabric--that means I would enjoy working with it. The money I pay for the 'perfect' fabric sometimes means I pay for the privilege of 'petting' the fabric. I have purchased fabric I fell in love with and I treat that special fabric like a favorite teddy bear and I could not bear to cut it!!! But I have sure gotten my money's worth enjoying it.

Absolutely. Don't feel guilty at all. The pleasure that will come from that fabric is so worth it. (Your pleasure when sewing it up and the pleasure the recipient will get from the quilt). Enjoy the process!
By the way, this was the right place to ask this. Non quilty people might not understand!

IMO, it is better to spend a bit more on fabric that is perfect for a project for someone special than to buy for your stash just because it was a bargain if you won't really use it.

Look at it this way: You probably would have "wasted" the money on something else (shoes you had to have that now hurt your feet, junk food you end up wearing around the waist, etc). You got the perfect finish fabric for the quilt and it will raise YOUR spirits as you work on the quilt. $28 ?? Think of it as cheap therapy!! Win win situation all the way around. lol

I bought 3 yds of fabric I love but just can't take the cutter to it. $36.00 worth of fabric. After the coupon. My goal is to cut into this fabric. I may have found the perfect pattern and that may help.

If he is worthy of the cost and time to make a quilt, then don't worry about it.

I agree totally with this! Just finished going through my stash and filling 3 grocery bags full of "bargain" fabric I purchased for my stash over the years. In my experience, it's much better to pay a little more for exactly the right fabric for a specific quilt.

He is definitely worth the cost. He works two jobs so he can provide for DD and the kids. I am excited to get the fabric so I can finish his quilt. I just felt a twinge of guilt that I paid that much for 2 yards of fabric. I showed it to DD this morning and she is so excited for him to have it. He will love it, I am sure.

I am working on a quilt make with FQ I collected on a trip to New Zealand almost 10 years ago. I decided to use the BQ pattern to use each of the FQ as a 12 inch square of the fabrics. I was searching for a tan background fabric and decided to search for fern fabric, the NZ symbol. Then in my search results I saw a tan fabric with New Zealand flora outlines in brown. I had to have that fabric. The shop was in New Zealand and I ordered the fabric for $23 per meter plus international shipping. If I had not bought the perfect fabric when I found it, I would have looked at it every day and wished I had. Sometimes you gotta just do it.

The blocks for my New Zealand quilt on my design board:

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If I find a fabric that is perfect but too expensive, I try to figure out a way to use less of it in my quilt... like an accent or something.

I wish we had a "like" button! I totally agree with this - not only as it relates to quilting - but in general

If it is good quality, I have paid near that much for fabric. If it is what you want, can the price be too much?

I really doubt that I have felt guilty about buying that special fabric that jumps out at me, as it often makes the most beautiful quilt/quilts. Cost becomes a factor depending on the balance in my checkbook, but spending a little more money on that perfect fabric and the quilt/quilts I make from it, makes it all worthwhile. Quilting is my passion, my way to keep relatively sane when times are tough and the joy I receive when I make that special quilt for a family member or friend, makes that quilt priceless to me. Planning and making quilts, sometimes just fondling my stash, makes me happy as well as the fact that quilting helps me focus during difficult times, and keeps my mind active so the grey cells do not fly out of my brain at an alarming rate. It's therapy, no two ways about it.

Skyangel, that quilt will be gorgeous when it is done!!! I can't wait to get my fabric to finish his quilt.

And I so agree with you, MargeD!! Sewing and quilting have definitely been therapeutic for me. When life gets me down, I can sew and quilt with my pretty fabrics and it takes my mind off problems, even if only for a little while. And in the long run, way cheaper than dr. bills or therapy would be.:)

I understand how you feel the quilt I'm working on the fabric alone was 50 dollars in regard to how much it cost I really didn't care because she is family. Let alone the extra fabric I bought just to finish it. I have never paid that much for fabric and yes I felt guilty at first but like you said your SNL has been a good man to your DD. And this quilt is for my cousin she gets good grades and has had a lot of stomach issues on and off the last couple of years. I feel she has just worked so hard and deserves something wonderful like a quilt.

Ask yourself this one quesrtion! "Do I plan to be the richest woman in the graveyard?"If the answer is, "No," don't feel guilty about spending such a reasonable amount of money for something that makes you happy and will make someone you love happy! froggyintexas

I bought several pieces of fabric at the same time. What I paid overall was still a bargain as there was a beautiful blue houndstooth for $1.59 a yard and it was really good quality. BTW, I got all that was left on the bolt of the blue one. It was just my lucky day! Several pieces were much more expensive but what I wanted, still at 30 per cent off. Went into Hancock's for notions, wouldn't you know it? For a specialty fabric with a logo or licensed design, that was not out of line. More and more, I am seeing similar cloth at $16.99 a yard.