feline fanatic

Wow $59 per yard is pretty hefty. I don't think I have ever seen a fabric used for quilting that was that expensive. Even Dupioni silk is much less but still eye popping at around $21 per yard.

The most I have paid for fabric was a splurge on some hand dyed marbled fabric. I was at a show and bought fat quarters. It worked out to be around $25 per yard. I have also spent close to that for some of the Oakshott cottons out of the UK. They are also very expensive at around $24 per yard. The hand dyes are still in my stash waiting for the right inspiration. The oakshott is for a specific project I am working on.

SewingSew

I can understand silk being expensive, but cotton shouldn't cost that much. I will pay exorbitant amounts of money for Egyption cotton sheets or Pima cotton nightgowns, but it would be silly to pay that much for fabric to use in a quilt. And I love shopping for beautiful fabric just as much as the next person.

Diane C.

I get my stilletto at the local Chinese restaurant. They come with a meal or take out for free. I don't know if they would mind just giving one to you. You can always ask. Diane C.

SewingSew

Very funny Diane C.! Yeah, when I saw the stiletto I thought of a chopstick. I have a ton of those already. It actually looks like a wooden skewer.

Gerbie

I just had to laugh to myself when I saw the title to this thread and had to open it to read it. Last Christmas my son gave me a gift card to JoAnn's and a new rotary cutter and a blade removal tool, (which I haven't used yet or ever seen before).He apologized for not wrapping these and as he handed me the bags made this statement "Gosh Mom your hobby is really expensive", I thanked him, laughed and just replied "yes it is.

Dodie

I started sewing in the 1970's when we sewed for the family as it was all we could afford and quilts were made out of the scraps, we had some wonderful fabric store around then too plus all sores sold fabric including Penny's, Wards, Sears, Ben Franklin and others then quilting became very popular and turned into a big money thing with designer fabrics and quilt stores opened to sell these designer fabrics and they were not supplied to the box stores so they eventually quit selling fabric and today at least around here Joanns is the only one left and oh yes WalMart and quilting like everything else has really changed, it is a very big money business now. years ago hobbies were for stay at home moms now they are the people that cannot afford to sew. The world has really changed I do not even go to quilt shows anymore as I refuse to pay 5 or 10 dollars to see what a computer can do.

Rennie

Kimcatlou, that is interesting to know... I bought my first fabric for my home ec class at Wilson Jr. High from Mary Jo's - long, long ago (grin). So young and inexperienced at the time, I bought a beautiful plaid wool to make a jumper - PLAID WOOL for my first sewing project! How silly .....

Gerbie

The most expensive fabric I have purchased for my quilting I paid around $15.00 a yard for the backing and center pieces of a DBL WR quilt I made for my DD. However the most expensive fabric I have ever used for in a quilt was for a quilt that a very dear elderly friend (now deceased) commissioned me to make. She wanted a king size quilt with a Pima cotton sheet for the backing. Her niece, my dearest friend ordered the sheets on line I ended up needing two flats. Each sheet cost $80.00 plus tax. I made her QAYG quilt that I designed and she was thrilled. She used the front side with roses on her bed in the spring and summer and the solid sea foam green in the fall and winter. Her niece now owns the quilt. I think the hardest thing I have ever done in my quilting career was cutting into that $80.00 sheet, I as terrified I would mess it up. Thank goodness I didn't. I fussy cut each rose section for the front. A picture of this quilt is listed in the picture section as "Hope's Rose Garden"

Innov8R

I applaud jbj137 for her savvy. I haven't done enough looking for useful quilting items in tool stores, but one of my favorite tools is a metal yardstick that I carried off from my husband's shop. I wonder how much that same ruler would cost with a quilt brand on it. DH said he paid $4! As for fabrics, I average less than 50 cents a yard and use wonderful re-purposed fabrics.

Debbie Ness

I use a shish-kabob skewer (wooden), broken at the size I need. If I happen to push to far and it gets under the needle it won't break the needle and if it gets worn, I just toss and get a new one. I've had the one I made for years. Because I actually don't use it that much.