GrammaBabs

For those of you just getting started, i feel for you,,, but for those of us who are "seasoned"LOL and have acquired a stash (ahem)... i feel now is the time to get back to what our ancestors did!!! Use up what's sitting there... I worked in a fabric shop for years... i've a WALL of shelves of acquired fabric, both Home Dec and cotton and a few odd ball things... MY MISSION, is to use up this stuff... I LOVED it once, ie. that's why i bought it... so make it into something.... funky quilts, art, or kids quilts... tote bags... fabric boxes, pincushions.. tissue holders... my biggest problem is working in the room full of fabric that gets me distracted thinking about another project.. We recently lost a fabric shop locally that had been around for almost 100 years... (where i worked for a while)... it's sad, but as mentioned before,, the pricing was crazy... So.. i gotta hurry... i'm 64 and tryng to use all this stuff up.. LOL
Do cut up shirts, use sheets, shower curtains.. drapes, there is a ton of stuff out there to be "cut and sewn into strips" and quilted... You newbies... think "upcycle"... it's all the rage on the blogs,,, and i for one old lady am really enjoying seeing what the youngin's are doing!!!

writerwomen

Supporting our local businesses is honorable but the family budget must come first. I worked for a grocery store yeras ago i their floral department. The owner kept reminf=ding us to shop there to support the bussines- we couldn't afford to. Necessity breeds creativity. Go for it

annesthreads

It does sometimes strike me as ironic that quilting has evolved into a hobby that can draw you into spending a lot of money on fabric annd equipment, and it can even begin to feel ESSENTIAL to spend all that money in order to do it properly, when its roots are in times when everything had to be treasured and used because people had so little. I've called a halt on stash building and am beginning to think of other ways of finding fabric and other supplies. Do I really need a 2000 dollar machine for quilting, or might an old Singer do the job? Do I need cupboards full of fabric that I'm not using, or might I buy one project at a time and try some of the great ideas on this thread? We're in times when many of us need to step back and question our spending, find more frugal ways of living - and maybe that's not such a bad thing. Look at the creativity that came out of earlier hard times in the form of wonderful vintage quilts!

svenskaflicka1

i look for cotton wherever i go. if a poly mix is really cheap/appealing, i get that and add to the stash of that fabric. sometimes it's nice to have something indestructible for things that will get harsh use. and wool! i go for wool. it can be felted and used for throws and appliques. it can be used as is for warm car quilts. mittens, too! trace and blanket stitch after you sew on an applique.

yard sales are great--estate sales even better (if someone there was in to sewing). craig's list, too, as well as free cycle. and the day after a garage sale closes (or the night of it) they often just want to toss whatever is left. any fabric is game--shirts, etc. creativity is where it all started, in the sewing and the fabric acquisition.

an old friend of ours made rag rugs on her loom in the basement where she lived with her son wendell, and daughter in law. she was in her late 80s when she passed away. the last time i saw her she confided in her cute swedish whisper, "you know--it takes five pairs of wendell's pants to make a decent rug..." and wneh i mentioned it to him, he grinned and nodded. "she shops where she can find the fabric. my closet is on the list."

fair game, ladies and gents. it's ALL fair game.

justflyingin

Most Americans, even the poor ones, have more clothes than they need. Don't feel guilty about cutting up clothing!

I think we've all gotten mixed up when we feel guilty for being frugal. Something's wrong with the picture. (Referring the OP who said that she believes she is SUPPOSED to support he LQS but can't always afford to).

Do what you can afford or want to do and don't apologize. It's YOUR life, YOUR money and YOUR time, and YOUR retirement. You aren't responsible to "support" someone else's retirement/income. Yikes.

My time

Don't forget good old denim.it makes a good solid quilt. I would recommend going to at least a 1/2 inch seam when sewing with it.

Jennifer22206

I buy fabric from all different places. I'm not afraid to cut up clothes. I saw the local thrift shop just dump bags of clothing into the dumpster. I asked why and they said that they were given more than they'll ever sell. So into the dumpster it went.

grandma Janice

in this day and age, you have to prioritize your spending. I never go to LQS because I can't afford to, and I go to Walmart for backing and batting. I go to garage sales, thrift stores and cut up cotton clothing. Our grandmothers didn't have LQS. they made beautiful quilts that have stood the sands of time and I expect mine will too. There are others who wouldn't think of buying anywhere but a quilt shop. I'll let them keep the shops in business.

bearisgray

And we keep getting calls from resale places all the time asking for donations! ?????

Janice Thompson

Have you check the origin of the material? My s-i-l pointed out that most of the fabric is imported. So, if you buy at yard sales, you are supporting USA economy.