All these are great tips...I too haunt the thrift shop. I buy the toss pillows for the stuffing, towels for the insides of pot holders, Flannel baby blankets for a heavier flat batt and good condition flannel for a lightweight flat batt. I find lots of lengths of fabric. I have found, silk, faux suede, wool and gingham. I look for clothing with good fabric in the thrift shop sale bin, or go in for bag sales and stock up on men's cotton shirts. Not to mention jeans, linin tablecloths and wonderful novelty dishtowels, and pillow cases for all sorts of sewing. If you look around
you can find lots of fabric to upclyle. How ever that does not mean I don't have a stash of newer fabs, or an over flowing scrap bin. Ahhh so much fabric and so few decades left to use it up.