I started my first quilt 3 years ago, a hand-stitched queen-size hexagog GFG quilt top, I just finished in the fall. I had no clue what I was getting into or what I was doing when I started so I purchased tons of scraps from people on Ebay, yard sales, and alot of fat quarters. I've since gone to a quilting class and I now realize what I didn't know three years ago, when I started. Now, I feel confident that I at least have some knowledge of quilting and I can manage to make a descent quilt. I bought my batting and backing for my hexagon quilt several months ago but I just started working on it tonight, I had some family problems to settle first. I have been working on hexagon pillows shams to match my hexagon GFG quilt. Since, I just last year seriously started to learn quilting I've had put out quite a pretty penny in supplies such as rulers, cutting tools, mats, threads, markers, quilting pins, straight pins, freezer paper stash, template making plastic sheets (I took an Applique class with Mimi Dietrich) and I have a pretty good size fabric stash for my next hexagon quilt. I can't begin to imagine how much money I've spent on all the items I've purchased over the last year but it's quite alot. I usually buy good quality products so that only adds to the cost and plus, I've purchased most of my supplies at the quilt shop I took my class at, so that only adds to the cost as well since the prices in the shops are usually higher than buying at Walmart, Michael's or Joann's. I would say I've spent close to $1,000 since June of last year. I have alot of my receipts but not all of them. I might sit down one day and add them up. I may have sticker shock when I get the total, lolol....This year I'm on a budget, I'm divorcing from my husband and since I'm keeping the house, I'll be responsible for the upkeep, mortgage, etc etc etc by myself which I can do but I won't have the freedom of buying something whenever I want it. But, I love quilting and no matter what, if I want something, I'll save until I can get it. Quilting has helped me through some rough times these past 5-6 months. I think I'll be quilting for a long time...