New quilter wondering where I can find inexpensive fabric?
10-13-2011, 11:23 AM
#83
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Bacliff, TX on Galveston Bay
Posts: 1,174
Connecting Threads, as someone else has said. Ebay and Estate Sales are good choices.
Some of the Walmarts in TX have quit carrying fabric. They only have "crafts," including scrapbooking. Some of Walmart's fabrics are good quality, and some are not, so look closely if you buy Walmart fabric. A lot of quilters will not buy Walmart fabric, but the fabric shops are pricey.
Some of the Walmarts in TX have quit carrying fabric. They only have "crafts," including scrapbooking. Some of Walmart's fabrics are good quality, and some are not, so look closely if you buy Walmart fabric. A lot of quilters will not buy Walmart fabric, but the fabric shops are pricey.
10-13-2011, 01:18 PM
#85
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Owensboro, KY
Posts: 1,420
It is expensive when you're trying to build up your stash. I use some of the shops Gal288 listed above. I also shop at Crafttown, StitchNFrame, Whittle's, etc for online savings. You will get a better quality of fabric if you look for clearance fabric in a quilt shop versus a big box store. You can find good fabric for occasionally $3-$7 a yard on sale. StitchNFrame sends out a weekly special on Wednesdays. You can google them because it's on special now through Fri morning. Crafttown has Last Call Fabrics that are usually marked down. Whittle's and Quilt Fabric Closeouts buy from distributors and are usually selling discontinued fabrics at really good prices.
My personal motto is that is if isn't on sale or clearance, I don't buy it. I look for the best quality for the cheapest price. At the end of the year, fabric shops will mark some of their slower moving fabrics down just to get rid of them before tax time too. I've gotten really good deals in December for the past two years.
I'm also a fairly new quilter (3 years) I first focused on solids and blenders because you can grab those into almost any quilt. Then I went to types of fabric that I seemed drawn to, i.e. Civil War, 1930s, batiks, etc. I've gradually increased my selections with landscape fabrics, novelties, tone on tone etc. The standard is usually to buy 3-4 yards of a focus fabric that you think you might like to make the main fabric of a quilt. Borders can be anywhere from 1-3 yards depending on the width of the border. 1 yard will almost always do a binding on any size, up to a king.
I never buy less than 1 yard. You will have to put your mark on this by selecting fabrics that will suit your need too. Will you be making mostly bed size quilts, baby quilts, wall-hanging or decorative quilts, etc.
Hope this helps some.
My personal motto is that is if isn't on sale or clearance, I don't buy it. I look for the best quality for the cheapest price. At the end of the year, fabric shops will mark some of their slower moving fabrics down just to get rid of them before tax time too. I've gotten really good deals in December for the past two years.
I'm also a fairly new quilter (3 years) I first focused on solids and blenders because you can grab those into almost any quilt. Then I went to types of fabric that I seemed drawn to, i.e. Civil War, 1930s, batiks, etc. I've gradually increased my selections with landscape fabrics, novelties, tone on tone etc. The standard is usually to buy 3-4 yards of a focus fabric that you think you might like to make the main fabric of a quilt. Borders can be anywhere from 1-3 yards depending on the width of the border. 1 yard will almost always do a binding on any size, up to a king.
I never buy less than 1 yard. You will have to put your mark on this by selecting fabrics that will suit your need too. Will you be making mostly bed size quilts, baby quilts, wall-hanging or decorative quilts, etc.
Hope this helps some.
10-13-2011, 01:23 PM
#86
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Owensboro, KY
Posts: 1,420
Another thing I might add is that I also watch name brands that are recognizable. I started out thinking Moda was the absolute best, but have since learned there are many other manufacturers that make good quality fabrics. RJR, Timeless Treasures, Marcus Brothers, Kona, Red Rooster, Windham, Henry Glass, Jenny Beyer, Wilmington, Michael Miller, etc. are usually dependable companies for fabrics. I'm a little leary of an online fabric that's a brand I don't recognize since I can't touch it, stroke it, feel it! :-) Good luck!!
10-13-2011, 01:29 PM
#87
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Carlisle, PA
Posts: 1,964
try 2nd hand stores like Savers - I get a lot of fabrics from there at super cheap prices!! I also make monthly runs to Wal-Mart to check out their clearance bins. I was there this week and all their summer cottons are on sale for $1 and $2/yard!
10-13-2011, 02:26 PM
#88
Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Tyler, TX
Posts: 26
Originally Posted by crystaltx
Are there any tips you can give me for building up my fabric collection cheaply? Is there a place where a company might just be getting rid of it or something? It seems very expensive at places like Joann or Hobby Lobby, especially for quilt backing, but I would be happy just to have a fun assortment of scraps to work with. Thanks!
Kay in East Texas
10-13-2011, 03:49 PM
#89
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 946
Originally Posted by sewhappy30
Connecting threads and fabric.com have lots of good sales and very good quality fabric, or at least what I have bought from them has been.
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