What I do with...
03-05-2010, 02:24 PM
#61
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Up North Wis
Posts: 41
I work for a local hotel and have grabbed stained sheets & pillow cases to use for projects. I have "home-dyed" them and have an unlimited variety of colors! A standard pillow case is about 30"x 30" once seams are cut off and hem removed. Most of the ones I use are at least 50-50 cotton/poly. If nothing else they are soft and easy to work with! Most hotels/motels are more than willing to give away their discards, saves having to pay to have them put in garbage! What stains there are can easily be cut around for piecing. I also agree with going to Wally's for backing material (king sheets)!
03-05-2010, 04:17 PM
#62
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Iowa
Posts: 8,110
I too buy cotton dresses at garage sales. I once bought a maternity dress that had wonderful material and lots of yardage, my DH about had a heart attack until I told him I bought it for the material.[/quote]
My husband would pass out, too!!! We have 6 kids and all but one have left the nest!!!
My husband would pass out, too!!! We have 6 kids and all but one have left the nest!!!
03-05-2010, 04:21 PM
#63
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Northern Minnesota
Posts: 201
Wow I just read your post about your Aunt making the State History quilt and what it was appraised at. My mom has done 8 so far. One for each kid and grandkid (almost) The are just done on muslin with strips between but she does all the states just like you said in the correct color. I had no idea they had that much value. I can't use mine I have it for show but............. My son love his and uses it!!! His daughter is the last one and she is working on it now. I hope she finishes it as I don't have that much patients or talents!!
03-05-2010, 04:45 PM
#64
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: NW Missouri
Posts: 140
Garage sales! I find lots of fabric. At one last summer there was a large box of fabric with a sign that said all you can carry for $1.00. I said I could carry it all. Wonderful find with lots of vintage fabric, large pieces of newer and even some feed sack material. It seems as though a lot of people are just cleaning out and getting rid of stuff. I'll take the fabric any old time. Also, I have people watching for flannel sheets for me as I make lap quilts for nursing homes. They make excellent backs as they don't slip off the patients laps.
03-06-2010, 03:33 AM
#66
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 106
I live in a small town and I sometimes go to estate sales. Get lots of good scrap material and other sewing iteams. I use hat boxes ,that have been covered in nice paper, to store new mateial in.Their attractive to set out but hide my projects.I found a great find in a thrift store.New twin bed sheets for $2.50.Great quilt backing.
03-06-2010, 05:21 AM
#67
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Port Sulphur, LA
Posts: 313
Originally Posted by Ditter43
I sure would like to be the first in line at a yard sale like that!!! There are so many good bargains to be had if you are in the right place at the right time!!Yea for all of you who did....
I will add another source for fabric...bed skirts. I found some at Goodwill a few weeks ago. They were home made, cotton and I got a lot of nice fabric for $1.05...I found two that day. I also look for cloth napkins. I have found a lot of them that look like they were barely used! Pillowcases can yield nice pieces as can full skirts. There is an endless supply if you are willing to look and think outside the box. It's part of the fun!!
Ditter
I will add another source for fabric...bed skirts. I found some at Goodwill a few weeks ago. They were home made, cotton and I got a lot of nice fabric for $1.05...I found two that day. I also look for cloth napkins. I have found a lot of them that look like they were barely used! Pillowcases can yield nice pieces as can full skirts. There is an endless supply if you are willing to look and think outside the box. It's part of the fun!!
Ditter
03-06-2010, 06:45 AM
#68
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,142
My aunt's was king size too. I forgot to mention that. The cream colored satin was exquisite. And the appraisal was for insurance purposes not what it would actually sell for---that would have been less. But the quilts with all that hand embroidery are beautiful. I don't have that kind of patience yet. I might one of these days, I am getting into doing more hand stitching. I want to try my hand at Hawaiian applique. Probably won't get any farther than a throw pillow. ;-)
03-06-2010, 08:40 PM
#69
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: NW Florida
Posts: 108
Instead of buying the corrugated plastic fabric organizers I went to some of the local past candidates who ran for office and they gladly gave me their old corrugated signs and I just cut them to the size I wanted. Now my sewing room looks better and I can see my fabrics better. I was surprised at the fabric I had looked over it's like buying new fabric.
03-08-2010, 08:14 PM
#70
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Merced, CA
Posts: 4,188
I use the cores of duct tape or clear tape for a strong base for pin cushions.
They last forever, are cheap and you can make some of the cutest styles
with them.
For cleaning out sewing machines, I use a curved eyelash brush..it also
works for the keyboards! Especially since I have a very long haired Persian
cat who loves to wander in front of my computer and wave her brush of a tail
around, leaving drifting snow of cat hairs behind her!!
They last forever, are cheap and you can make some of the cutest styles
with them.
For cleaning out sewing machines, I use a curved eyelash brush..it also
works for the keyboards! Especially since I have a very long haired Persian
cat who loves to wander in front of my computer and wave her brush of a tail
around, leaving drifting snow of cat hairs behind her!!
