Breaking the Bank for Fabric?
It's the fabric that's on my mind today. I'm well aware that living as close as I do to Lancaster County, I pay less per yard than many people do. Nonetheless, I find that I actually pause and think before purchasing yardage. It is harder for me to just buy fabric that I like without having a specific plan for it. I experience minor guilt pangs about not regularly supporting the LQS, but $10 or $11 or even more per yard is vastly different from the $8.59 or so at my favorite Lancaster County shop, but figure Gene's place is Denver's LQS . . . .
Been thinking of ways to not spend as much on fabric and have come up with:
- Continue to work from scraps (even though this sometimes means buying background)
- Make smaller projects
- Tackle the dratted UFOs whether I still like them or not
- Make rather than purchase more of my gifts
- Consider rediscovering cross-stitch -- floss has gone up, to be sure, but 39 cents per skein vs. yardage . . .
Do you want/need to cut back on fabric expenditure too? What strategies can you share?
Comments
I do scrapquilts from stash too, but the backing only (let alone the batting)will cost a small fortune.
Count your blessings at $10 a yard..
if it's going up for you it will be going up for us too...........
Whittles is great. Quiltshops.com for sure. Also, and especially unexpected bills. That totally turns me to the stash.
Sue
With apologies to my LQS, I use on-line sites for the little fabric I buy unless said LQSs are having sales. I also don't buy from on-line sites in my state because I don't want to pay shipping and sales tax.
I hadn't thought of returning to cross-stitch but I do have one unfinished project I'd like to finish and I have lots of floss.
Keep these musings coming! No doubt will sort out the world's problems soon and we do share good methods of coping in the meantime.
Hugs!
Saving money by taking the bus, bringing my lunch to work, never buying new clothes unless they are on sale, and eating in are all good savings strategies. I try never to look at how much a loaf of bread costs!
Regards,
Anna
Swapping with friends (scraps, projects, yardage) is another option (sometimes more fun to play with someone else's stuff).
Accept that there will always be someone trying to sell you something - whether you need it or not. (limit your exposure to the marketing efforts).
Create a fabric wish list - so you don't forget the fabric/seller. A little time helps one think more clearly.
Re UFO/WIP that you no longer love. Box them up and donate them to Margaret's Hope Chest. They have volunteers who will finish the quilts for delivery. Don't invest your precious energy into something that you don't enjoy! Too much good to be done elsewhere.
Great post!!
I am lucky to have contacts with quilters and crafters of the older generations. Everyone I know seems to have fabric to give away! I accept it all even though I am trying to reduce space in my quilting room, and have a blog on this topic!
There is a lot of fresh, new adorable fabric out there but I love the challenge of making something out of other people's rejects. I'm not sure how to advertise for this -- some of it came to me through an Art Quilt Network that my mother belongs to, when I held an ambitious Sept. 11"Quilt In" (afghans for Afghans) in 2002, 2003, 2004 -- an alternative expression of solidarity for the day when our town was going hog-wild with the bunting. If you have a charity project you might consider advertising with an Art Quilt Network.
Also recommend marshalldrygoods.com. It's all $3.99-$4.99 but the shipping does add up.
I think the increasing price of fabric will decrease fabric sales as people use their stash, use thrift shop fabrics etc. You can make beautiful quilts from shirts. Also I see Victoria Findley-Wolfe collects polyester quilts. maybe that's the next thing??? Ugh yuck, not sure I could go there!!!