5 Ways to Save Money on Quilting

Quilting is such a fun hobby, but it can also be sooo expensive sometimes.  Fabric, batting, thread, needles, the list goes on and on.  When I first started quilting, I was a little overwhelmed by the expense and almost gave it up completely.  I'm a stay-at-home mom on a budget.  I don't have unlimited funds to spend on my hobbies, and I'm probably not the only one.

So, here's my top five tips to help you save money:

1.  Shop garage sales.  I've found yards and yards of fabric for about $1 a yard.  And not just cheap discount fabric--nice quilting cotton.  Some of it had the original labels still stuck in with pins from the fabric store.  It had never even been unfolded! 

2.  Stop going to the fabric store.  I know, you're saying "But, I need these things!"  But, lets be honest, we usually need two spools of thread and end up buying a cute gadget, and some remnants, and that print we HAVE to have for our stash.  My favorite fabric store was closed all summer, and it was the best thing for my budget.  I  saved several hundred dollars that otherwise would have been squandered.

3.  Use cash.  When you do go to the fabric store, bring cash.  Make a list of everything you need and estimate the prices, including tax.  Bring only this much cash!  You will stick to the list because there's nothing worse than not having enough money at checkout.

4.  Shop Craigslist.  Especially if you need a big item like a sewing machine or sewing table, buying used is a great option.  I've even bought fabric for $1 a yard from a woman who no longer quilted and was trying to sell off her stash.

5.  Do your own quilting.  Many of us are intimidated by quilting, but you can do it!  And, you will save hundreds by doing all your own quilting rather than hiring someone else.  This is very doable on smaller projects like baby quilts and lap blankets.  Check out some of my quilting tutorials to get started:  how to quilt diagonal lines, or my cross quilting pattern.

-Lily