Three places to stretch your quilty dollars

Posted on by Teresa

Thread

Love Aurifil 50 wt thread? The cost is about 1 cent per yard for a large spool.
Ways to save on thread:

  • Buy the cone and save about 20%. versus large spool price.
  • Buy online at discounted prices with free shipping and potentially no sales tax.
  • Stick to basic colors for piecing: natural white, light beige, light grey and medium grey.
  • Or try substituting another brand: Personally, I like the Hobby Lobby cotton thread on the 1200 yard cross-wound spool. It’s about $5 per spool. Nice thread at a great price.

Fabric

To me, there’s nothing more fun than visiting my LQS after new fabric lines arrive. So much inspiration! I’m also a firm believer in supporting local businesses whenever possible.
Ways to save on fabric:

  • Shop your stash first.
  • Sign-up for email lists for your local and online LQS to know about sales and receive discount coupons
  • Ask for gift certificates to your favorite local and online LQS for birthdays and other holiday gift-gifting.
  • Buy 1/3 yard cuts instead of fat quarters. More fabric for the same price.
  • Buy Kona solids, white-on-white background prints and backing fabrics at Joann and Hobby Lobby when they are on sale.
  • Trade fabric with your sewing friends.
  • If you like the fabric, it goes in the quilt. Doesn’t matter where you bought it. ‘Nuff said!

Tools

I’m a gadget girl. I love attending consumer quilt and sewing events so I can see and try all the shiny new things. This category is one where you can easily spend some serious money – especially on rotary cutters, blades, mats and rulers.
Ways to save on tools:

  • Basic sewing notions are available in many places, including Wal-Mart. Shop around to see which retailer offers the products you prefer at the best price.
  • Buy titanium blades for your rotary cutter when on sale at Joann and Hobby Lobby.
  • Rotary cutters are sold everywhere. Find the model fits most comfortably in your hand and buy from the retailer with the lowest price.
  • As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found light color cutting mats provide greater contrast when cutting fabric. Fiskars cutting mats can regularly be found on sale.
  • Rulers are a matter of personal preference and you don’t need every ruler in every size available. Figure out which brand you like best and buy the majority of your rulers from that brand. Most of my rulers are Creative Grids with a handful of specialty rulers from other companies.
  • Cheap scissors are good for cutting paper – not fabric. Buy quality scissors.
  • If doing foundation paper piecing, you CAN use regular copy paper instead of specialty FPP paper or buying pre-printed FPP design pads.
  • A handmade pin cushion, needle minder or seam ripper is totally worth the splurge.

We all have a certain amount of money to put toward our quilting and sewing endeavors. The more we can save in some areas, means the more we have to spend on favorite fabric collections or specialty notions not available at the big box craft store.

Happy Quilting!