gramma nancy

I second comments about buying online. I especially like fabric depot and desperate quilters. Great quality and sale prices in the $4 to $5 per yard range. I've gotten great stuff from both of them. Mail costs aren't too bad, either.

Havplenty

check out www.estatesales.net and find your city/state to look at what estate sales are listed on the site. they have pictures of some of the things that are being sold. you can "see" if there will be sewing type things then and can plan your estate shopping strategy. for example one estate sale that i attended in my area had bundled the fabrics together by "type" (cottons, felts, wools, polys, etc) taped them together and sold the bundles for $2 & $3 dollars each. i have gotten thread, buttons, sewing notions this way. at one sale i bought 8 packs of rick rack for $2.

estate sales are just another way to add to our arsenal of buying the quilty things we need less expensive. i have never found fabric at my local goodwills either. i know if you check goodwill online at www.shopgoodwill.com and check the wisconsin and indiana goodwills, they always seem to have lots of fabric for sale. you do have to bid on the fabric and of course factor shipping costs into it but if you purchase online or ebay, you would already be use to that.

Krystyna

Joann's ALWAYS with coupons - and be sure to look at their red tag area. You never know what you'll find there and when they have it marked down 50% - WOW! I've actually gotten batiks for $2.50/yd.

Walmart. The last time I went there I was just looking for black fabric for a project. My darling husband was wandering around looking at prices on bolts and came up with quite a few that were only $1/yd. They were nice tiny floral prints and not at all thin. I took it all.

Estate sales and yard sales. I can't tell you how much fabric I've gotten at estate sales. At one I filled my car until I could barely fit in for $120 - and that included long bolts too. That was at a fabric designer's home. At a quilter's home (who was a fabric hoarder galore) the prices were a little higher, but I still got a ton of fabric and notions. Don't forget these sales as a source for thread. I now have 5 16qt bins plus two working boxes full of thread in every color under the sun. I've had to toss very few spools over the years because they were brittle. The going price around here for thread is between $1-$5 for a grocery bag full.

mycatsmom

I buy fabric from http://www.connectingthreads.com/Quilting.cfm. If you go to their sale fabric you can get I can buy nice fabric from $3.50-$4.50 a yard. If you buy $50 worth the shipping is free. I recently bought three- 5 yard lengths of feed sack type prints for quilt backs and a few other pieces for my $50.

Sewfine

That is how I buy my fabric also; sales and coupons. I use craigslist and we also have a local yard sale website. Our is call Biloxiyardsale dot com. You may want to check and see if your local area have one.

damaquilts

I just ordered wide backing fabric from Marshall's although their shipping is higher it was still cheaper. The print looked exactly like one on another site for $4 more just different color same maker too. If I need something I look around . I am no longer just buying for my stash so I am always looking for something special.

amyjo

our hobby lobby has 40% off every week. They also have a coupon in the paper, but I have been in there without a coupon and you get the discocunt anyways. This is in Minot, ND

rosiewell

Look at Beverly's on line, they often have sales and they have brand name, good quality fabric

feffertim

connecting threads for sure

diamondee

If you have thrift stores nearby you could look there, don't forget our grandparents used clothing, they make great scrappy quilts and its good when your starting out. mens flannel shirts, cotton dresses/skirts are good. I use my rotary cutter to cut seams off. a lot quicker. I love a scrappy quilt to snuggle under.