If you use a rotary cutter please buy a cut resistant glove and wear it every time you cut with a rotary cutter.

Starter machine 100+
Ruler/mat- 50
Fabric for first quilt-100-150 depending on price
Dong hesitate to check ebay for scissors and rotary cutters, sometimes they are cheaper. I started with a low end brother and they can run from basic 75 to about 200. If you want something you can grow into a PC420 will run 400 so it is all what you are willing to invest

Wow, I didn't realize people were paying so much for quilting supplies. I'm an estate sale junkie - realizing also that I live in a large urban area where there are LOTS of estate sales every weekend - and I've picked up almost all my quilting supplies and fabric stash at estate sales, including my sewing machine, at incredible prices. At one estate sale alone, I acquired a huge library of books, patterns, magazines and newsletters for $40 - the woman had over 80 quilting books.

I love it! So glad you said it!

Here's the thing.

Most people don't start with "nothing" and decide one day, "I'm going to make a quilt". If someone decides they are going to "quilt", first they have already usually decided they are going to learn to "sew". If they really want to sew and don't have the supplies, they can usually spread the word among their friends, aunts, moms, mom's friends, etc. and "bam", they'd have the basic supplies, assuming they aren't picky.

You all really CAN make nice things from cheap thread, cheap fabric, etc. I've been working at a whole series of quilts made completely from "upcycled" fabrics. You can do it and it cuts those costs down.

With a coupon, the batting from Hobby Lobby would cost about $20, the fabric is "your choice"--from $0 (recycle what you already have) to $300-400. The thread, about $5 from Walmart for a rather large spool of Coats and Clark all cotton(if you must) for about $5, I think it was. I did this last fall, when I was in the states for my daughter's wedding and needed to buy thread. a rotary cutter, etc. in order to finish a quilt.

I've made these quilts from 100% upcycled fabrics. The thread (a couple of dollars for the piecing thread--the quilting thread was a bit more expensive but I don't buy it just for a certain quilt--I have big spools of it) and poly batting (about $5 per quilt) were new, obviously.
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and I've got a couple of tops that I've made from things purchased (cheaply) from local second-hand shops:

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I don't believe quilting is expensive at all.

It's one of the cheapest and most practical hobbies one can have.

Initially, the biggest expense would probably be a sewing machine but if you're handy you can fix up a used one fairly cheap

Needles, pins, thread and such are cheap. I buy scissors from the dollar store.

You can make your own templates out of old cereal or beer boxes

Batting can be purchased on sale

As a previous poster mentioned, upcycling clothes can work beatifully for piecing and if you use thrift store sheets backing can be really cheap.

I started with Dresden Plate pillows

I was 18 when I made my first quilt

Denim blocks with red sahing and dark blue calico cornerstones. Batting and backing were two old blankets. I tied it with some yarn I had laying around.

I used my mom's Morse Fotomatic and all her stuff. She hated to sew-just did mending so she didn't mind

The quilt wasn't a thing of beauty but it was good enough for picnics at the beach. I used nothing but old clothes to make it

It's a cheap hobby, IMO

It keeps me out of the store because I'd rather be sewing so I save money that way

Recently I made a purchase at JoAnn's without having the rest of the quilt fabric with me. When I got home, it was perfect with the others so asked my daughter (who lives near the store)to pick up an additional 2 yards for me for the quilt for her son. "Mom, are you used to paying that much for fabric?!" She grew up in 4-H and knows what fabric cost in those days of yore so it came as quite a shock to her what has happened to fabric prices.

If you are working on a lap size quilt, shop the remnant bins for small cuts. Good buys there, too. That's how my stash got started!

I was blessed to have a sister that quilted for many years. She made me a care package of supplies due to fact she had collected so much over the years. She had duplicates and triplicates of everything I needed to get started. She hit her stash and sent me a box of fabric. I sewed so I had a machine. She even gave me books and magazines to look through. Then I hit utube and practiced and less than three years later I have a great quilting room and many quilts constructed. It is a wonderful hobby that grows with you. Reading the post and actually thinking what it would have cost me had I not had my sister sharing with me makes me very thankful.

Like most hobbies or whatever it can be as much as you want to spend.
I use to sew clothes for myself and three kids so I already had somethings and gradually bought other things I wanted and thought would get me better results. In fact I still buy what I think will get me better results. I replace worn out supplies as often as I think they need to be replaced.
The only hobby I have now is quilt making and I make 10 -18 per year. I bought my fabrics at scattered times. Again fabrics can cost whatever one wants to spend.

justflyingin - those are beautiful quilts!