What I do with...
03-05-2010, 06:07 AM
#51
Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Floral City, Florida
Posts: 116
ok - so this is not all quilting but I save old shirts etc thst sre cotton for quilting and shirts that sare not cotton I remove all the buttons and slip them onto a safety pin and save them for other projects then when I need matching buttons they are all together
03-05-2010, 07:22 AM
#52
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,142
The garage sale this morning was wonderful ! ! ! !
Are you ready? Here's my purchases. BTW I'm also a decorative artist so I watch for those things too.
a 5x17 Fiskars selfhealing mat
a 17x23 Olfa " '
a 5x23 " ruler
a 6 1/2x24 Quilters Rule
8 yds of belting/tote strap stuff
1 extra large clear storage tote
20 new artist brushes
1 pallet knife
1 twin flat sheet for backing
1 very large sketch book
6 deco. artist books
and best of all:
97 yds of cotton fabric. Yes, I measured it when I got home and there's 97 yards. Some of the pieces were 8 or 9 yds long for 50 cents.
Grand total?
$38.00 I'm so thrilled I could dance and sing.
The man said that as they clean out more of his mom's things there will be more sewing things. I told him I'd be back.
Are you ready? Here's my purchases. BTW I'm also a decorative artist so I watch for those things too.
a 5x17 Fiskars selfhealing mat
a 17x23 Olfa " '
a 5x23 " ruler
a 6 1/2x24 Quilters Rule
8 yds of belting/tote strap stuff
1 extra large clear storage tote
20 new artist brushes
1 pallet knife
1 twin flat sheet for backing
1 very large sketch book
6 deco. artist books
and best of all:
97 yds of cotton fabric. Yes, I measured it when I got home and there's 97 yards. Some of the pieces were 8 or 9 yds long for 50 cents.
Grand total?
$38.00 I'm so thrilled I could dance and sing.
The man said that as they clean out more of his mom's things there will be more sewing things. I told him I'd be back.
03-05-2010, 08:22 AM
#53
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Crystal River Florida
Posts: 9,785
I sure would like to be the first in line at a yard sale like that!!! There are so many good bargains to be had if you are in the right place at the right time!!Yea for all of you who did....
I will add another source for fabric...bed skirts. I found some at Goodwill a few weeks ago. They were home made, cotton and I got a lot of nice fabric for $1.05...I found two that day. I also look for cloth napkins. I have found a lot of them that look like they were barely used! Pillowcases can yield nice pieces as can full skirts. There is an endless supply if you are willing to look and think outside the box. It's part of the fun!!
Ditter
I will add another source for fabric...bed skirts. I found some at Goodwill a few weeks ago. They were home made, cotton and I got a lot of nice fabric for $1.05...I found two that day. I also look for cloth napkins. I have found a lot of them that look like they were barely used! Pillowcases can yield nice pieces as can full skirts. There is an endless supply if you are willing to look and think outside the box. It's part of the fun!!
Ditter
03-05-2010, 08:32 AM
#54
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,142
I wasn't quite fast enough, a man bought two small cabinets full of thread while I was grabbing fabric and mats. LOL Oh well, he got them for his mom, I know her and she's a nice lady. Maybe I didn't really need thread after all.
The lady that owned the things I bought was a friend of mine that passed away from cancer late last fall. I took her to chemo treatments all summer. So now when I make a quilt from her fabric I'll be able to keep some of her with me. It will be a comfort. The only bad thing is that she, her son, and her sister all lived together and all smoked. I have to get that fabric in the washer FAST.
The lady that owned the things I bought was a friend of mine that passed away from cancer late last fall. I took her to chemo treatments all summer. So now when I make a quilt from her fabric I'll be able to keep some of her with me. It will be a comfort. The only bad thing is that she, her son, and her sister all lived together and all smoked. I have to get that fabric in the washer FAST.
03-05-2010, 11:55 AM
#56
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,142
Wow, it sounds beautiful. I've never attempted a quilt from satins because they are so unforgiving. Any little pin prick shows so badly. My favorite aunt made a quilt from cream colored satin. It was a state quilt that was all hand embroidered with the each state outline, state bird, state flower and a star on the capital. It was beautiful and was appraised (for insurance) at $8000. She put them in the order that they became states.
03-05-2010, 12:23 PM
#57
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 14
All these comments bring up a memory. I was a young stay at home mom with 4 children and wanted so badly to make some quilts. There was no money for fabric, so I just wished, and went to quilt guild whenever I could.....until one day while I was away from home someone left two boxes of fabric scraps on my porch! What a treasure for me! I still don't know who gave them to me. but what great joy they brought and started me on a lifelong love of quiltmaking.
03-05-2010, 12:54 PM
#58
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ks
Posts: 1,112
I been saving my thread clippings to make thread bowls. It takes a lot time to save up enough but now I have my SIL saving hers for me too. I agree I buy sheets at walmart on sale for backing. I also sew the leftover triangles you get after you cut your corners off together and put them aside when there is enough makes great scrappy laptop quilts or mini quilts, potholders,pillows, etc. I have a hard time wasting any material or scraps so I use most of it in some way. I also save 2 inch squares for what will be a postage quilt only 1,000 more to go since it is only 3 of each kind of material I use, It is fun I keep each different project organized seperately so it is ready to go when I have everything I need for it.
