How to buy cheap material for sewing

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Crafts and hobbies was not realy the best catagorie, But better than nothing. This is not my e-mail adrees, mine is not up right now. This is my husbands school computer. He is a school teacher. (Brave soul) Anyway, for several years now I have been buying bed sheets at good will and other used stores. Anything that you need material for you can use them for. I make clothes, quilts, table clothes curtains, pillows, pillow cases. ect. ect. out of them. In most casses the sheet material is a better quality than you can get in the fabric stores ans sooo much cheaper. You can find 100% cotten sheets there they are my favorit it just depends on what you want to make. Today I got a thin woven sheet with violet flowers on it to make into a lite summer dress. There are so many things you can do with the sheets and save a lot of money. Just wanted to let you know. Lisa in TX.

-- Lisa in TX (lhopple@sweetwater.esc14.net), April 09, 2002

Answers

Oooooh, I love the idea! Thanks!! I'm always looking for ways to sew for cheap.

-- Christine (Christine_Young@Brown.edu), April 09, 2002.

And don't forget that you can remake a lot of the stuff you get for next to nothing at garage sales and thrift stores. I routinely buy sweaters to cut and sew into nice warm quilts. Old leather jackets make great shoe material, pot holders, gloves - you name it! And of course, you can always make rag rugs and crazy quilts out of just about any size scrap.

-- Deborah Stephenson (wonkaandgypsy@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.

Sunday is dollar day at the local Goodwill Thrift Store, all clothes with a certain color tag are only $1 While scouring the racks for good clothes we need or can use, I search for the buttons,zippers,material! Best buy: Vintage Man size wool overcoat(moth holes), with lining and 9 leather covered shank buttons! Just the buttons would have cost at least $2 each in a button shop! I sized the lining for another coat and haven't decided what with the wool, yet. Have you priced a good quality zipper lately? Hit the thrift!

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.

I like the sweater idea, but I have a question!! How do you keep them from unraveling when you cut out the squares???

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), April 09, 2002.

That is a great idea. Thanks. I reember the days (oops giving away my age) when you got feed bags with prints on them and I had many skirts made of them. We lived in the city but a country cousin would save the bags for my mother to make clothes for me. I never minded as I thought it was neat my skirt used to be a bag for feed.

Renie

-- Irene Burt (renienorm@aol.com), April 09, 2002.



What a great idea..... How smart you are...

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.

Alas, A PERSON WHO SEWS! I am fortunate to live near a huge fabric outlet shop that sells wonderful fabrics for $1.00 and $2.00 a yard. Honespun, Calicos...you name it! They sell bleached and unbleached muslin, all weights for $.49 a yard. I get denim, for $2.00 a yard, from shirt weight to heavy weight. I can get lace trim for 10 cents a yard and it is like stepping into heaven when I walk through the door......doesn't take much to make me happy....anyone care to go on a field trip? Harmony

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.

Harmony, where do you live? I would love to find muslin at that price. Would you all believe that I saw a set of Monday thru Sunday dish towels for $85? Guess who's gone back to embroidery !

-- cindy palmer (jandcpalmer@sierratel.com), April 09, 2002.

Melissa, You can either machine sew a zig-zag stich around the edges of the squares, or turn and whip-stich the edges by hand. You could also use seambinding, I guess, but that is a lot of trouble and expense. Once you back it with a flannel sheet or inexpensive blanket, you don't usually have a problem with unraveling.

-- Deborah Stephenson (wonkaandgypsy@hotmail.com), April 09, 2002.

Harmony, I'd LOVE to go on a field trip with you but I'm afraid you'd never get me drug out of that store. How lucky you are!! I wish we had a store around like that but it's probably a good thing we don't- I don't know how I'd control myself.

-- Terri in WV (mrs_swift_26547@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002.


Harmony- Where do you live girl???? Jenn

-- Jenn MO (no@no.com), April 10, 2002.

Harmony, I'd probably be divorced if I lived near that store! Why don't husbands understand fabric stashes? I'll use it someday.... I use old flannel sheets that have a hole to make pajamas, they work great.

Horse show season is just around the corner and I'm still not done with the showmanship jacket-this pattern is a smidge beyond my skill level, but I'm trying! It has a rolled shawl collar and funny sleeves. Plus the brocade fabric has tons of metallic thread running through it that loves to pull out. The rail jacket will be easier I've already made one from this pattern and the material, while still a brocade, is lighter weight and no metallic threads-but it's very, very fitted.

Wish me luck!

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), April 10, 2002.


As far as the wool goes, you can also wash/dry it over and over until it felts (just throw it in with other hot water washes). Then it is thick, incredibly warm, and virtually unravellable, and can be cut into patchwork shapes or pattern shapes if your finished garment size allows for it.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.

Thank you for all off your responses, i love the sweater quilt Idea. Now I have a new thing to look for. About husbands not ubderstanding material stashes. I hide mine. He does not realy care, he just dont like big messes. Some of the summer dresses that I just made were from sheets bought several years ago. Thanks again for all of your respons Lisa in TX

-- Lisa Hopple (lhopple@sweetwater.esc14.net), April 11, 2002.

Yarn has gotten quite a bit higher in the last couple of years. Anything that has been knitted or crocheted can be unraveled and the yarn reused. Granny squares are especially suitable for this. Sunday afternoons are the best time to go to garage sales. About that time people are usually ready to get rid of stuff....even if they have to give it away. Clothes and such don't usually sell very well at garage sales. I can usually get stuff with great material to reuse for as little as a dime per garment.....especially if I am willing to take quite a bit of it. I hardly ever buy new material any more.....the stuff is too high and the quality so very much lower than it used to be.

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), April 11, 2002.


Hello from S.E. Ohio! I have found a website where one can buy fabric from a manufacturer of scrub uniforms for 50 cents a pound. It is not cotton, but is quite suitable for machine qt'ing and tying. The array of prints is nice and always a surprise since your order is a random selection. the shipping is around 16$ depending on your location,and takes about 2-3 wks to arrive. One could split the cost with another quilter and swap fabric. The website is " www. hicesewing.com". Click on "Quilt pieces". I make utility quilts for everyday use and save the pricey cotton for heirloom quilts. Happy hunting and best wishes.

-- Margo (mcky2x@aol.com`), May 03, 2002.

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