From the article: Frugal Quilt Patterns
Are you a Frugal Quilter? Do you take steps to keep your passion for quilting from ruling the checkbook? Join the conversation by sharing some of your favorite frugal quilting tips with members of the online community. Share Your Frugal Tips
You havn't seen frugal until
- At $25-$28 a yard for fabric in Australia, I now save every scrap. I like to trim up scraps into different size squares or rectangles. Store beside the machine and piece 2 scraps each time you end a seam on your project. At the end of the project you have a mini scrappy quilt started.
- —Guest Linda
saving cotton thread
- Use a scrap piece of fabric at the end of a run of sewing quilt pieces together run, or anytime you can. This saves yards/metres of cotton ending and starting a project.
- —Guest chunkycheese
Frugal Tips
- I like to find old sheets as well as old ironing board covers. I use old sheets for cutting any size squares then sewing fabric scraps onto it. The ironing board covers will be the bottom of hot pads....great! You can buy this in fabric store, it is silver and resists heat.
- —Guest janet
Dryer sheets
- I do a lot of crafts, and I am very frugal... I remember a few years ago when there was a hot debate over whether or not to use dryer lint as batting for doll blankets.... dryer lint is very flammable.... and some people had been warned against using it. My local firefighter told me if I was that worried about it, I should install a sprinkler system in the doll house. In other words, a fire is a terrible, destructive force and dryer lint or dryer sheets aren't likely to be the make it or break it factor in the devastation of a house fire. Use them, they really do work like fusible webbing (which, by the way, would react the same way in a fire).
- —Guest Antmom
Fusible frugal
- I love to applique and do quite a bit of it with the help of fusible web. So I always have a great selection to work with. I apply the web as I go to the scraps of fabric I am cutting for other things. Pieces as small as 2" square can yield a great amount of applique pieces. I store them all in a shoe box I covered in scrap fabric with mod-podge and bits of trim. That is another fun project you might enjoy - the possibilities are limitless. I also save all my thread and string cut-offs, mix them with fiberfill and stuff that in onion bags. Hang it from a tree and the birds will pick it empty for their nesting materials. To smart34- if this is going too far I guess you better scoot over because I'm going with you - and I'm bringing a few friends!
- —Pat.P
Make a Charm Quilt from Your Stash
- Cut a 2 1/2 inch square of every scrap and fabric you have in the house and sew together, with no two exactly the same, I have 640 at the last count and 3 more bins to go through -- and an interesting quilt top or backing. Always buy the best quality fabric you can afford, especially if the quilt is to be used by children or in a nursing home, as these are very harshly laundered and well used. Always lock-stitch the beginning and end of all seams tol prevent the piecing from coming loose as it is washed. To date I have made 107 quilts for family, friends and donations. Save all scraps - cut to sizes you prefer and save in clear plastic boxes with lids. I sort by prints, plains and certain projects I am planning. Paper piecing, log cabin, 2 1/2 inch strips etc. Keep a small notebook in your purse and attach small samples of fabrics you want to co-ordinate when you shop -- this saves a lot of time and money. Use all cotton thread -- polyester, rayon and nylon will cut cotton fabric in time.
- —Guest bonniebee
I love the internet!
- I love experimenting with new patterns but can't afford to buy an expensive quilt book for one new idea. So I subscribe to free quilting newsletters and cruise quilting websites, usually during the commercials when watching tv. I now have an enormous collection of internet patterns I've saved to various folders like log cabin or pinwheels or sailboats. I even rate them so I can easily get back to my favorites. This frees up money for batting and fabric I use in my charity quilts. Many thanks to Janet Wickell who has the best website of all.
- —Guest ThriftyQuilter
negatives of bed sheets for backing
- As a long arm quilter, I refuse to quilt any customers quilt that uses sheets for backing. The sheets make it more difficult to work with and the results are not as nice. They also dull the needles much quicker. I understand being frugal, but why destroy your hard work. You time has more value than the item.
- —Guest gf
Stick those threads away
- I use a sheet from a lint roll remover and fold a corner stick it on my sewing table behind sewing machine and with every snip of threads put them on the lint remover paper threads stays on the paper will help from getting on your floor also helps keep sewing table free of loose threads.
- —Guest dawnhardee
Selvage
- I have recently seen a quilt that was made from selvage edges. It looked like a book shelf and all the selvages were the book bindings. Very talented and frugal.
- —Guest ellie0817
more uses for scraps or orphan blocks
- 1. Use one of those folding clothes dryer racks to hang strips on when sewing. With the multiple rods, you can sort by row, color, or size. 2. I sew small random strips of fabric that are 3-4 inches wide together in long strips. I trim to 2.5 inches wide and use for binding. 3. I make lots of Christmas quilts and throws. I sew extra squares together to make gift tote bags. I use them over and over and don't have to buy wrapping paper. 4. When I make a baby quilt, I always make a small doll quilt out of the scraps or leftover blocks. It doesn't have to be the same pattern as the baby quilt---just the same fabrics. Everyone loves them and my sister said that she used the doll quilt more than the baby quilt as it was the perfect size for using on a car seat. 5. I always make pieced backs instead of plain backings. I love to make quilt tops and I can make two for every quilt I make. Plus uses up scraps!
- —NGW333
New Quilter Loves Frugal Quilting Tips
- I am 65 and just this year I started to quilt. I also love to go to thrift stores and shops, garage sales, etc. I'm happy to learn that there are many people out there like myself. It is so rewarding to share all these frugal tips with us. Thanks everyone.
- —Guest diane
Saving by the thread!
- I stopped using the thread cutter on my sewing machine when I started quilting. I keep a small snipper close by and snip both threads (top and bottom) right from the last stitch point. This keeps the tails you normally snip later and discard on your machine and ready to be the starting thread of your next stitching row! Saves 50% of the thread you would normally snip off later AND you save the time too! Happy Stitching!
- —Guest Toots
Recycle those shoulder pads
- I won't wear anything with shoulder pads so I cut them out and save them for making potholders. Stitch the 2 flat sides together,then cover with something you like and quilt them. The potholders work great!
- —Guest Linda
Washable Marking Pens
- I do a lot of quilting on most of my quilts both stippling and or specific quilting designs and found I was going through several washable marking pens (at $4.99 each) for each quilt. When my granddaughter was visiting she brought over a pack of washable fine tip marking pens to play with and a light bulb went on. I did several tests with the different colors and they all came out of cotton fabric quickly and completely when washed. I always wash and dry my quilts after they are finished to get that "old fashioned crinkly" look anyway. You can get a pack of 20 crayola fine tip washable marking pens for about$4.99. The 20 pack has a variety of colors that work well on light or dark fabrics too. I have only used the Crayola brand and you may want to do your own wash test but at about 20 cents per pen vs almost $5 per pen I have lots more money for fabric.
- —MiasNan
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