Feeding the Addiction on a Budget: Thrifting for Fabric
Like many of you out there, I am a thrift store junkie. They know me by name at my favorite thrift store, which happens to be conveniently located just around the corner from my apartment. I go there at least once a week scavenging for some of my weaknesses: orange and yellow plastic spatulas and serving spoons from the 70’s (69 cents), otherwise expensive European shoes for my 6-year-old niece ($2.99 a pair), and small lambs wool or Flokati rugs ($6.99).
Nothing makes me happier, though, than a fabric find or two at the thrift store. Maybe that’s because it’s not always so easy to find fabric’s ”some thrift stores don’t even carry it. Or maybe it’s because I just love fabric, and finding a panel of something vintage for less than $5 or as cheap as 49 cents makes my heart flutter with joy.
I have a pretty big fabric stash, and friends and fellow bloggers regularly ask me:’Where do you get all that cool fabric?’ Sure, I visit and purchase from the usual online fabric shops and local fabric boutiques. I even peruse Ebay from time to time and hit a garage sale once every 6 months. But about 1/3 of my fabric comes from thrift stores. Here are a few tips for successful fabric thrifting:
Take your time and look through everything, whether it’s folded or hanging. I like to go thrifting when I am not in a hurry. That way I can carefully wade through the piles or hangers of fabric. Sometimes the best pieces are hidden between some ugly stuff!
Don’t pass up a piece of fabric just because part of it is stained or faded. If there is a piece of fabric that you really like, but part of it is no good, think about how you might use the parts of it that are in good shape. When you get home, just cut off the faded or stained portion and use the rest to create something wonderful!
Don’t keep your fabric hunting reserved for the fabric section. I look regularly in sheets and pillowcases, tablecloths, fabric napkins, placemats and aprons. It’s a good idea to check out scarves (especially if you like to work in silks) and vintage clothing. Vintage pillowcases and table linens make great pillows and bags and can be beautiful, interesting additions to any quilt.
Go often. If you have the time and some decent thrift stores in your area, you’ll find the best stuff if you are persistent. Larger thrift stores get new fabric and linens daily. Visiting regularly will increase your chances of finding some really cool stuff.
Before buying, ask yourself: “Will I really use this?” When I began thrifting for fabric a couple of years ago, I used to buy anything that looked vintage, just because it looked vintage. While you might find some cool stuff out there, always ask yourself before you purchase: Do I like this fabric? Will I use it? Does it inspire me? While thrifting for fabric is a relatively cheap activity, it can add up. So to avoid piles of random fabric you will never use, be thoughtful and discerning about purchases and don’t buy just to buy.
February 1st, 2006 at 9:19 am
I look forward to reading many more great ideas and posts from all you talented gals!
I was very lucky last year in finding fabric. I was invited to look through some stuff this man had in his garage. He was addicted to auctions but it left his garage full to the ceiling. I left with the back of our pick-up truck full and part of that was about 4 large moving boxes of Fabric from satin, silk, to retro & cottons.
February 1st, 2006 at 9:21 am
oh I love your pics so much. gosh we are all such fabricaholics I think! Great start to a great new blog - well done! :)
February 1st, 2006 at 9:22 am
I’m drooling over your stash, woman!
February 1st, 2006 at 9:56 am
That’s your stash?? My gosh, I thought it was a store. You have it all organized so nicely. Wow!
February 1st, 2006 at 12:52 pm
What a timely read. I was just in a thrift store yesterday, thinking - what am I doing? There must be someone with some good advice about this fabric hunting business, I had no idea finding great fabric would be so hard!
And here I am stumbling on this post of yours…
Happy hunting! Abd thanks for the great advice!
February 1st, 2006 at 9:56 pm
This was a really helpful post! I was just telling a friend how I thought crafting was about doing things a little more frugaly but that it seemed that fabrics and yarns are SO expensive. My faith is now a little restored ;)
February 1st, 2006 at 10:01 pm
I am both jealous and inspired by your fabric stash!! It must be so inspiring to have all that on hand, and such great organization!
February 1st, 2006 at 10:19 pm
your big stash makes me wish i had more room to keep my fabric! this past year since i’ve gotten more and more into sewing i’ve been frequenting my local thrift store every saturday. my favourite finds have been vintage sheets and duvet covers… suck a wealth of cool fabric. :)
February 1st, 2006 at 10:20 pm
My goodness. Your fabric stash looks beauuuuuutiful.
Thanks for sharing!
February 1st, 2006 at 11:04 pm
Amen, sister, amen.
Once I too had a wonderful stash of fabric…it was ALL from thrift stores, flea markets, and garage sales.
I ditched it all in my “simplify” phase. Now I’m biting my knuckles as I look at your pictures…time to pick up old habits again. Collecting textiles just makes me happy, and organizing it - well - can you say nirvana??
And there is something simplistic in that, too. Let’s stop spending money on new stuff! There’s so much STUFF in the world, it’s time to treasure what is here.
Thanks for your inspiration.
Aurora
February 1st, 2006 at 11:10 pm
What a helpful post!!! I will be heading to the local thrift store soon!!!!
Love your stash..would love to paw through that!!!!
February 1st, 2006 at 11:15 pm
I didn’t even know thrift stores had fabrics! I would love to hear more about where to buy discounted fabrics.
February 1st, 2006 at 11:38 pm
I am so impressed. Both with the new site and your amazing stash of fabric. Great tips. Thanks!
February 2nd, 2006 at 3:47 am
It would be really helpful to start a “Readers Favorite Thrifts Stores” list so that novices like myself can get help from veterans in the art of thrifting! People can submit their favorirt LTS (Local Thrift Store/Shop)!
February 2nd, 2006 at 4:05 am
I, too browse the sheets, comforters and linen aisles of my fav thrift stores here in Denver (Goodwill, ARC) and found some wonderful gems! I agree with KnottieKnitter - starting a resource list of fav LTS’s. Also, eBay is a great source as I bought a lot of vintage fabric scraps for a quilt I am repairing made by my husband’s grandmother, less than $20 - just do a search on vintage fabric scraps. By the way, your stash inspires me to add to mine - now where are my car keys?!?
February 3rd, 2006 at 7:28 am
“I used to buy anything that looked vintage, just because it looked vintage”
eek!! thats me all the way.. thanks for the good tips! i’m super good at passing things up if i see a stain er a hole.. maybe next time i’ll give in… but only if i’ll USE it :)
February 3rd, 2006 at 12:27 pm
Such an inspiring fabric stash! I’m glad I’m not the only one out there who takes excessive pleasure in thrifting for fabric and organizing the piles! Just a note to Beth: many thrift stores do sell fabric scraps, or larger pieces on hangers that are usually amid the drapes and blankets. But don’t miss out on the obvious: all those clothes racks and linens and draperies and tablecloths that are everywhere in the thrift store! Lately I’ve been into buying 100% wool long pleated skirts (you know, the kind your 8th grade teacher wore with a boiled wool jacket)–they usually have a moth hole here or there. Anyway, I buy the skirt for $4 or so, then carefully cut open all the seams and remove the pleating stitching–it is important to remove seams for the next step: felting! These skirts have yielded the most gorgeous pieces of fabric I own, perfect for scarves, capelets, snuggly pillows, blankets, etc. Drapery panels are terrific for great vintage finds too. Usually at flea markets or antique stores, when they sell expensive pieces of barkcloth, they are pieces cut from draperies–and much more expensive at the flea market than at the thrift store.
Also, the pleasure of building a NEW stash: you can indiscriminately buy cool fabrics because you need piles of reds, blues, plaids, etc etc. Whenever you realize you’ve got fabric in your stash that you won’t use–put up a bundle on your website and offer it as a swap!
Another note (sorry if this is way too long!)–sometimes thrift stores in rural areas (often affliated with a charity or church) yield the best fabric finds. Maybe hipsters haven’t gotten there yet, or something–but I think it might have to do with the fact that in rural areas, people are more likely to sew, or at least their grandmothers/mothers are likely to sew and thus get rid of their unused notions and fabric pieces when they declutter. I’ve found entire sewing boxes complete with tons of vintage notions and findings and needle cases etc in these places.
February 5th, 2006 at 12:16 pm
I know that in my area there’s a website offering where to find thrift shops, when rummage sales are, etc. So maybe google “thrift stores” with your city name, and you might be surprised what you’ll find out about. I look in the newspaper on Fridays for Saturday’s garage sales and estate sales, and I skim the listings for fabric or sewing. Today I went to a garage sale where a woman had passed away, and her daughters were selling all her quilting supplies. There were four huge closets full of shelves of fabric. I about fainted. I left with two giant bags of vintage stuff.
February 8th, 2006 at 12:19 am
I love this! I love your stash and great shopping ideas. I’m going to try to apply them to my search for beautiful fabric.
February 10th, 2006 at 10:12 am
Wow, I thought that was a store too! Im working on mine! Thanks for the great ideas! Great Inspiration