** Before you read today’s post I just want to tell you that an auction is going on here on the blog and will be running until Noon central time on Monday. Check it out here.**
Remember I told you that last weekend I was going to go to that auction that had all the fabric and quilt tops. I kind of thought I might end up with a box of fabric but after seeing it…I decided…nah. I ended up going to the thrift stores instead and found a bag of fabric that better suited my needs….this….
As you can see, I paid $8 for it.
It was a pretty big bag so I thought the price was okay. The thing that sealed the deal on my buying it was the flip side of the bag…lots of my favorite color…SEE?
I opened it up over nap time while my childcare kids were sleeping, by this one woke early and came out…We ended up making a game of it and actually I think it was good for her. Fabric, unlike the primary colors in a crayon box, has much more variety in shades and tones. It took me a little convincing that it was okay to put the brick red, almost burgundy pieces with the red.  Then I said, we’re just doing “kind of” colors. I started asking “what color is this kind of like?” Our sorting went much better then.
This is what we ended up with….
Check out my big pile of reds. There are 20ish different pieces. That will give the scrap quilt in my mind a great start.
At a different thrift store I found this piece.
I’m guessing this will be borders on a quilt make from shirt fabrics one day. There is 2 yards there and it was 50 cents. Great deal and well worth the risk that I might not ever use it.
I’m so glad I passed on the auction fabric and grabbed this instead. It’s MUCH less dated and more the colors I wanted.
You are so good at making games with the kids. They don’t they are learning while playing and you get a task done.Keep up the good work.I hope the parents of “your kids” realize how good you are to their kids.You hear of some horror stories of how some kids are treated when they are left with daycare.
Seriously, what thrift stores do you hit?!
I always love opening the bag of fabric when I get home from the thrift store to see what treasures are in there. It is so much fun to plan what you are going to do with it.
Thrift stores are great for finding fabric! The ones I go to do not bag their scraps-youhave to dig through abin of ” loose” items. These include curtains & table linens I am.very open minded, and will grab a curtain panel if it’s the right kind of fabric & a color I crave. Another good place are facebook buy/sell/trade groups. I scored a 20 gallon tote of multiple fabrics for $20. Kept what I liked and gave the rest to friends.
I always check Savers for fabric, and I’ve had good luck there, but their material is mostly up on hangers with each piece separate. It’s great because you can see exactly what you’re getting (and feel it, too), and know whether it’s worth it to you. However, you don’t get that fun “what treasures will I find in here?” unveiling back at home. ;)
I recently got a bag of fabric for $2 at our local “Friends of the Seniors” sale and got that fun experience. It was (literally) a mixed bag of some stuff I’ll use, some I’ll donate to the charities that take any cloth at all, and some shirt materials which I might use to make myself a good “Jo” kind of quilt, or maybe they’ll just make their way to you. Anyway, I sure love going through a bag of random fabric!
Another source I have for free fabric is the “give and take” area of our transfer station which is open in the warm months of the year. I’ve found some fun stuff there, too. :)
I have to seek out the Goodwills in the area. I know there are some around, but I haven’t hunted them out yet. I don’t mind coming out empty-handed a few times for every successful attempt — that’s the fun of it, right?
Happy quilting, Jo! I subscribe to a bunch of quilting blogs, but your blog is always the one I look at first. It’s a great mix of everything and I really appreciate you sharing!