low cost fabric?

[mommy68]

Is there a way to find low cost fabric for sewing? I'm new the sewing world and have started to price fabric. The cheapest I've seen is around $5.99/yard and that seems very expensive to me, especially for a beginner who expects to mess up occasionally. I'd love to know if there is a cheaper way that I may be missing.

[scrapadoozer]

Do you have a Jo-Ann's or Hancocks nearby? They often offer 50% off or more on their fabric. Jo-Ann's has a huge clearance section and they often knock 50% off the clearance prices during their big sale weekends. If you hit that up you can get quite a selection & variety of fabrics for $2 or $3 a yard.

[KariM]

My favorite place to get fabric is the red tag section of JoAnn's. Just this past weekend I bought 8 yards of assorted cotton prints and spent under $20.

I also look at thrift stores and garage sales for yard goods. I have a fun collection of vintage fabrics going right now. : If you can negotiate, you can often get the garage sale fabric for a dollar a yard or less.

[ColoradoMama]

Plus, if you sign up to get JoAnn's flyers in the mail, they always have a 40% off coupon which you can use for one cut of fabric.

[woodchick]

I second the Joann's w/coupon suggestions.

I've also found some interesting fabric at our local charity thrift shop for really cheap. A lot of the time they are sheets or curtains I might not make fancy clothes or gifts from them, but they've been great for kids playclothes or housewares or even just for practice.

[mommy68]

Thanks everyone. I did visit the Joann's in town yesterday. I visited Hancock over this past weekend. Hancock had the cheapest prices but I had no idea what to buy at the time. I'm all new to this.

[woodchick]

Originally Posted by mommy68

Thanks everyone. I did visit the Joann's in town yesterday. I visited Hancock over this past weekend. Hancock had the cheapest prices but I had no idea what to buy at the time. I'm all new to this.

I personally have trouble buying fabric without a specific project in mind- except for the interesting looking thrift finds.

Maybe you could find one project to start with and just buy the amount you need for that project. As you get more accomplished you'll know what fabrics work for what projects and you'll be able to buy 'in advance' when you see something you like.

What kinds of things are you looking to sew? Maybe we could point you in the right direction!

[Callimom]

Don't forget to check the remenants bins. I often find ends of cordoury large enough to make bags for $1 or 2.

Thrifted sheets are a great source of inexpensive fabric and can often be excellent quality for things like little girls dresses, bags, kitchen accessories, backing or linings for projects etc.

hth
Karen

[JamieCatheryn]

You should be able to find muslin and broadcloth for $1.99 or $2.99 regular price at most fabric stores and at walmart or such. Also I love http://www.dharmatrading.com for large amounts of white natural fabrics cheap.

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by woodchick

What kinds of things are you looking to sew? Maybe we could point you in the right direction!

I'm going to try and make a small blanket for my DD and maybe a small pillow to match. That's why I think I'll have to spend more on the fabric I choose. I want to choose a cute design for her.

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by JamieCatheryn

You should be able to find muslin and broadcloth for $1.99 or $2.99 regular price at most fabric stores and at walmart or such. Also I love http://www.dharmatrading.com for large amounts of white natural fabrics cheap.

I tried one Walmart in town over the weekend and that store had one little section dedicated to sewing. Hardly anything at all! No fabric, just a couple machines, scissors, thread. I couldn't believe it. I'm hoping the other Walmart in town has more to offer. They used to have a dept full of fabrics and other sewing needs. Hopefully it's still there! I plan to go by there this week and check it out.

[Carolyn R]

Our Walmart is in the process of getting rid of all their fabric :

That was always my cheap fabric source!

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by Carolyn R

Our Walmart is in the process of getting rid of all their fabric :

That was always my cheap fabric source!

I hope that's not happening everywhere.

[MadameXCupcake]

Originally Posted by Carolyn R

Our Walmart is in the process of getting rid of all their fabric :

That was always my cheap fabric source!

I noticed two walmarts near me are fabric-less. Walmart really does have AWESOME fabric deals. The one here in Vegas isn't that great the lowest I find is 2.00-3.00 but in Florida they had a huge selection of dollar a yard fabric.
I really cant afford Joans, I make my clothes because I dont have money to buy new clothes, I use the cheapest fabric I can find.

[KariM]

Originally Posted by mommy68

I hope that's not happening everywhere.

Two of the Wal-Marts in our town nixed their fabric departments, but the Wal-Mart in a smaller town about 10 miles away still has theirs.

Our JoAnn Fabrics sent out fliers in our community with coupons and the tag line was something to the effect of, "Wal-Mart is closing their fabric departments but we're still here."

[Mama~Love]

I'll be ticked if our Wal-Mart does that, as it's the only craft place in town! But since they just opened a Supercenter here, I doubt they will.

Another vote for checking the remnant bins! I'm always finding cute wovens & flannels & fleece pieces cheap!

[mommy68]

Originally Posted by wild~blossom

I'll be ticked if our Wal-Mart does that, as it's the only craft place in town! But since they just opened a Supercenter here, I doubt they will.

The supercenters in our town all switched over to very small sewing/craft sections. I just called the one on the other side of town this morning and they said they no longer sell fabric. They recently remodeled that store and sized down that department. So all three supercenters in my town got rid of the fabric and the majority of their sewing supplies. I have no idea why.

[Lazy Gardens]

Thrift stores. One XXL dress has several yards of fabric in it, enough to make several things for a child.

[cristeen]

Thrift store sheets or tablecloths are a great source of cheap material.

If you're just starting out though, I'd recommend buying the cheapest muslin you can find for practice. Be aware that muslin comes in widths from 24 inches to 120 inches, so take that into account. But it's great to practice stitching straight, following a curved line, etc. Use a dark thread on it to see what you're doing better.

Definitely check out the remnant bins at Joanns. I always find at least one thing to buy, and they're usually at least 50% off regular price. They're relatively small pieces, but for just starting out, that's okay. My first rule for fabric is 100% cotton, so pretty much if it's cotton and in the remnant bin, I buy it. I was bummed when our local Joanns closed, but my husband was thrilled (he's been trying to find storage solutions for my stash).

We also have a discount fabric store here. Kind of like a Grocery Outlet for fabric. You can never count on finding something in particular, but there's always something interesting and cheap. Look around and see if you have anything like that around you. Also keep an eye on Freecycle and Craigslist for people de-stashing - just be sure it's a non-smoking house or the fabric will reek.

[courtenay_e]

Yup, get on the preferred customer list at JoAnns, then, if you want to make a blanket/pillow with specific prints. You will get coupons to use on one cut of fabric. you can use one coupon, wait a few weeks, and use the next, and have gotten a deal on the fabric for your entire project.