Frugal Fabric
Yesterday our Jenny-Any-Dots was at Walmart looking for fabric to make some fleece pajama pants for the toddler and infant grandbabies. This is a present she's made before- the pajama bottoms don't take her much time, and then she buys a t-shirt in a complementary color to complete the p.j.s Sometimes she will add an appliqued heart or other shape to the t-shirt, using the p.j. fabric.
The fleece in stock wasn't really in the colors or patterns she wanted, and it was more than she'd planned on spending. She wracked her brains, looked around, and found that found these
were on sale for 5.00, and there were blankets in colors and patterns she liked better. Since the fabric was over 7 dollars a yard, and there's more than a yard in one of these
Other sources for fabric:
thrifted or yard sale sheets, curtains, or tableclothes, or perhaps some you have at home but don't need any more
You can get some very soft and comfy baby pajamas from a well worn adult sized flannel shirt.
Receiving blankets- once more thrifted, yard sale finds, or some old ones of your own- I've cut these down and sewn around the edges for wash cloths, diaper wipes, and layered them for women's hygienic needs.
Skirts- also thrifted, yard sale, or some of your own you are finished with.
I've turned sheets into tablecloths and curtains, and curtains into tablecloths. Our tree skirt is an old white sheet (this is also what my mother used when I was a child)
What are your ideas for frugal cloth sources? Do you reuse textiles? How?
P.S. If you're an American, this is the last month you can buy 100 Watt Incandescant Light Bulbs
11 Responses to “Frugal Fabric”
December 16th, 2011 at 7:57 am
Last year we waited until their brown thanksgiving tablecloths went on clearance for 3 dollars, bought 2 and made living room curtains.
December 16th, 2011 at 9:51 am
I love to pick up the receiving blankets at the thrift store. I often pay a quarter or less for them. I make them into beautiful quilts for family and friends. The Quilt In A Day book for the Rail Fence quilt is the pattern I use most often. Also because it is warm here in our area most of the time I do not put a ‘batting’ between the layers of the quilt. Just the flannel and a backing. Then I stitch in the ditch quilt the blanket.
Also those same receiving blankets in 4 different patterns can make some very cute p.j. pants too. I found the ‘sock monkey’ print blankets in 4 different colors and made some p.js. for a grand son.
December 16th, 2011 at 11:45 am
Walgreens will sell their big flannel blankets buy-one-get-one free sometimes. I watch for those sales and will grab some to use as fabric.
December 16th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
I use bed sheets to make curtains. It is much less expensive than buying fabric and you don’t have to deal with the seams.
December 16th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Last Christmas I bought a red skirt at a thrift store for about a dollar. I wore it to church a few times over the year. A couple of weeks ago my ten-year-old wanted some holiday-print fabric, since the girls at her sewing club were going to make jumpers for their 18-inch dolls. We didn’t have any, but I did suggest my red skirt, and my daughter was happy with that. I picked apart the seams and she took the fabric pieces to her group last Saturday. They didn’t get quite done so they have to finish the jumpers up tomorrow–I can’t wait to see the “fashion show.”
I’d say I got my dollar’s worth out of the skirt!
December 16th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
My favorite part about using bedsheets for quilt backing (other than the reduced cost) is that you don’t have to piece the back of the quilt!
December 18th, 2011 at 11:26 am
*chuckle* my frugal fabric source is my mom’s sewing room. she’s a fabric junkie!
December 18th, 2011 at 7:57 pm
I shop at a local thrift store, I buy jeans, t-shirts, sheets, pillowcases, receiving blankets.
I take the jeans and make them in to totes that I sell on my web site.
I use the t-shirts to make pillowcase dresses & boys shorts- I donate these items to dress a girl charity.
I take sheets and make them into pj’s, I buy both the thin cottne sheets and flannel and make summer and winter pj’s and donate those to charity.
I also use the sheets to make pillowcase dresses for dress a girl.
And pillowcases make wonderful totes, little girl dresses, just about anything can be made w ith these.
I take receiving blankets and make those into burb cloths and baby wipes, and also make momma cloth with those.
December 19th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
You should see my sewing room. A girl friend and I have a saying ‘she who dies with the most fabric wins’ wins what we do not know. But we both have more fabric than we will ever need. I tell my self that right now I have more money than time. Right now I am a working woman…soon I will retire…then I will have almost no money to buy fabric…so I will use my stash of fabric.
This past week my 12 year old grand daughter got her first sewing machine. I promised her a ‘trip’ in my fabric closet. She wants to make a quilt.
January 2nd, 2012 at 11:46 pm
Last year Walmart had some super soft fuzzy throw blankets in cute Christmas prints for $5. I bought one and cut it into 5 wide strips, zig-zagged the edges, and gave them to my 5 children as winter scarves in their stockings. They are still the warmest, coziest scarves in the house and are used all winter long. Not bad for $1 a piece!
January 22nd, 2012 at 3:48 pm
I am a big fan of reworking things and using the fabric out them. I really have liked using clearance or thrifted tablecloths. As the seasons change, many of the tablecloths go on clearance and I buy the largest ones I can find. I have made them into cloth napkins, table runners, curtains, etc. The quality of the fabric is similar to the home decor fabric on the big bolts that runs $15+ per yard at the fabric store.
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