
Guest post by Angi from SchneiderPeeps
When people find out that my daughter and I do a lot of sewing, a common response is “Fabric is so expensive! I can buy an item cheaper than I can sew it!” This can certainly be true. But I have learned that it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ways to be a frugal sewist:
Hand-Me-Downs
We often get fabric and notions from people who used to sew but no longer do. Some of it is great for us and we keep it. And some of it is not for us and we donate it to a nonprofit thrift store.
Thrift Stores and Garage Sales
Not only can we often find great fabric at thrift store and garage sales, but we also can get vintage sheets and tablecloths. We frequently use vintage sheets to make pajama pants. They are preshrunk, very soft and if you cut it right you don’t have to hem the bottoms
Old Clothes
I know this sounds funny, but if the fabric is good, then save it. I regularly cut up jeans that have holes in the knees and flannel shirts for quilts. I also save buttons on clothes that are headed for the trash because they are too stained up to donate.
Community Fabric Sales
The Senior Citizens group in our area hosts a fabric sale a couple of times a year. The fabric is $0.25 per yard, notions are $0.05 to $0.25 each. They also sell, yarn, books and patterns.

The fabric that I used to make the pajamas for my daughter (shown above) came from this sale. Each project cost me under a dollar to make. We always find some gems among the rubble. And if you need some double knit polyester, this is definitely the place to find it!
Coupons and Sales
When I find a fabric that I just love and would be perfect for a project, I wait until it either goes on sale or I have a coupon. Then I buy the least amount that I need for the project.
When I was re-doing our master bedroom, I found some decorator fabric that I loved. But it was $18 a yard! So I waited. When it went on sale for half price, I bought two yards. That was enough to make window toppers, and a couple of throw pillows. For the curtains, I used fabric that was $5 a yard.
If you are not familiar with how different fabrics feel, I suggest visiting fabric and quilt stores and feel the fabrics. You’ll soon learn what a quality cotton fabric feels like and what a lesser quality cotton fabric feels like. This will help you as you begin to build a stash of fabric that you didn’t buy off a labeled bolt.
Caution: be careful of using old (vintage) thread. Thread weakens over time and it is best not to use it on something that you want to keep for a long time for for something that will be washed or used a lot.
Angi is a wife and mom of 6 children who spends her days homeschooling, crafting, gardening, playing chauffer, keeping chickens, trying to learn how take better pictures and blogging at SchneiderPeeps.







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