Frugal Quilting
By Sherry
@norcal (4889)
Franklinton, North Carolina
November 28, 2015 12:29pm CST
With the price of fabric and batting, the cost of making a bed-sized quilt can be hundreds of dollars. Quilting has become the pastime of rich ladies with time on their hands, but quilting grew out of a need to save every scrap. At its heart quilting is a frugal art that grew out of a desire to incorporate beauty into a practical and necessary object.
I created my very first quilt when I was a young bride, and the blanket my husband and I shared was not big enough to cover us both comfortably. The quilt top consisted mostly of old blue jeans and corduroy pants. It was roughly made, I pieced two blankets together to use for batting and for the back, I used a sheet. That quilt wasn't much to look at, but it cost almost nothing, and we used it for many years.
With practice, my quilts got better, but I've always tried to use materials I have on hand as much as possible. Denim and corduroy are still some of my favorite fabrics to use.
Have you ever made a quilt, or do you do any other handicrafts?
8 people like this
9 responses
@Morleyhunt (21741)
• Canada
5 Jan 16
I make a lot of quilts. I try to keep the cost as low as possible. I use scraps where possible.
3 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
28 Apr 16
that's a beaut! i'm tellin' ya, i jest gotta come'n visit'cha some day :)
1 person likes this
@T_gray (7772)
• Salina, Kansas
30 Nov 15
My best friend made me a quilt recently for my birthday with materials through our relationship that she collected. Like my grandma's old bath robe, my dogs old blanket, etc. She used sheets for the backing. It was amazing. It cost her hardly anything but the love she put into it was everything
1 person likes this
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
29 Nov 15
@norcal she does make works of art from scraps too. But first she buys expensive fabrics for a lot of interesting projects. Then she gets broke and uses all of her scraps. She goes to retreats and joins bus tours that go all around the province to different quilt shops. If I were to take up quilting, I am sure I would be more frugal!
1 person likes this
@marsha32 (6631)
• United States
15 May 16
You are right...so many who quilt are rich! How do they afford to pay up to $200 or more for someone to machine quilt for them? Not to mention how they just buy all new fabrics and such.
I get a lot of my materials given to me by other people when they clean out their sewing rooms. Or, I shop estate sales, yard sales etc and buy super cheap. I should have taken a picture of everything I bought at a sale a couple weekends ago all for just $7 total.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
28 Apr 16
that's beautiful! i used to only do such's a necessity - quilts fer me'n family, horse blankets, pup jackets 'n such. always used worn out britches 'n blankets/sheets from yard sales. ol' denim's still my fav.
i reckon to answer yer query, i like to pretend i quilt :)
