Give a GiftMaster the art of thrifty shopping for your sewing and quilting needs.
Dear Sewing Superstar,
Love sewing and quilting but not the rising cost of fabric? You’re not alone. Between fabric, patterns, notions, rulers, books, and specialty tools, creative hobbies can add up quickly. The good news is that experienced sewists know you don’t have to pay full retail to build a wonderful sewing stash.
Our Ultimate Shopping Guide for the Thrifty Sewist is your roadmap to finding fantastic bargains beyond the traditional fabric store. Whether you’re searching for affordable fabric, vintage treasures, sewing books, patterns, or handy notions, these guides will help you stretch your budget while keeping your creativity flowing.
Looking for the best places to buy cheap fabric and sewing supplies? Start with garage sales, thrift shops, estate sales, vintage fabric sources, library book sales, and creative upcycling opportunities. Our collection covers all of these and more.
4 Guides in 1 for Smart Sewing Shopping
Our Ultimate Shopping Guide for the Thrifty Sewist combines four practical guides to help you save money on nearly every aspect of your sewing and quilting hobby. From discovering hidden treasures to finding budget-friendly books and fabric, you’ll learn how to shop smarter—not harder.
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Garage Sales
Who knows what treasures await at your next garage sale?
Garage sales remain one of the best places to uncover vintage clothing, beautiful fabric, sewing notions, sewing machines, patterns, baskets, storage containers, and even unique home décor that can be repurposed for future projects.
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Garage Sales shares practical strategies to make your shopping trips more successful, along with a handy checklist of the best sewing-related items to keep an eye out for.
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Garage Sales
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Vintage Fabric
There’s something magical about sewing with vintage fabric. Whether you’re making a seasonal table runner, a charming quilt, or an everything-old-is-new-again wardrobe piece, vintage textiles bring personality and history to every project.
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Vintage Fabric highlights the Top 10 places to find affordable vintage fabric, along with 10 practical tips for refreshing older textiles. Learn how to deal with common issues such as lingering odours, stains, and fabric care so your vintage finds are ready for their next life.
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Vintage Fabric
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Fabric Shopping
Savvy sewists know the local fabric shop isn’t the only place to discover beautiful materials.
In The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Fabric Shopping, you’ll discover seven smart shopping strategies that encourage you to think beyond the fabric bolt. You’ll find inspiration for transforming curtains, vintage linens, quilt tops, tablecloths, and other overlooked textiles into fresh new sewing projects.
Whether you’re shopping in person or browsing online marketplaces, these tips can help you find quality fabric while staying within your budget.
The Thrifty Sewist’s Guide to Fabric Shopping: Our 7 Top Tips
6 Thrifty Ways to Find Sewing and Quilting Books
Every sewist and quilter loves discovering new patterns, techniques, and project inspiration. Fortunately, building a sewing library doesn’t have to be expensive.
In 6 Thrifty Ways to Find Sewing and Quilting Books, you’ll discover affordable ways to expand your collection, including places to find gently used books, discounted titles, and even free resources for sewing and quilting inspiration.
Sew More—Spend Less
Sewing and quilting are wonderfully rewarding hobbies, and while they do require an investment of time and materials, your projects don’t have to break the bank.
Whether you’re hunting for vintage fabric, browsing neighbourhood garage sales, discovering hidden gems at thrift stores, or adding affordable books to your collection, our Ultimate Shopping Guide for the Thrifty Sewist will help you shop with confidence and make every sewing budget go further.
Happy bargain hunting—and even happier sewing!
Suggested FAQ
Q: Where can I buy cheap fabric for sewing projects?
A: Garage sales, thrift stores, estate sales, vintage shops, online marketplaces, fabric swaps, and repurposed household textiles are all excellent places to find affordable fabric.
Q: Is vintage fabric good for quilting?
A: Yes. Vintage fabric can be perfect for quilting and sewing projects when it’s properly cleaned, inspected, and cared for before use.
Q: How can I save money on sewing supplies?
A: Shop second-hand, buy during sales, repurpose textiles, visit garage sales, borrow books from libraries, and look for discounted patterns and notions.
Q: Where can I find inexpensive sewing and quilting books?
A: Library sales, thrift stores, used bookstores, online second-hand book sellers, and local quilting guilds are great sources for affordable books.
Q: What are the best thrift store finds for sewists?
A: Look for fabric, curtains, tablecloths, quilts, vintage clothing, buttons, zippers, sewing machines, baskets, and sewing notions.
Become a Charter Member of the We Like Sewing Gold Club today, and you’ll never run out of projects or inspiration! And right now, when you become a Gold Club Charter Member you will get instant access to printable, designer quilting and sewing patterns for home décor, quilts, bags, outfits, baby items, and so much more!
When you activate your We Like Sewing Gold Club Charter Membership today, you’ll get access to everything we have about sewing and quilting—all access, all the time:
| Summary of Gold Club Membership Benefits | |
|---|---|
| Description | Your Price |
| 1 Year We Like Sewing Charter Gold Membership | Now only: $59/year! |
| A full year of We Like Sewing magazine—12 monthly issues packed with gorgeous designer patterns with step-by-step instructions, tutorials, sewing tips and tricks, and expert techniques. | INCLUDED |
| Full access to the We Like Sewing digital project library, that’s instant, complete access to every single printable pattern, tutorial, and video we have ever published! | INCLUDED |
| Instant access to We Like Sewing Collections–we’ve created topic specific collections of our favorite projects. You’ll find Christmas, Baby, Summer, and more! | INCLUDED |
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Please act now, while this special offer is still in effect for you!
Happy Sewing!
Caitlin Eaton
Editor, We Like Sewing Magazine
P.S. Imagine having 24/7 access to hundreds of sewing patterns and articles, step-by-step instructions, and video tutorials to help you master any sewing project. All this and more can be yours when you become a Charter Member of the We Like Sewing Gold Club today!
My second favorite place to find fabric is a thrift store. Lots of vintage fabrics end up there. Also lots of bundles of scrapes and unfinished projects. Try it all or try setting up a fabric swap with other sewing in the community.
The fabric swap is a great idea, Judy! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂 – Ashley, We Like Sewing