# How do you stop buying fabric?



## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

ok, so I have been buying fabric for the upcoming farm animal block swap. So excited about it. One problem, how do you guys stay away from the fabric store and online shops! it is like an addiction for crying out loud. Oh that's pretty, I could do something with that, oh wait I like that too, oh and here is one that will go with that so well, and on and on and on....:help::help::help:


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

no money...no fabric!


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## PonderosaQ (Jan 12, 2004)

I think death may be the only cure for some of us. Husbands that question every thing you bring into the house help. Seems like no matter how much I buy I never have just that one little bit or color that I need. A friend is dealing with her addiction by opening her own shop! Better this than being bored to death though.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

We're suppose to stop? Novel idea.

(and I can't stop either).


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## jokey (Aug 17, 2005)

:heh:
I AM STOCKPILING!! you know in case they stop selling fabric. LOL
Yeah that's my story and I'm sticking to it LOL.


I have quite a stash, A lot of it I bought at yard sales, I only buy new if it's on sale or I love it. I can't tell you the last time I was in a Joann's or a Walmart that sold fabric. We are about 65 miles from the nearest Joann's, Hancock's etc.
In the closest town there are 2 quilt stores and also a little store that sells 100% cotton fabric for 2.50 to 4.50 a yard.I buy a lot there. The quilt stores only if I love it as their fabric is expensive. If I have to work 1 hour to buy 1 yard of fabric, I have to love it lol.
I don't buy online much, last time I did it took 3 weeks to arrive and I needed to have the item finished way before that.:Bawling:
So I do have a big stash but I am frugal. Am I excused?


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## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

jokey you are excused...lol
One thing that will help is that I am done working outside the farm and stable on the 31st. then money gets a little tighter, ok a lot tighter. I see yard sales in my future. Hmm, all those clothes I was going to get rid of in the basement will have to be gone over to see if any are 100% cotton.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

I've often said it'd be cheaper to be a drinker.

I've been pretty good lately, mostly because I try and stay away from the places that sell fabric:grin:. It helps if I have to go in that I take the kids with me. They complain about my looking, so I don't stay long.

I still have problems when a clearance sale is advertised.

Opening a fabric shop doesn't help-BTDT!


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## Our Little Farm (Apr 26, 2010)

Just take enough cash to the fabric store for what you are going for. Not for extras.
Do not visit online sites.

Easy. Right? lol


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

I share with my friends on HT several times from my stash. Especially for those that cannot find fabrics for swaps. 

Maybe I'm stockpiling for me and friends.


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

Why would anyone want to stop?


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## stirfamily (Jun 18, 2002)

One year I didn't buy fabric for Lent. It was the most agonizing time of my life. Today I'm headed to Joann's for their MLK sale and then on to Hobby Lobby to see what they have.


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## Ardie/WI (May 10, 2002)

Ravenlost said:


> Why would anyone want to stop?


Exactly!


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## sbanks (Dec 19, 2010)

you run out of money. food, car, rent, clothing, and heat/cool becomes more important.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

_Stop_ buying fabric?? 
I never thought of that! I just kept acquiring so much I was informed I probably should go into business. 

I am constantly buying fabric. Sometimes I create something with it. 
More often I just sit in my fabric corner and admire my stash.


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## Dandish (Feb 8, 2007)

Ravenlost said:


> Why would anyone want to stop?


That was my first thought! LOL. Not how do you, but WHY would you?


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## txquilter (Dec 29, 2009)

Ha, ha, ha..... I needed that chuckle this morning. I agree - why in the world would anyone stop? I absolutely LOVE fabric. In fact, when I'm having a really bad day at work I spend the majority of my lunch hour in the fabric store or the bookstore. When I go to the bookstore I always migrate to the Quilting magazines and Quilting books to look at patterns and get ideas for projects.

There is just something about the colors and feel of the fabric that makes me feel better. Yes, some think it's weird and yes, it's an obsession. But I LOVE IT!


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

One thing that helps me just a tiny, tiny bit--------------

If I go to my Stash and re-discover BEAUTIFUL fabric that I had forgotten about......................it seems to help me avoid buying too much more-------------------
if I'm lucky that "full" feeling will last for a couple of hours:rock:

Comparable to going to the grocery store on a FULL stomach----rather than going in hungry!


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## Debbie in Wa (Dec 28, 2007)

OMG, I should belong to a fabraholic group. To me it's my comfort food. In fact I would probably buy more fabric than food itself. Like some mentioned above, it feels all the senses that you have. To look at the wonder of all your fabric, to touch all the different textures, and so on. I have helped myself with buying fabric by keeping track of all my stash busting. Yes, it's crazy, I know but last year when I used up over 151 yards of fabric I justified that it was good to go out and buy some new. After all, fabric doesn't last forever. It does tend to break down over time even just sitting there. Although I do miss the days of how some of the prints were done from times past, now a days fabric is just unbelievable. Too many good ones to choose from.


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## menollyrj (Mar 15, 2006)

I put myself on a "fabric diet" last year because money was tighter. I felt guilty about buying fabric when I had told DH two days before that we had to cut optional expenses, like eating out once a week.

I forced myself to make quilts entirely out of my stash. Quiltville.com became my favorite quilting site because EVERYTHING she does is scrappy and I could use up what I had on hand. It became a personal challenge to see if I could make a complete queen-sized quilt out of my stash (front AND back), and I did it. 

I also stopped going to fabric stores. I really did treat it like an addiction; I stayed away from places that might be tempting. I only went in if I (a) needed something specific or (b) had money that was a gift to me, like the birthday and Christmas $$ my MIL gave to me.

It's hard. I love fabric, but I have more than I could use in YEARS. I'm trying to be more frugal in other areas of the house, so I figured I'd better extend that to my sewing room as well, as much as I dislike the idea...

ETA: DH is very tolerant. He knows that, of all the vices a woman could have, fabric-buying is very low on the list of dangerous things. At least I'm not out running the roads at all hours of the day and night (except to go to the fabric store)...


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

One of my friends told me that the LDS church suggested they stock pile clothes and fabric as well as food. So that's what I'm doing, even tho I'm Lutheran! If things really fall apart economically, won't my husband look cute in flower sack reproductions?


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## CNCfamily (Sep 13, 2010)

Oh man.....i am just getting started. I'm going to attempt to make my own cloth diapers and HOLY moly there are a lot of cute little girl fabrics! I've already got a stack of fabric that i just sit and look at though, so we'll see if anything actually ever gets created! lol!


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## cc-rider (Jul 29, 2003)

OMG...what timing for this thread. I just got back from JoAnns. I stopped by to see if they had ONE piece of fabric that I was looking for. I realized that their quilting collection was 40% off. I found one. And another. Oh! This one matches, too! I ended up with 14 different pieces, plus a couple fat quarters. (I think I have enough for the civil war BOW now, though!). 

I also found out that if you find bolts that only have a bit left after your 1/2 yard, or whatever, you get an extra 70% off the remainder! So that was 70% off of 40%!!! I bought all of those I could find in patterns that I liked. 

But I justified it by reminding myself that I hadn't really bought much fabric for awhile. Yeah. Right.


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## nduetime (Dec 15, 2005)

I am the queen of justification! When i stopped at Joann's (just for a minute) I found the same sale and spent 90.00. 
I just got a nice raise...even tho I am retiring on the 31 st. 
I have been working a lot of extra hours=a little extra cash. 
I planned on joining one or two of the upcoming swaps anyway so now I can get the fabric at a better price since I do not have a large stash.
I was going to make some gifts for later on this year anyway. 

oh, do not get me started! My dh was fine with the money I spent but I did agree that all furture purchases would now come from my allowance and side cash. (we both take an allowance rather than just buying whatever, it keeps expenses down and makes us think more about what we purchase)


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## maxine (Jun 22, 2004)

Stop buying fabric??!!!!!!!!!! Sounds like crazy talk to me...


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Well, I went to a Sew/Vac with nice quilting fabric store today looking for a particular fabric - their other store has it, and I'll get it Monday.

But I looked at a Janome Horizon, and a working antique Featherweight 221 in nice body condition and completely serviced and working - that she would sell.

So, I only requested a couple of yards today, not actually brought it home.


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## Dandish (Feb 8, 2007)

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but...What did you think of the Horizon, Angie? 

I think it'd be a good idea to put it next to my 221 featherweight.  I'm saving for it.


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## BlueberryChick (May 12, 2008)

I can stop any time I want!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Dandish said:


> Don't mean to hijack this thread, but...What did you think of the Horizon, Angie?
> 
> I think it'd be a good idea to put it next to my 221 featherweight.  I'm saving for it.


Hi Dandish - just coming back to this thread.

The Horizon. I think there would be a bit of a learning curve on the controls.

I do like that it has a arm available, rather than just a flat bed. The thread holder is like the 6500P which is something I really like.
I've thought of getting one, but I"d need to trade in one or two machines and give some funds to get it. The list price around here is about $3,000.

I'm not sure a 6500P or the new 6300P with a walking foot, may not get the same work done, virtually the same body harp area but neither of them have the arm for general sewing.

So, basically, I'm not totally sold on getting one as I do not see much more value to it than my 6500P.

Comparison chart http://www.janomespecials.com/newmc/hor-compare.html
Looks better with the chart. I might need to go sew on it. Check it out. The 12" free arm and extra 2 inches of harp space - might be good.


http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingMachine/Review/1/3499
Check out this review by an owner. Her neutral comments are sorta what I've sensed. Especially that toggle circle switch. I didn't know about the bobbin winder and the telescoping thread holder. That right there is a big negative to me.


http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingMachine/Review/1/3755
this is a LONG review, and has a long 'not' like list to go with the "like" portion. 
I've got read it now.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

This dealer has a good 221 for $225. Checked out and through the tech area and sewing fine.
Nice body condition, just not pristine, but looks original.


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## Dandish (Feb 8, 2007)

Thanks for the links - I think I've read every review on the Horizon on the internet I can find. Overall it's about 50/50, but I know that many of the negatives were due to some issues/bugs with the horizon when it first came out (older reviews more neg, newer good), and they are on the "4th gen" now. Big issues with 1/4" seams - Janome sent all Horizon owners a newly designed foot that solved the problem. Also a problem with the automatic plate converter that they have fixed. There were also complaints about hesitating/getting stuck when going from thinner material to thicker or very bulky seams, and they've come up with a tool for that. They have corrected the majority of major complaints. Many have said the stitch quality is excellent. In my readings I realize that people with the 6500 and 6600 absolutely LOVE their machines.

The MSRP of the Horizon is $3000, but I've heard of deals as low as $1999, with an average price for the Horizon seeming to be about $2500 with a few goodies thrown in. Until end of Feb Janome themselves are giving away a free table for it from certain dealers. It's a huge amount of $$, and I don't have anything I'd want to trade in! So, I'm saving. Whether I end up with the Horizon (likely) or something else (perhaps a Juki, maybe), can't be said. I just really wanted to hear your opinion, having seen it and being very knowledgable about sewing and machines. Thank you.

As far as the 221 that sounds like a good deal. I lucked out and found mine at an estate sale for $100 - I had been watching for about 2-3 years for one (that wasn't $300 or more!). It's a great little cute machine, I pieced this quilt on it -


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

While that is indeed a nice quilt, it would look even nicer with your Featherweight in the shot. 

My kids (9&11) and I were reading a Patricia Polacco book last night, Mrs. Katz and Tush and on one page it showed a picture of the beautiful Featherweight that Mrs. Katz sews on. 

I got distracted. "Lucky dog, she has a Featherweight! Look it's in beautiful condition, too!" 

My 11 year old pointed out that "Mom, it's just a drawn picture in a made-up story." 


They just don't get it!


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

ErinP said:


> My kids (9&11) and I were reading a Patricia Polacco book last night, Mrs. Katz and Tush and on one page it showed a picture of the beautiful Featherweight that Mrs. Katz sews on.
> 
> I got distracted. "Lucky dog, she has a Featherweight! Look it's in beautiful condition, too!"
> 
> ...


 lol! sounds like something I would do.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Well, don't go into a walmart and discover that all fabrics are 50% off cause they're closing the dept down to just that pre-packaged nonsense. And this is the one good Walmart fabric dept left in town.

Oh well, online and the good quillt fabric shops. Hancock's, Hobby Lobby, and soon to be JoAnn's. But they're not close enough to run out and get a fabric fix on a lunch break!

(7 2 yard pieces later. :sing


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Angie, thanks for posting about the Horizon. I tried calling about it and because I'm out of state they couldn't tell me about it or give me a price. That is one really stupid thing Janome does IMO. I wouldn't buy anything from our local dealer-they're high priced, rude, and absolutely no help. If you go and play with it please give us a report.


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## SilverFlame819 (Aug 24, 2010)

If you can't slap yourself on the hand and say no when you see something cute, don't allow yourself to look...

Another way to stop buying it is to wait for the checkout lady to tell you your card says you have insufficient funds because you've already bought too much!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Molly Mckee said:


> Angie, thanks for posting about the Horizon. I tried calling about it and because I'm out of state they couldn't tell me about it or give me a price. That is one really stupid thing Janome does IMO. I wouldn't buy anything from our local dealer-they're high priced, rude, and absolutely no help. If you go and play with it please give us a report.


I will report when/if I test it out.


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