this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2024
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The cost of basic fabrics is pretty extravagant, even when you shop around. Sewing your own stuff isn’t thrifty anymore. It’s even probably a luxury hobby by now.
*I’ve checked clearance and discount fabric sites and wouldn’t want the stuff that’s affordable. The selection is not good
Yup! And finding non poly stuff is getting harder and harder. Where you really blow money though is on the bits people don’t always think of. Zippers, facing fabric, the amount buttons go for is obscene!
I’m not even after quality! Just looking for cheap as chips trackie pants fabric in a generic colour. And only because the current clothes are so bad.
Edit: I’ve still got some zips and buttons from long ago op shop hoards
If you can find those church run or community opshops like those of old (IE not a Vinnies in a trendy suburb or any that focus on getting top dollar for trendy women's clothes) where the volunteers are little old ladies, they're still worth a look.
I buy second hand items to use the fabric. Just have to look very carefully.
I agree with Seagoon - 2nd hand is the way to go. Op shops have sheets and often leftover fabric that's been donated. Sacred Heart has a better selection than Vinnies. A single bed sheet is ample for a lot of projects. If you need a zip, rather than paying $12.50 in Lincraft, look for a garment with the right colour and length zip for $2. The crappiest garments often have good buttons or zips.
Absolutely. I used to haunt the local op shops. Unfortunately I’m not getting many opportunities these days. Pretty grumpy about it
Ah, gotcha, disregard my other comment.
I have no idea what the actual cost of my sofa Reno is. Some of the fabric has been in stash for 20 years. Buying it all at once right now would likely cause an embolism…
if what you want is fabric for warm comfortable trackie pants try looking at some new fleece blankets
Way ahead of you. They looked like they’d be recognisable as blankets though (at least the lighter colours that would show less white cat fur)
How about buy a track pants that are a couple sizes bigger than you need and then adjust to fit. You could keep the waist but slim down the legs, for example. Probably cheaper than buying the fabric.
I’m just gonna try and alter the duds I got rather than spend more on the chance of something better
After removing the severe pinchy waistbands they are actually rather too big for me. Size [redacted] my butt
baby blankets are thinner
Ditto with yarn. It'll cost you a fortune to knit or crochet yourself a jumper, like a couple of hundred dollars.
Op shops sometimes have fabric, but you have to be lucky, and have the time/energy/transport to travel around.
My best op shop find ever was lots of yarn. I got there just as they were putting out what must have been a knitter's whole stash, and included real wool yarn, in large quantities of matched lots. I bought enough to make four or five jumpers, at something like $1 a ball.
Yep. Energy and transportation are what’s missing.
Also the knowledge to figure out what you’re looking at. Op shops aren’t generally fond of you burn testing things!