I find a lot of beautiful fabric in the charity shops and thrift stores. It's always value-added, because the fabric is in curtains, bed linens, and clothing. Lots of good elastic, curtain rings and headers, zippers, and buttons that can be removed to be recycled on other sewing projects! Retro, vintage, and modern fabrics, right there for pennies. Bring them home, run through the washer, and get sewing!
I've also found yard goods, some still with the cutting tags on, and very few smaller than a yard (36 inches) of lovely brand new fabric at a fraction of the original price.
I have also saved by keeping my eyes open for used sewing machines, sewing patterns, notions (bargain bonanza when you find a huge bag of thread spools, buttons, zippers, etc.), and sewing tools like pressing aids. Bought new these items can break the bank, bought second hand (or third, or fourth) really saves a home sewer serious money. Even if the sewing machine needs minor repairs it's a bargain to buy used because the older machines were built to last generations.
And oh wow! Jumble, garage-yard sales, and what we in the UK call car boot sales, I've found truly amazing savings on sewing supplies at these sales! I very rarely have to buy anything new to add to my sewing supplies. :)
Source: A long line of Make Do and Mend ladies including my gran and aunts:)
By Frugal Sunnie from Scotland
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Absolutely - when I think of what sewing notions and fabric cost retail I shudder. In our town we not only have 6 - 7 general purpose thrift stores, but we also have a special craft recycling shop which stocks donated thread, patterns, material, zippers, trim, buttons, etc. I visit it twice a month to see what's new. Spools of thread for a quarter - 10% of retail cost!
Another tip - for big, beautiful, unusual high quality buttons, buy them at thrift stores - on clothing. The designers and manufacturers invest in large lots of these high quality button trims as a way of distinguishing their clothing, and it sure does - but they cost a fortune in the sewing shops in small quantities. You're not going to wear the item, so it doesn't need to fit you. You can get excellent, high quality buttons for refurbishing your clothing or a costume project.
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