Price of Cotton

There has been an awful lot of talk lately about the price of cotton skyrocketing.  I don't like it anymore than anyone else does.  Everything is going up except my paycheck.  I work in Illinois so our income tax just soared and my take-home pay dropped.  When you look at the big picture though, I'm am grateful that I have my job, my health, my family and my quilting.  I count my blessings everyday.

Some quilters are even talking about quitting.  Can you believe it?  Not quilting anymore??  I can promise you that I will never quit quilting.....as long as I am physically able anyway......which I hope is for many years to come.   Besides, however much the cost of fabric goes up, it still has to be cheaper than the therapy I may need if I didn't have my quilting.

If you get discouraged with the rising costs, try to exaust and think about all of these possibilities and ideas first, before you give up on quilting:  *quilting is much less expensive than most other activities including....a movie and popcorn, dinner and drinks out, theater tickets, manicures and pedicures, having your hair colored, or a trip to the casino!!! So prioritize and remember:  *quilting is good for your heart, your soul and your temperment while costing less than therapy  *quilting produces a finished product that can be used for your comfort or sold for money to buy more fabric.

Be a careful shopper:  *watch for sales, buy fabric at the end of the season and don't forget to check the remnants  *sign up for Jo Ann's flyers and take advantage of their wonderful sales and coupons  *shop the clearance racks at your local quilt stores  *check garage, yard, rummage and estate sales for no longer used fabric stashes for sale  *also check thrift stores for fabric stashes they have to offer.

Use your own stash wisely and make it last:  *cut carefully to minimize waste *save your scraps and use them to make scrap quilts or share them with a friend who will put them to good use.

Remember where quilting came from and:  *don't be afraid to use the good parts of worn clothing to cut patches from  *buy men's shirts at thrift stores and garage sales to make quilt pieces  *use old blankets for batting in a drag-about quilt  *use an old sheet for the backing of a scrappy quilt.

You can get good deals on books and patterns too!  *visit Bargain Book Stores for great deals on new books  *check www.Amazon.com for used books at great prices  *visit used book stores for gently or never been used books  *shop e-bay for the books or patterns you're looking for.

There are things you can do to keep your quilting going until our economy gets back on its feet.  Good luck and enjoy your craft.

Happy Quilting, 
Laurel