Everybody get Thrifty

Keeping a great stash without the guilts

We all know the thrill and joy from walking through the doors of your favourite Haberdashery Store and collecting a bundle of new fabrics for a new design.

Running your hands through all of those wonderful textures and smooth fabrics, the thrill of what new and wonderful materials you could find, it's almost as great as putting the final touches on a design.

The only downside is the cost.

Not only the impact this has on your wallet, but the impact we're having on the environment. Now, we're not here to preach. You know from picture of our Sweet Pea shelves we love our fabrics. And do we LOVE our fabrics, however, looking through our shelves and talking with Martyn really got me thinking about this.

As many know, Martyn Smith is an advocate for Reduce, Reuse & Recycle, which is becoming more and more important as we hear more about the world we live in and how we can do our bit to help.

Here are some tips we've collected for keeping things thrifty, and keeping that fabric stash new and exciting:

1. Thrift Stores, Second-hand Shops, Charity Shop, Op Shop... whatever you call them. Pay them a visit! You'll be amazed and the wonders they hold. Specifically for our Brisbane audience, Lifeline Newmarket is a treasure trove of material and all things craft. You can find anything from fabric to decor items, like timber bobbins, vintage sewing machines and sewing stands.

• 

• 

• 

2. Check out 'Holiday Sale' tables. At the end of each 'Holiday' season themed decor items are often put together on a sales rack and priced to clear. You can find some wonderful fabric selections hidden away.

3. Investigate. Don't be afraid to roll up those sleeves and have a look around. Fabric is hard to display well, especially as it takes up valuable real estate in a store. It can be boxed or bagged, and often just forgot about. This is often the best place to find some gems.

4. Thread is a no no. Old thread has a tendency to fray and snap, as it ages. Do not sew with it.

5. Linen, check the Linen section! Older or vintage linen are a great source of fabric. Often you'll find they have great patterns, especially vintage cloth napkins and tablecloths.

6. Everything can be re-purposed. Hunting is often part of the fun, taking cheap items like fleece sweater can make a beautiful Love Bear or a pair of gloves could be a great top hat for your Let it Snow Table Runner.

We hope this article has inspired you to flip some secondhand items for your next project!