I loved raiding the clearance sections. Clearance sections at craft stores are like letting the universe be part of the art makes it fun. It was fun to buy a random off cut of fake fur - and then figure out what to do with it.
Thrift stores are kinda similar. You give up a lot of control of the process for a kind of Jackson Pollock vibe. They are sooo slept on as a source of fabric and yarn (although Goodwill lately has been getting dear on the yarn - like I’m not paying $8 for a couple skeins of random Red Heart). You can get bulk t-shirts, no one really wants that 3XXL church fundraiser/rush shirts/blood donation/etc etc - which can be cut/dyed/resewn/stretched into yarn.
Sometimes you will also strike gold, and never have to worry again. I grabbed a random tote from a Goodwill in Fuckass, Arkansas which had enough cheesy grandma cross stitch projects to last me until the heat death of the universe and an entire fucking bolt of sparkly blue tulle with more square footage than my apartment for less than $15.
It is the kind of thing where you have to enjoy the hunt, and not have an outcome in mind. I guess it’s a lot more time, which is what losing Joann’s/the decline of local hobby shops in general represents.
Dollar Tree oddly often has a lot of fat quarters. Obviously lower quality and only good for small projects, but sometimes winners.
It does really really suck. I will only go into a Hobby Lobby if I can atone with some light vandalism - and even then feels wrong. (It’s like walking into the Stepford Wives - idk like the oxygen composition is different). Michael’s is nice but fabric is not great, yarn is like 60-70% based on the store. (And no MASSIVE GREEN WALL OF YARN 😭😭😭)
Maybe once the economy crashes we can all start our own small fabric stores.
I loved raiding the clearance sections. Clearance sections at craft stores are like letting the universe be part of the art makes it fun. It was fun to buy a random off cut of fake fur - and then figure out what to do with it.
Thrift stores are kinda similar. You give up a lot of control of the process for a kind of Jackson Pollock vibe. They are sooo slept on as a source of fabric and yarn (although Goodwill lately has been getting dear on the yarn - like I’m not paying $8 for a couple skeins of random Red Heart). You can get bulk t-shirts, no one really wants that 3XXL church fundraiser/rush shirts/blood donation/etc etc - which can be cut/dyed/resewn/stretched into yarn.
Sometimes you will also strike gold, and never have to worry again. I grabbed a random tote from a Goodwill in Fuckass, Arkansas which had enough cheesy grandma cross stitch projects to last me until the heat death of the universe and an entire fucking bolt of sparkly blue tulle with more square footage than my apartment for less than $15.
It is the kind of thing where you have to enjoy the hunt, and not have an outcome in mind. I guess it’s a lot more time, which is what losing Joann’s/the decline of local hobby shops in general represents.
Dollar Tree oddly often has a lot of fat quarters. Obviously lower quality and only good for small projects, but sometimes winners.
It does really really suck. I will only go into a Hobby Lobby if I can atone with some light vandalism - and even then feels wrong. (It’s like walking into the Stepford Wives - idk like the oxygen composition is different). Michael’s is nice but fabric is not great, yarn is like 60-70% based on the store. (And no MASSIVE GREEN WALL OF YARN 😭😭😭)
Maybe once the economy crashes we can all start our own small fabric stores.