We’ve crunched some more of the numbers collected in our 2011 Modern Quilting and Sewing Survey, and have more interesting facts to share with you.
Let’s Talk Books
More than 63% of you usually buy your books from that great cyber-retailer of nearly everything, Amazon. But there are other options, and we let you pick all that applied. Here’s the rest of the picture:
Local fabric shop 42.8%
Bookstore 34.9
At a quilt show 22.9
Online quilt shop 17.3
From the author, in person or online 15
Direct from publisher online 10.9
As an e-book 4.9
Slightly over 3 % actually don’t buy quilt books, and 9% borrow them from friends, their local library or their guild.
Head Count
More than 41% of you report having one sewing machine, while nearly 58% of you have more than one machine. Some of you are planning to buy a machine soon, and when you do, you’re all over the charts when it comes to your machine budget:
Less than $155 to $249 5.3%
$250 to $749 22.3
$750 to $999 12
$1000 to $1499 14.4
$1500 to $2499 16.2
$2500 or more 29.8
Welcome to My Sewing Den…
Not really any surprises when it comes to the “where” of your sewing. Almost 69% have a dedicated sewing room or studio. Second most popular is the dining room or kitchen table, which snagged 17.1%. Almost 5% of you sling fabric and thread in the basement, while 8.7% hang out in the guest room. (Betcha you cram it all into a few laundry baskets when an actual guest appears, right?)
Road Trip!
When you’re not glued to your machine pedal, you guys shift into quilt spectator mode with ease. More than 90% attend quilt/craft shows. And that’s not all
you like to do:
Quilt retreats 46.8%
Sew-ins at local shops 39.2
Quilt-themed vacations or tours 13.7%
How you Stitch
A hefty majority—65%–quilt your own quilts by machine, while 5.7% prefer to quilt by hand. And 3.5% quilt by check. But 25% cherry-pick, sometimes opting for the hand-held betweens, or the machine or ye friendly longarmer.
Fabric Faves
With so many great fabrics out there (and more hitting the bolts all the time), it’s a hard call to ask you for your single favorite. But we did, and here’s what you said:
Bold modern prints 31.1
Batiks 26.6
Solids 10.8%
Florals 8.1
Geometrics 8
Blenders 7.4
Novelty prints 5.6%
Asian 1.9%
Toile .5
And when it comes to color ways, there’s a clear pattern for the yardage you’re snapping up: 60.9% are opting for bright colors these days. Here’s the rest of the hue line-up:
Jewel tones 39.3
Earth tones 28.3
Neutrals 25
Black/white 20.8
Pastels 7.8
Other 11.7
Loyal as you are to quilting cotton, you’ve dallied with other fabrications as well. Here are the other objects of your stitchy affection (and you could pick more than one):
Linen 49.5%
Canvas/home Dec 39.3
Silk 33
Anything that can be stitched together! 30.4
Voiles 18.7
Knits 13.4
Laminates 11.5
Velvets 9.8
Synthetics 5.6
Stash Building and Budget Busting
Your average expenditure on fabric each month was all over the place, from an austere “$0” (Really?) to a mind-blowing $2000. The median expenditure was $70. And the average? Just a few pennies over $99 per month.
Some of you, though, had more to pass on than mere figures. Check out the chat:
“I repurpose a lot of stuff, so my average on fabric is probably only around 20-25 a month.”
“Average over a year? About $30. I’m trying to use my MIL’s stash (free fabric!) as much as possible.”
“This varies. I’ve been trying to decrease my spend. I have been known to spend several hundred dollars/month.”
“Been good lately… probably $40-50.”
“Currently on a diet…just working from my stash!”
“OMG are you serious? Probably averages to about $250, give or take.”
“I bought most of what I need already…I got caught up in having all the lovelies but tastes change so I am more selective now.”
“Totally cut down on spending. Fabric is too expensive.”
“On average…maybe $30 (or maybe I’ve just gotten used to lying about it. haha).”
“$100. (Maybe more; my head hurts thinking about it; let’s say 100–)”
“Depends. Currently unemployed, but when employed, $100 or so.”
“Anywhere from zero to over $100. It depends on my life and my mood.”
Well said!
COMMENT #1
When you’re listing percentages, they’re supposed to add up to 100. You got some troubles girl!!
COMMENT #
Well, actually, some of those questions were a “check all that apply” type. That said, I will go back and double-check. It WAS 1 a.m., after all.
Thanks, Rita!
COMMENT #2
wow, those are some interesting stats… how you quilt your quilts was surprising (I figured more people quilted by check these days)… And the average expenditure. The $2000 surprised me a bit, but that could be someone with a business.
COMMENT #3
Wow! I was a little surprised to see that 29.8% are planning to spend $2500+ for their next sewing machine. I wonder how many of those are looking into a long arm?
COMMENT #4
on expenditures — I think that when I did the survey I answered based on annual expenditure, not monthly — so maybe I’m one of the crazy people who skewed the thing! (I wouldn’t have answered $2,000 for a year, though!)