FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Folks who need to unload fabric - Click Here.
Content creators who want to collaborate - Click Here.
Small business owners who want to collaborate - Click Here.
SHIPPING
Other than Canada, we are no longer able to offer international shipping due to changes in customs requirements, and high costs associated with international shipping. We encourage you to source secondhand fabrics closer to home. Thrifty wouldn't exist if it wasn't for our local customers, so finding ways to support other small businesses, and encouraging our customers to shop local whenever possible is very important to us. You can read more about how we got started if you haven't already!
It depends on where you are. Once orders are processed, they usually take 3-7 business days to arrive. Tracking details will be provided in your confirmation email.
PRODUCT
Our full return policy can be seen here.
All of our by-the-yard fabrics and trims are cut in continuous yardage whenever possible.
Due to the deadstock and secondhand nature of our items, some bolts are in more than one piece. We denote this in the "condition" section of these listings so that buyers are aware of which fabrics may come in more than one piece if we cannot fulfill continuous yardage.
We accept drop-offs of unwanted fabric and occasionally find fabric at estate sales and auctions. Lately we have also started to buy deadstock fabric from apparel companies or local quilt shops that are going out of business.
With very few exceptions - no. Occasionally we find that we measured incorrectly and we have a bit of extra fabric still on the bolt that can be used to "restock" the item, but in most cases, when it's gone, it's gone.
There are a few things that go into this:
We have a physical thrift store where we sell fabric and notions for $5 per pound, and offer bag sales and bins of free fabric - that’s how we started and where most of our items were sold in our first few years.
We are not a charity. Our staff are paid a fair wage. In order to be worth the labor of photography and writing up an internet listing, a fabric needs to be pretty special, so initially, only our more expensive and rare items got listed online. It’s similar to what large thrift store chains do with collectable and valuable items that show up in their stores.
As time has gone on, we have increased our inventory, and that, combined with the global pandemic, has meant a shift in how our business is run. We still highlight our most special fabrics in monthly collections that go live Fridays at 10 CST. Those are generally our most expensive fabrics, although we still try to price lower than comparable fabrics would be in other stores! We also now list more inventory throughout the week. We try to bundle items that would not be worth the labor of listing individually. Our best bargains sell out fast!
Lastly, we are a little more focused on the sustainability aspect of using fabric that already exists rather than encouraging more production than is necessary by buying new. "A Sustainable Notion" just didn't have the same ring to it though 😉.
LOCALS
Yes! We are open on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm.
528 Riley Ave
Ogden, Kansas
Absolutely! Check out as usual and leave us a note that you'd like to pick up. We'll refund your shipping charges once you pick up your order. If it sits for more than 2 weeks, we'll just ship it to you.
However, we realize stuff happens, so if something comes up and you find that you will not be able to pick up your order within this window, please contact us before the 2 weeks is over we may be able to work something out.
We don't currently host any classes, but we encourage you to check out the Innovation Lab at K-State's Hale Library. It is open to the public, and parking on campus is free after 5pm. The lab is available for reservations or walk-ins, it has sewing machines available for use, and materials too! Check out their schedule for classes and events.
Weisner's Sewing Center located at 314 Poyntz Avenue Manhattan, KS.
Phone: (785) 776-6100
Yes! Leslie Birmingham in Spring Hill, KS. Her phone number is (913) 592-0100
Still have questions?
If we haven't answered your question, you can contact us below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.