Lily Pulitzer by the Yard... or from the Thrift Store?

My mother LOVES Lilly Pulitzer fabric. So much. She uses it all the time.

Check it out- she has a whole box devoted solely to thrifted Lilly Pulitzer fabric.

It's the Lilly Box.

Such great summer colors. 

This dress is my favorite:

The Artichokes kill me. This would be a great dress to turn into an apron.

My mother is fond of this one:

Lilly Pulitzer fabric is expensive when you buy it by the yard. From my preliminary searches, it looks like a yard of Lilly fabric can cost anywhere from $18-$30. I just saw an ebay sale where 2 yards of Lilly Fabric went for $90! Thrifting is definitely the way to go. 

Lilly Pulitzer fabric is normally easy to spot at thrift stores. The brand is famous for it's bright colors and loud patterns, and they usually can be easy to pick out in an aisle of clothing. So, if you are looking for Lilly fabric for your crafting projects, here my mom's secret- head to the children's section of the thrift store first. Why?

1. Clothing in the children's section is smaller than clothing in the women's department. Therefore, patterns are generally smaller, and easier to use for crafty projects and quilting

2. Kids grow quickly! The cycle of clothing in the children's department is much faster than elsewhere in the thrift shop.

3. Children wear much brighter clothes than grown women do. Although women seem to appreciate Lilly's fabric in general, few can pull it off.

4. Kid's clothing is much less expensive than clothing in the ladies department. Although you get less fabric, the projects featured here generally don't/won't use much.

How to get Lilly Pultizer clothing cheap - A tip for hardcore thrifters:

In general, the people pricing the merchandise at the thrift store look out for a few key brands they know will sell at a higher price. Brands that seem to always be priced higher include Talbot's, Tommy Hilfiger, Coach and Coach Knock-offs, and Vera Bradley. However, many times certain quality brands will fall through the cracks. I notice that Fossil, Banana Republic, J. Crew are often missed by thrift store 'pricers' in my area. If you are a habitual thrifter, pay attention to the brands that particular stores mark up (and the ones they seem to miss).