In shock!

I'm in shock!  I'm working on 3 wallhangings at the moment, each approx 50cm wide by 150cm drop.  The last time I did hangings I used an old sheet which I hand dyed as the backing and some curtain interlining which was a remnant from my soft furnishing days as the wadding.  Admittedly the finished hangings weighed a ton & I did have difficulty getting them under my machine but they looked great.  I thought this time I'd do the job 'properly' and this morning popped to a quilting shop to buy wadding and since I didn't have a sheet knocking about I thought I'd treat myself to calico for the backing.  I had £20 in my purse....haha....£44 it cost me!  I don't think I spend that much on my recycled fabric all year!  And it's not even as if any of that £44 cloth will be seen!

I don't think I can bring myself to use the calico.  I promptly went next door to a charity shop and bought a king size cotton sheet for £1.50 which is more than enough to back the 3 hangings.  How do people afford to quilt as a hobby?  This is not how the tradition was born...the Gees Bend quilters had nothing but worn work clothes and look at the stunning quilts they produced.  I feel like I compromised my values in my haste to finish my work & that doesn't sit well with me, naughty Madame Jacqueline!