I need a stash.. :-)
 

I know a lot of you ladies have posted about not needing to buy anything for awhile but I am in the other boat. I need some good quality material that I can have on hand for when I get that urge to sew something and can just start it. I have not bought any new material since last April. I am making a queen size quilt for my son, Long story but I have changed the pattern and have not finished it yet, ( but will soon. ) I promised him. So anyway, back to my post. I wanted to make something for my daughters boyfriends mom. Just something quick and easy. I had started a table runner last year for myself but did not finish it. It ended up being a scrappy because I had to use left over material from other projects and did not have enough of 2 kind that I really wanted to finish it off with. Then I had to go buy a yard so I can back it. If I had a stash it would be done. I found a quilt store just 5 min from my house. OH NO I THINK I AM IN TROUBLE.... I am so excited I know my hubby bought me something from there and I asked for a long arm class so I could use there long arm machine to quilt my quilts on. I am giddy with excitement now. Opps just realized the time. Got to go and take the girls for haircuts. Beth

When I am shopping, I just look around the store and if I find something I like I buy a few yards. I have so much fabric now, when I want to start a quilt, I just go to the quilt store that is my house. Trust me, you will soon have a stash as well.

When making a quilt I always buy a least a yard more. Just in case. And to add to my stash if not needed

When I go to a quilt shop or fabric store I buy fabric if I need it or not. The first thing I bought when I started quilting was stash.

When I buy what I need for a project, or when I am just in the fabric store, I always check out what is in their sale section. Most stores keep a section of FQs on sale just for shoppers like me. I pick up a couple of FQs in the color family that I prefer from the sale section, or a yard or so from the sale section for my stash. I try never to buy stash at regular price.

The origins of my stash are some cute cottons I bought when making pinafores for my daughters. I think they mated and multiplied over the years. Gosh - does anyone still know what a pinafore is?

I have a Stash of all Stashes...I can't stop buying material! I personally love '30s style quilts and have bought fabric from all sorts of places...I got a box of feedsacks once at a house sale. The box was in the corner of the attic just waiting for me, my car stops at garage sales, church sales are another great place to check. I watch for sales at the LQS and one is coming after Christmas...I have the card on my bullitin board, gas in the car and I am ready to go! Believe me it won't be long before not having a stash will be a memory!

I can't get out of a store that sells fabric without a yard of two of something. I always buy extra when buying for a quilt so I will be sure not to run out. Now to my DD's delight I have more fabric than I will ever use. It will all go to her.

I have such a big stash that my sewing room is bulging!! But I buy fabric lines. I buy fat quarter bundles and a few yards of a couple of the fabrics I like so I can make sashings and borders. I buy layer cakes and jelly rolls and charms and and few yards of some of the fabrics so I can make sashings and borders to finish a quilt. I have lots of fabric lines. Then I am the queen of quilt kits. I, personally, love quilt kits. I always have more than enough fabric in the kits to make my quilt. I always am able to add to my stash with my leftovers. Either I buy kits from magazines or LQS or I go to a LQS and see a quilt on a wall and ask the gal behind the counter to help me find the fabric from the quilt I like to make up a kit for it.

See, I'm not great with choosing fabrics. I've done it and have been disappointed many times. I just don't have an eye for it. But there is help out there in the shape of a quilt kit or a quilt already made or a shop employee and I take full advantage of that. I still give it a try every now and again and try my hand at putting together a quilt, but I still fall short. But with my fabric lines I do all right. I can make a quilt with those just fine.

I got my stash started two Christmas's ago. I told everyone who asked that they could buy me 2 or 3 yards of fabric for Christmas. I ended up with 37 yards of fabric!! And I liked all of it. My friends either bought colors they know I like or fabric with cats on it. I felt like a queen, surveying all my new fabric!! Most of it I have used up, but it was a nice way to start a stash. :)

Dina