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

I usually buy my fabric from JoAnns or Connecting Threads when it's on sale. I have built up quite a nice collection of fabric in the last 2 years just by buying extra yardage when doing a project or getting sale fabric that I like. Have fun shopping.

i didn't start stashing fabric on purpose! honest!

Check out items for sale on the board - there are lots of beautiful fabrics for sale here that are very inexpensive. Should help build your stash!

I'm on a very tight budget. I'm also into very scrappy quilts thanks to Bonnie Hunter. What I've been doing lately is buying 1/4 to 1/3 yard pieces. It gives me the variety of strips I need for a project and adds to my stash plus gives me that happy feeling buying quilt fabric brings, lol. :-)

One thing I've learned over the years, however, is not to buy fabric simply because it seems like a good buy. I've got some OK stuff from at least 15 years ago that I thought I SHOULD buy because it was a good deal and I might use it someday. Seems rather obvious but when I was first getting started I thought I had to build this all encompassing stash. So my advice is start small, take your time, and have fun!

Over ten years ago, there was a lady in one of my classes who said she buys ten yards of each fabric she gets. A couple years later, I came across her and asked if she was still doing that. She replied she now buys five yards. With the current cost of fabrics nowadays, I wonder how she is doing. Haven't seen her in ages, smile.

A stash is not something that happens over night. I don't think anyone here just went out and bought enough fabric to constitute a stash. A stash happens gradually. Whenever you buy for a project , buy some extra for a stash. When you go on vacation find the nearest quilt shop and buy some fabric you like. Shop your LQS and buy a few yards for your stash. Pretty soon, you'll have a stash. Don't buy too much to keep on hand as Im sure your tastes will change over time. I only buy what I really, really like and there are some fabrics in my stash that I will never use up because I just don't care for them any more. I'll never get rid of them as they are part of "my stash."

Oh, that's a very good idea!!!

Oh you lucky duck, I hope you get your long arm class! Do share pictures! :) When I first started sewing I remember thinking my stash was so pitiful! I still don't have TONS of fabric...I really use my stash! I used to buy fat quarters and half yards when I was really into a scrappy look. Lately I've been into more, controlled scrappy. So I've started buying two to three yeards of fabric. I have TONS of small pieces but just like you I don't have a lot of backings sitting around. So I'm building my back stash!!! I figure if I have at least two yards of something I can pieced together a back or if I have a big quilt match it up with another two yard cut.

Watch for yard and estate sales. Check thrift stores often. Never can tell what you will find.

our LQS has a clearance room. I always hit it first for 1/2 price fats and yardage. Another think I do to add to my stash is hit the online sales with a girlfriend. We pick out a variety of pieces we like, get 1/2 yard of each, and buy enough to qualify for free shipping When the box arrives, we cut the 1/2's in fat quarters so we have a nice selection.

I don't have a stash either, since I'm a fairly new quilter- but I have a BIG stash of clothing fabric. I have been just buying for my project so far, with funds tight, but if I see something outstanding I grab it. I try to take a lot of classes at my Guild, and they always refer to just grabbing this and that from your stash, and I have to go buy it for just a small amount. I guess I need to keep stocking up on FQ's, too. I try to buy Batiks to have since they are so versible. Put them on your B-day and Christmas list!!!

My BFF is an enabler, no FQ is ever overlooked, or a yard or 2 added to the original amount needed. Guilt free when he's along! (his eye for fabric selection is much better than mine) Enjoy your class!

My stash was started over 30 years ago. Time is the answer in collecting anything. My hint though is ALWAYS check out the remnants! Because I am a scrapper this works really well for me. I hardly ever purchase more than a yard at a time - it has to be for a particular project if I do. Rems also add to the variety you will have on hand. Things that you would never pick (as yardage) are often exactly right!

Me too, I remember buying two or three clearance kits at a time, if I liked the fabric. Then I would put the kits apart and put the fabrics on the shelf by color. I would leave the extra patterns at quilt club meetings.

Great idea!!

I agree with Lizzytish, I always buy a little extra "just in case", but I also find myself buying the fabric that jumps into my cart or arms,as the case may be. The best deals came from a quilt shop where they cut the price of the regular fabric to $2.99 to clear it out to make way for new fabric. I got some great deals, and I tried to pick up enough yardage for backings; although one fabric in particular decided that she should have top billing and became the focus fabric for a queen size raffle quilt for my church, and it made quite a bit of money that year.

I do know what a pinafore is, but my DDIL didn't, when I told her I wanted to make my DGD Zoe's Christmas dress with a pinafore, she asked what a pinafore was, so I have to make the pinafore for the dress to show her.

What a great Christmas gift - fabric.

When I first began quilting, I worked on my stash faithfully. At first, I picked an area at a time-novelties, baby fabrics, 1930s, Civil War, florals, solids and textures, black, white and cream tone on tone. Then I started on Christmas, Autumn, Halloween, Red and White, Black and White, etc. I watch for fabrics on sale to buy "quilting sets." Like someone else said, I try to work within a suite of primary fabrics of one line for quilts. I can add solids and textures later.
When buying fabric yardage, I usually buy 3-4 yards of the primary design. If I think it will be used for a small project; 1-1/2 yards. Solids and tone on tone-2-3 yards, sometimes more if the price is fantastic.
This was so hard for me in the beginning because I had no concept of how much yardage would be needed for anything! It's getting easier now than I sew more often.

I love the idea of asking for fabric for Christmas, etc.

One way to get some very low priced stash is to go to thrift shops (such as Goodwill) and look for good quality, 100 % cotton men's shirts and cut them up along the seams. You can get the equivalent of 1 to 2 yards of fabric from a large to an extra large shirt, depending on the cut, short sleeves or long sleeves, or the size.

You can also look for woman's large cotton shirts or dresses to use also.

Our Goodwill has items on sale half price after they have been there for a certain number of weeks, and on sale for 75% off the next week. I usually wait for shirts to go on the 75% off sale and get them for 75 cents or a dollar. Can't beat those prices.

As an extra bonus, I also keep all of the buttons that come off the shirts and build up a great button stash!

It's easy to build up a stash. Just buy fabric! That's not a sarcastic answer to your problem. It's what all of us have done to build our stash. And it's why I've declared a moratorium on buying more fabric. I spend the winter in AZ and have a stash here. I spend the rest of the year in CT and have a stast there. I bought all of my fabric before the price of cotton shot through the roof. Now, I confine my buying to jelly rolls when they're on sale.

you have several great quilt shops in san antonio. i love to shop there, and will be going there next week to deliver a "cancer quilt" to a friend of mine. It is made from a panel of "cancer cannot...." and set together with batiks.
sorry about no caps. i have a cast on my right hand.
i do not need fabric. i could go to my stash and make several quilts! but it is so much fun to shop in a quilt shop or at hobby lobby! your stash will multiply before you know it.

Quiltingfan, this is a good time of year to shop sales, most LQS will sell in order to reduce inventories for this year. Have fun, buy what you like!

oh heck just break the cycle and go on a whim and buy a 1/2 yard of 20 materials and who knows what you will come up with !LOL

I made them for my daughter when she was little and one for her doll. They would have matching dress and pinafores. It was so cute. Long time ago now, she is 34.

So sorry about your arm. I hope it gets to feeling better soon. :-)

Thanks every one for the advice. I don't really have a big room for a big stash but I am going to be working on putting it out so that I can see it. I have my leftover and the little bit that I have bought in bins so now I don't know what I have and don't have or can't find it if I have it. Oh well something to do in my spare time. haha. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and spends it anyway they want to. Beth

Quiltingfan, please don't do what I did when building my stash, make sure to buy some very light and very darks. Most quilters make the mistake of not buying enough of these values. Alas, when I want to start a project from my stash I have to go to the store and buy both of these. Maybe that is not such a bad thing, just aggravating to not have them on hand.

Most of the quilts my great-grandmother and grandmother made were from old shirts, dresses, and leftover fabric from making new clothing. We have used these quilts for over 50 years!! Some are now "retired," but kept on display.