When you purchase the same fabric for the same project more than once.

I am working on gathering fabric for a quilting project I am hoping to do in the near future. As I go places I pick up a piece of fabric here and there. Well this morning I thought I would go and see what I have. I have about 20 pieces of fabric in the bin for my project. I start looking at them closely, and 4 pieces I have already previously purchased. So I have 4 duplicates. I guess I must have really liked them. Well a couple are very pretty. But don't you just hate it when that happens? Oh well such is life.

I am just wondering how do y'all do it when you have a large stash, I might have 50 to 100 yards if that in my total stash---including FQ. How do you know what you have when you have shelves and shelves, and totes full of fabric?

Sibyl

I've been known to do that with clothing! Get something new home from the store and when I put it away find out I already have the same thing!

I only purchase fabric for up to 3 projects I have in mind. I have 3 storage bins (1) for each project and when I get a coupon, I decide ahead of time which project I am going to buy for. This way, when everything is purchased, hopefully, I am done with my current project and can start that one which frees up the bin to start purchasing for another project. In addition, I start a "supply sheet" for each project and take a little 1 x 1 square and glue it to the sheet. This way, when I go to the store, I take that sheet with me so I can match it up. :)

I don't know how I do it, but I rarely have duplicates and sometimes I do get more of a certain fabric that I know I already have, but I really like that particular fabric. I also have probably hundreds of sewing patterns and very rarely buy the same pattern, I may have the same pattern but in different sizes.

I buy fabric for projects I see on those free patterns they have in stores if it's something I like HOWEVER the rest of the time I buy fabric just because I like it for future use especially nature type fabrics, solids and such for portrait fabric painting.

Guilty. I too have a pattern that I fell in love with, but in different colors than the ones used for the fabric. They saw Kaffe Fasset in the pattern .... I saw Gothic golds and Jewel tones. So, I've been collecting golds and jewel tones, the Hoffman (or is it Kaufman?) "Valley of the Kings" line really helped me out a lot.

Apparently a REAL lot because I bought a few fabrics that are repeats. And this was just in the matter of a few months.

I'd like to say that I wouldn't have made this mistake if my stash were better organized and visible but ....

I've also bought a book and put it in my stack to read. My "stack" is about 5 books on my bedside table. So if I see the stack every night why have I bought the same book again?

Here's what I do. I go to the dollar store and buy the photo albums for $1.00. The I cut a piece of paper the same size as the 'album'. At the top of the paper I write the collection. Example: Oasis (Moda). Then when I make my first purchase I cut the selvage edge that shows the COLOR not the plain white with numbers about 2 inches long. I then go to the website for the manufacturer and look up the collection. I glue or staple the piece of selvage edge to the paper. Under the fabric I put the item number according to the website along with how many yards that I have purchased. I put it in my purse and I know exactly which ones I've purchased and how much yardage. So far I have 3 pages, 6 per page and 1 page with the directions of yardage needed to make the quilt. I always round up 1/4 yard and if I fussy cut, I round up 1 yard. Hope this is clear as mud. It doesn't weigh alot and I always have it on me. Cheryl

I'm not sure if I've ever bought a repeat. However, when I showed my friend some FQ that I bought the other day, she asked me 'Are you sure you don't already have that one at home?' I haven't made the time to look and see yet. But considering how my fabric is spilling out into an open bookshelf I have, I think it's time I made some rag quilts. I've got a lot of batting already pre-cut into 8" squares for rag quilts!

You could always take a quick look at your stash before you go out. Or you can do what I do on shop hops; bring your materials with you (even if it's just 1" squares of the material that you're planning to have in the quilt)!

That is really a great idea!

Guilty!! At least you know that your fabric choices are consistent.

I have run into so many ladies that either do the plastic page protector or 5x7 card with swatches stapled onto it. I am not that organized. I tend to be a spur of the moment purchaser - and never intending to buy more fabric (but I do lol). I wish I were more organized.