mamagrande

Our Guild is having a "treasure hunt sale" next month so today I decided to start the process of destashing.....I didn't realize that I had so much flannel. .I am measuring, folding and selecting what I want to keep, what I want to give, and what I want to sell.

My problem is that I might need it someday. I am taking baby steps and feel uncertain about this process I guess that you could call me a "fabric hoarder"..

I will finish with the flannels tonight and start on regular cotton, batiks, 30's, 108", and scraps. Speaking of scraps How small is too small..??

Is there counseling for people like me. I am in my 70's and I know that I will never use all of this and another thing...I want to buy something new

lfstamper

This board has many members juat like you! I put my give away items in black bags so i don't see it once i decide it can go. Very tiugh to destash so we feel your pain...lol.

AllyStitches

Have you ever checked out the FLYlady? http://flylady.net/ She teaches how to declutter, one step at a time. I've been following her advice on and off for the past 15 years, and it does work. When we moved, I decluttered an entire attic's worth of stuff-- my husband and I joined households, and since we both already had established homes, we had at least double of most things, and all of the extras (which means an entire house worth of stuff) went into the attic. When we moved I got rid of everything, and I've discovered that I'm much happier with fewer things. I've never missed one single thing that I decluttered-- although admittedly I believe memories and feelings are my most important belongings, so I don't rely on tangible items to invoke those things for me. My mother, who is a collector, calls me a "natural minimalist." Now, I have to say, that if you saw my fabric stash, you would argue with her! But lately I've been thinking of going through it and passing along some of the fabrics to a coworker of mine who sews dresses for her nieces. Just haven't gotten to it yet. It's been a busy summer but I am hoping to take some time in the winter months to really declutter my stash and organize things.

Prism99

I feel your pain. We are planning to move next year, so I am having to go through a lot of stuff including fabric. I once gave away all of my whites and blacks, figuring I would never make a white and black quilt, and lived to regret it! So I am careful now.

One thing I have done is purchase clear plastic bins that I like (they have handles that lock the lids in place) so I can actually see what I have. When going through bins, I find there are fabrics I actually don't like anymore; those can go. I have two entire bins of calico, which I no longer really care for (am more into batiks and modern fabrics these days), so I will go through them and get rid of at least half of the calico.

I am getting rid of fabric I don't much care for anymore. I am getting rid of bins of scraps because, over the years, as much as I admire the scrap quilts of other people, I have found that I just don't want to have to deal with all those scraps. I enjoy making quilt tops that are fairly simple and at least partially controlled. I'm sure other quilters will enjoy making something with the scraps; I just feel that I don't have the desire (or the time, or the energy.....).

I have a bin of fat quarters. Discovered the hard way that I don't often use fat quarters in my quilts. I am planning to pull just the pieces that I really like, in the colors I like to use, and will get rid of all those "weirdo" prints and colors I am unlikely to ever want to use.

I think it's fine to keep everything else, especially if it's organized into bins so I can find things. It will be easy for the executor of my estate to donate the bins to worthy causes, since he doesn't quilt! No emotional attachment there. The charities can wait until I don't want it anymore.

My 2 cents worth.....

There were some interesting posts in this thread when I asked about downsizing:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/general...d-t248285.html

Edit: I should add that I'm approaching 70 and aware that I will never be able to use up all the yardage I have. Still, I enjoy having it. Like you, I enjoy buying more too. I've just learned to limit that buying to about 5% of what I used to buy to "build up my stash". I'm much more selective now about what I purchase!

Jennie and Me

I need to declutter everything in the house...except my stash..nope, not gonna do it! Today I told my oldest daughter not to gripe about all of my fabric because it is their inheritance! Sadly though, neither of my daughters nor granddaughters sew. I love my fabric and now that we are living on a very fixed income, I'm really glad that I have as much as I do. If it's no longer my taste in fabric I'll just cut it up for string quilts. It'll work! (And if that makes me a hoarder, I guess I'm in good company!)

ManiacQuilter2

It is hard to de-stash. I did sell on eBay over 5 years ago and i did make a dent. I even try to clean before moving but that was not totally successful. I still have too much. You really have to choose between what you WILL have time to make and what you probably NEVER find time to make and let them go. You might want to make two piles, one for the guild and maybe one for you to sell on eBay or elsewhere. Does you guild have a charity group that you could make some donation for?? Good luck and I do feel your pain. I have drawers FULL of calico prints from the 80s and 90s that I bought when I worked for House of Fabrics !!

squirrelfood

Since I have a very limited income, and TWO hobbies, my stash is never very big. It all fits in one medium plastic tote. So I am not parting with ANY of it!

Nammie to 7

I feel your pain. In cleaning an area I found 30 yards of flannel, bought to make receiving blankets with crocheted edges for babies. Instead of finding a different spot to store the fabric I cut it all to size, serged the edges and over the past year I crocheted the edges of all the blankets. I also found 3 stacks of jeans that I've been saving to make a quilt. Now I am cutting off the pockets, cutting the long french seam (to roll up and use for coasters) and cutting circles out of the fabric. So far I have over 200 circles cut out and the stack of jeans is much smaller. The leftover scraps will be donated for dog beds. It isn't easy to destash -- I've found I really need to concentrate on using up what I have. It takes a long time!

scrappingfaye58

I love scrap quilts... and have accumulated a nice variety of scraps. I have FINALLY gotten over the "what if I want to use this in another quilt???" and JUST USE IT! There will always be more fabric. I agree with the Flylady idea, and looking at fabric and thinking "what the heck was I thinking????" and getting rid of those. One quilter's trash is another's treasure!

toverly

I went thru my stash about 3 weeks ago and got rid of anything that I didn't have a clue how I was going to use. I'm a batiks gal now so my "before batiks" were a little easier to toss. I kept the solids but gave the prints to our Guild's community quilts group. I find that prints "age" and maybe it was something in the design or pattern that means I won't ever put more money into it to make something out of it.