LynnVT- I agree! But SandyinZ4 is right, too- I have a lot of fabric that I've picked up 'just because', and I need to use it. A lot of it has been bought because it will be a great item for my shop, but if I don't actually *MAKE* the item, then the fabric does no good, right? I will still end up buying fabrics to coordinate with some pieces, or for backs to others, but that's the way it works.

That, and I just bought about 8 yards of linen for garb for SCA events coming up... I do more than just quilting, and I'm nutso for it, too! ;)

Understand what your saying. For me, I just have to slow way down on buying. Otherwise I am not only going to be broke (and certainly no help to any LQS store at that point), plus I will be one of those hoarders, buried in fabric. So this is a good thing for many of us.

I think this is a great encouragement to shop stash first. After all why do we have stash if we aren't going to use it! Oh, its to enjoy the eye candy and dream of new projects. All of which ultimately necessitates a trip to the store for that item that we just can't find in said stash.

Wow!! I am soo in this! The price for 1 yd of cotton is totally insane! I have enough stash to out live me. I only buy a fat quarter or 1/4 yd, when I do have to buy. Also check out thrift stores....

Checking out thrift stores just adds to the stash unless you have an immediate need for your 'finds'. IMO, this thread isn't about saving money (though I do need to do that, too), but getting our stashes under control. There are enough quilters not on a fabric moratorium to keep my LQSs in business.

I am one of those hoarders buried in fabric. You fellow buyers have helped keep me from making more purchases. Now help me bless the world with some of my overflow.

Count me in too! If I get more I will need to move out of the sewing room! LOL

What the LQS gets from me is thread; needles; rulers; rotary blades and fabric to complete items from my stash. These I could purchase elsewhere; but choose not to.

I'm on this diet but I visited a guild member's shop for the first time today and bought some sulky petite spools of thread, a beautiful spool of sparkly ribbon floss, needles to use with the floss and a pattern. All of this will be put to good use while I use up more fabric. So I am still shopping locally but just not buying fabric willy-nilly. I'm being more thoughtful and realistic about my purchasing. I am with yarn as well. I certainly have enough for several projects. I bet if we made a map of all of us following this thread, we wouldn't be located in the same area to make a huge impact on LQS.

We don't have a LQS, but we do have a "sewing center". I go to them for some things, but they don't carry much in the way of fabrics. They tend to concentrate more on local embroiders and selling and repairing sewing machines. It takes up probably 2/3 of their shop. They don't carry quilt batting or machines that are more made for quilters than embroidery. Hobby Lobby isn't great here either. I can get what I need to get by there, but if I really want quilting supplies, I have to drive about 40 miles each way to one of 2 different cities in opposite directions to go to Joann. One of those cities has a couple quilt shops, but one of them basically just closed because the owners retired and the new owners are only going to sell machines. If I want something special, I have to order it online or I can drive 100 miles to Atlanta, and hope they have it.

SO GOOD TODAY!! Went to get backing for DGD quilt today....just bought that...my dd actually purchased fabric for me to teach her freinds daughters how to sew---and one found the fabric for her project in my STASH!!