I am so happy to peruse this thread and read that other people "pet" their fabric stash.
I do that, and my DH thinks I am completely crazy. So I try to do it after he goes to bed!!!
My stash is scattered everywhere in the house that I can think of. The cupboard, the pantry, the dressers. That way, when I want to find a fabric, I have a good excuse to look at all of it!
One of the stores where I shop pins a little paper slip to the fabric, so every time I go there I remove the pin and go ahead and wash the fabric. That way it only needs to be ironed and cut, when I get an inspiration. I'm afraid the pins they use will rust.