I went on the fabric wagon in October 2001. It was all part of doing FlyLady, and a huge wake up call about how much I was mindlessly spending. Our future actually, not to put too fine a point on it.
In the beginning when I needed to go in a quilt shop for spray baste or a ruler the smell of the fabric was overwhelming, the need to fondle and buy showed me what an addiction it was.
One thing I read in Mary Hunt's book Debt Proof Living really stuck with me and it applies to dish soap, books, fabric, everything. "You haven't bought something on sale unless you put what you actually saved in your savings account on the way home. Otherwise, you've simply spent money." Truer words were never spoken...
Families don't have a clue what to do with stash when it comes to an estate. They will give it away or sell it in a garage sale for .50 cents a pound.
fortunately I've always loved what I bought so using my stash is a pleasure. It is also a growth experience because once you decide to make your fabric work your quilts get a Whole lot more interesting. For my backs I use fairly simple patterns but they are all pieced too. Makes double sided quilts, 2 for the price of 1, and with the simpler backs the quilting is featured when that side is up.
Keep up the good work!