Fabric
Only 100% cotton. Not sure please don't use it.
I have been quilting for almost 3 years and until last year I really had no "Stash"...well I am happy to say that statement is not true anymore.
Most of my "stash" came free to me! Yeah I like free. In my area we have a site called Ecycle...you can post on line for free, items that you want to give away or that you need...the only catch is it has to be completely free. So I posted that I need quilters leftover cotton fabric that they did not need anymore....I had a great response. I picked up fabric from 7 people (gave them each a jar of homemade Strawberry Jam) went home with my fabric and washed them all....lots of fabric. Luckily it was a beautiful summer day and so I hung it all out in the sunshine to dry. I was so excited you would think I won the lottery (you know you are thinking it ..I won the fabric lottery) Actually one person gave me 100 fat quarters!!! yep she said that a friend was moving and getting rid of it she took it and then did not do anything with it...so she gave it to me(happy dance on that one).
So check locally if you are in need of fabric...you probably have a local ecycle too.
Another place to find
FREE fabric is your local quilt shop...mine has a basket that their patrons put fabric they don't need anymore and it is a free-for-all...take what you want. Of course when I am there I gotta buy some fabric. Support your local quilt shop.
One more place for FREE fabric...
join a local quilt group...I started quilting to spend more time with my mom (she is 85 and still quilting) the ladies at our quilt group save me their scraps...they have LOVELY fabric! Besides I love going to quilt with the ladies.
Whenever I make a project I always cut my leftover fabric into squares instead of putting the fabric away as stash. (unless it is really large) I cut it into different size squares .....2.5" (of course) 5" and 2.5"x5". This makes putting a project together so much easier and quick.
Also each package of 50 must have 50 unique fabrics BUT all 30 packages do not have to be the same (or they can) that part does not matter. so use your scraps...that is why you saved them.
You do not have to have all 30 packages (I know we have 31 people but you all need 30 packages) ready to go in the next few weeks.....that is the really nice part of this swap, just make sure you have a month or two ready to go...just incase life happens.
Sorry this is so long..........
Barb