I do not have a big stash at all and I intend to use it as I go along. I have been quilting for 6 or 7 years, on and off. I made one big quilt, I am handquilting my second one which is a lap quilt size and I just finished piecing my third one which is a large one, using leftovers and small pieces of fabrics I bought when I took a quilting class.
I haven't bought fabrics for the last 2 years except to make the borders of the last quilt . That's just the way I was brought up, "do something with what you have"... and I really feel better that way.
I read how some quilters get overwhelmed with bins of scraps and pieces of fabrics they own. I would be paralyzed by it. That's just me and I want to enjoy it, not get controlled by my fabrics. It forces me to get creative I guess!