JulieW8

Pretty much #1, with qualifier: I want to see it first. However, if I see enough "good" stuff, I'll take whatever is being offered. I find a willingness to do that generates more generosity and word-of-mouth ("oh, I know someone!) that has resulted in some primo stuff. And I can take stuff to the thrift shop as easily as the giver can! (I always ask if they mind and nobody does - they just want to get rid of it.) If I don't see anything redeemable, or enough redeemable stuff, then I pass completely.

Never #2 or #3.

I recently took a bunch of fabric squares a friend offered (she doesn't quilt, they were from one of her relatives). Turned out to be oooh... hundreds... of squares cut to 1-1/2, 2-1/2, 3-1/2 and 4-1/2 inches, as well as quite a few 4-patch block UFOs. Would I have rather had yardage? Absolutely. But I have lots of miniature quilt patterns and I've already sewn up several miniature quilt tops, and converted the "lonely" 4-patch blocks into mug rugs. But the capper was 2 bags of denim scraps of decent size. Because she's not a quilter, she was going to give it to the thrift shop, but I pounced on it and said thank-you-very-much!

I feel it's worth my time to sort through everything to find what I want to keep, then get rid of the rest. And at some point, I will probably hit my limit on those tiny, tiny squares and they'll go, as well.