Newbie from Minnesota
 

Hello all, I'm Shannan and I'm from Cambridge MN (that's about 50 miles north of Minneapolis). During the daytime I'm an eCommerce Manager for a Fortune 100 manufacturing company (think of me when you look at your thermostat). I made my first log cabin quilt top about 8 years ago, and then started a second flannel quilt but somewhere in the middle of it all I got busy, got divorced and got remarried as the years passed by.

I just turned 40 and recently I dug one of my sewing machines out of storage in our basement to repair a few things. I kept thinking about that machine and decided I wanted to try a new quilting project. One day we were out shopping and stopped at a quilt store (just to look) and my husband picked out this GORGEOUS fabric and asked if I could use it to make something... It turns out he's a genius at picking out and coordinating fabrics and he loves that he can be involved in some small way in one of my hobbies (I definitely upgraded with the remarry). So I am starting some seasonal table runners from some fabric that he helps me pick out.

We're working on our unfinished basement and one of the bedrooms will be my craft room (mostly for quilting and knitting stuff). I am just super excited to start building my fabric stash (any suggestions for inexpensive ways to build up fabric stash would be welcome) and have fun with projects.

Welcome from South Dakota -- my suggestion would be to NOT purposely build up your stash -- Just get the fabric you need to complete one quilt at a time. Your stash will build itself with the leftovers. I now have so much fabric in my stash that I no longer buy fabric but try to use up what I have! Unfortunately there are always beautiful new lines of fabric coming out all the time but I won't let myself buy any as I have too much at home!

Hello and welcome from an Iowa girl!

So you want to build a stash? First and foremost buy quality fabric. Discover what kind of sewing/quilting you will be doing--large quilts vs table runners or both. Discover the style of fabric you want to work with--Modern quilt movement or traditional or somewhere in between.

Buying on sale is good, but only if you really like it and it will work with fabrics you already have.

I'm sure others will provide more ideas. Best of luck in pursuing this wonderful hobby.

Welcome from Vermont. Enjoy your hobby with this group and all the info you will add and glean!

Welcome from the Gulf at Corpus Christi, Texas. You can start with some sales and look in your own closets and clothes you just know you won't wear any more. I got new sheets. So when I was them they go right back on my bed. That leaves me with 2 sets of queen size sheets. That is a lot of material. I got tired of the sheets creeping up off the corners. I'm going take the fitted part and turn those into useful stash. The pillow cases and top sheets will become temporary covering for any instance we have guests. So check your own house first. Next check out estate sales for cotton shirts and dresses, blouses. Old flannel shirts, blue jeans. Bonnie Hunter has a video for deboning a shirt. Garage sales, thrift shops. This past summer I went to Salvation Army near home and got 2 denim dresses and a couple pair of 3xl shirts for men and couple pair of men's big and tall jeans for about $20.00. I save the pockets. I don't detach the button strips from the buttons. just a good way to hang on to them. Ask friends if they have any clothes they don't want. I myself am not a fan of shirts with logos but I like the t-shirts for the material. Also kids clothes like the little girls summer cotton dresses are nice sizes of yardage. Ladies cotton patio (Moo Moos)dresses are great for material and cotton robes. Some robes are great for backing also. especially (rare but there)mens flannel robes. Just think of any place for used clothing. Many of the thrift stores have 50% discounts on everything on Saturdays. I'm working on a couple crazy quilts. Found a couple underslips with lacey hems. One underskirt had a hem of 5 inchwide lace and it was on a big girl's slip. Just evry where there is something. Just make sure you wash anything from thrift stores and garage sales immediately when you get home. I don't take any of it in the house. I try to buy those that have no tobacco or perfumed items. They're boogers to clean. But doable wjith vinegar and ammonia and bleach (not all together though). Many tips on laundering fabric onthis board. HAPPY QUILTING!!

GREAT ideas tessagin, I never even thought of recycling old clothing or bedsheets... that's brilliant!! I have found that I get inspired for ideas by fabric so that is really, really helpful!

Welcome from Michigan!:)

:) welcome from se TX

Welcome from western NY and happy quilting :)