Rhondals

I don't have much of a stash or scraps. So I need to order or buy my fabric for any quilt, for the most part. So I've been grabbing flash sales and going to the FabricRecycle store in town. I've only made one quilt, several wall hangings and will be finishing the top of a large one as soon as I get the fabrics, which is ordered.

My mom sews and was floored at the prices of the quilt fabric, which is why I like the sales. But I'm fabric picky, Moda, Kona, etc. Am I being picky? Some of the cotton at commercial fabric stores feels like paper, or sand paper.

How do you handle building up a stash? Do you just order what you need? Or do you already have it?

Gail B

Most of us started building our stash with leftovers from quilting projects. Over time you slowly build your stash by purchasing a little more fabric than you actually need for a project. Sometimes you can find excellent fabric at yard or estate sales.

joe'smom

We had this discussion recently on the same topic; lots of different perspectives!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...t254890-7.html

Sewnoma

I didn't build my stash with any sort of deliberation, I just would buy things that I liked (especially if they were on sale). Then I started getting more purposeful when I realized my stash was full of totally random things. Now I try to keep in mind where my stash is "weak" - lately I've been watching out for good deals on blenders in general and white-on-white and white-on-cream in particular. I also have a list a mile long of quilts I want to make, and for some of those I have begun accumulating fabrics. Like I want to do a "skyscraper" quilt, so I've started accumulating fabrics in various shades of grey that have textures that I think might work for a part of a building.

I also buy fabrics on vacation - when I was in Hawaii I bought enough Hawaiian prints to make two quilts. I haven't made them YET and that trip was over a year ago, so they're languishing in my stash until I get around to them.

The best/worst is when I go on a road trip. Then I want to hit every fabric store along the route, and I want to buy *something* at each store. I try to pick a theme so the fabrics "go" together but I'll buy whatever pushes my buttons. I rent on a road trip to Oregon not long ago (to see the Sisters outdoor quilt show) and I bought a ridiculous amount of fabric on that trip, much of it featured birds or celestial themes. So I sort of stuck to a theme but I bought a lot more too.

Right now I'm actually to a point where I have zero desire to add more to my stash. I still do, if I see something I just "can't resist", but I'm not seeking to stash build anymore. Now I need to knuckle down and trap some of these quilts that are flittering around in my head in some fabric! But before that, I have 4 quilts to make for Christmas, and that's coming much faster than I am prepared for!

quilt1950

It just happened. I buy a little extra, just in case I make an error. I've bought a few fabrics that I thought would work, but decided I didn't like, so into the stash they went. Then I inherited fabric from my Mom and MIL. Then people started giving me fabric. Now I have more than I want. True, it's not all LQS quality fabric, but it's nice. 2015 is going to be a stash buster year. I'm going to make charity quilts, to try to get rid of some of the fabric.

For whatever reason, I cannot buy fabric just because I like it. Everything I have purchased has had an intended use, although some of it just didn't work out.

NJ Quilter

I don't maintain a 'stash' per se. I do have leftovers from previous projects. I don't have room for a stash to begin with. Beyond that, as many other folks have mentioned in other threads on the subject, I'm sure my tastes will change over time as well as, if I buy x amount of something and decide later on that it would be just the perfect fabric for 'this' quilt, will I have enough for that purpose??? Just what I do.

tessagin

I usually by an extra 1/2 yard because of shrinkage and faux pas. I also hit the estate sales and when DH is done with his jeans and shirts I keep them. Estate sales are great for stash build also. I've purchased flannel receiving blankets for backing and or batting for when I'm going to finish quilts for family up north. Found a xxxl cotton slip with lace trim. $.50. 100% cotton. Am about to get new sheets. The pillowcases are great for when you need to pre wash certain items. Noting wrong with being picky, especially if you like to work with it. The project depends on what I'm going to use as with others.

Havplenty

Coming from someone who had so much fabric that I needed to give a lot of it away to different organizations and women at my church. I worked in fabric stores for years. Even now I feel like I have a lot of fabric still that I may never get to sew through all of it. I would buy what I like with no project in mind. Doing this you end up with a lot of fabrics that are not being used and just stored. I am finding now that I want to upgrade my fabric stash to more modern prints so what to do with my current collection? I started making pillowcases (to donate) and scrappy quilts to use up these older fabrics.

I would say that how you build your stash will depend on what type of quilter you are. Either you will buy for projects or buy by collections or buy what you like. Think about what you want your quilting journey to be and plan your stash building well so that you do not end up with a bunch of unused, hoarded fabrics.

There are lots of online places to buy fabric on sale if you cannot find it at shops near you. I buy most of my fabric on sale or at significantly discounted prices. I have also scored some treasures from estate sales or destashing sales of other quilters that I find on Craigslist. Craftsy often has some great clearance sales on fabric bundles. Try some of the different stash building methods mentioned to see what works best for you. This may be the best way to find what will work for you.

newbee3

left overs from quilting projects and I check out the thrift stores I can there feel the fabric and it is really cheap

Boston1954

I started quilting in 1992, back when fabric was about $5 or 6 a yard. I would get quarter yards. I have never bought for a specific project, but just because I like something. Lots of variety in my sewing room.