Building a stash
 

Hi,

I would like to hear your thoughts on building a fabric stash for free or fairly cheap. Thanks for sharing.

Well, I don't know about 'free' unless you have access to fabric that is being gifted or about to be thrown in the trash. As for fairly cheap, keep an eye out for sales, check your Goodwill, and check Craig's list.

Don't forget recycling things like shirts and other cotton clothing.

Join a guilting group, they share liberally, fabric, tips, constructive assistance.

If you are into recycling, you can check thrift stores for clothing.
Sign up for promotions at fabric sites: Connecting THreads, Fabric.Com, Thousands of bolts etc. They will alert you of sales.
Also, sign the mailing list at you Local Quilt Shop(s) to hear about their promotions.

As you make projects, your stash will naturally grow. I advise against going out and just randomly buying fabric on sale, unless you have a specific project in mind. The only exception I think is finding light print neutrals, black, white or other solids that you know you can use in future projects. When I first started out, I bought some 'stash' fabric, willy-nilly, many fat quarters and I still have a lot of it, as it just never was 'right' for a project.
Another important factor is your style of quilts, or the types of fabrics/designs you will make. I tend to make more modern, geometric pattern quilts, so florals, calico prints just hardly ever work for me, and some of the earlier fabrics I bought were these because I thought they were pretty. As you get more experience, you will learn your preferences. Now, I buy solid white and black by the bolt on sale, and most solid colors on sale too, as I know I will use them.

Look into anywhere you can buy end of bolts or remnants. At many places these are substantially discounted and over time you will get enough coordinating fabrics to make quilts, not scrappy ones, either. Of course there are always scrappy quilts, too. I'm fond of scrappies myself.

I know someone who buys primarily at thrift shops and also picks up quite a bit via freecycle. She also does a lot of charity sewing and some of those organizations will pass along fabric to her as well. She has developed quite a nice stash this way in a relatively short period of time (2-3 years).

Have patience - the stash will build naturally. Right now just buy for your project. If you're like me you will buy substantially more fabric than you need because one or more - once you get them home - will not be "quite" right and you will venture forth for just one more piece.
Ask me how I know...

I started quilting right before Christmas 6 years ago. When people asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I told them I wanted fabric. When asked for details, I said 2 yards of something purple, cats, daisies, or anything that looked like fun. I got 33 yards of fabric that Christmas, most in two yard pieces, some in three. It was fun for me. True, I still have some of that fabric, but most of it has found a home in a quilt.

Perhaps this idea will be something that interests you.

Dina

I wouldn't try to build a stash. It will grow naturally with your left over fabric from projects. I thought I needed a stash when I first started and hit a lot of sales, but most of that fabric I have never used. I would rather have the space that my stash takes up.

I have accumulated 5 large totes of quilting fabric, mostly at estate sales. I started quilting about a year ago. I live in a large city (Dallas), so there are lots of estate sales. I'm on an email list for one very busy company. There is also a company that catalogs estate sales https://www.estatesales.net/ by zip code. They post photos and lists of what is in the sales. I only go to those that have sewing machines, fabric or quilts. If I have time, I go to any estate sale I pass, because many are not advertised. I go straight to the bedrooms, looking for the fabric. A couple of weeks ago, I bought 36 completed squares of a Dresden plate. It will make a beautiful full size quilt. I paid $15.00 for it. I bought a huge basket of fabric for $10.00, but not all was quilting fabric.

I went to an estate sale yesterday. The lady had been a seamstress. They had a bunch of fabric, plus patterns, sewing machines and trim. The pricing was $6.00 for large, $4.00 for medium and $2.00 for small. I went up front and asked what constituted large, medium and small. I had a two or three yard piece in my hand, and she said that looks like small to me. After looking at the fabric, a sale lady came in there. We were alone in the room and I asked something to the effect, of this is a lot of fabric, you've done it before, when will you start selling for $25.00 per box. She asked what size box, which we talked about and she brought me a box about 18X12X12 and I filled it up and paid $25.00. I got a huge amount of gingham in all sizes and colors + lots of other stuff, including a world map. I think the gingham will make a great card trick quilt by just adding some white and a little solid color.

A few months ago, I bought a quilt kit for a Dresden plate for $5.00. I've bought bags of quilting scraps for $2.00. I bought a quilt kit for a baby quilt yesterday for $4.00.

So that's how I've built my stash inexpensively in a short time.

bkay

I agree with Ifletcher. I have given away a lot of my earlier purchases.....fabric on sale that I thought I needed to grow my stash. I only buy now for a particular project. The left overs go in my stash for scrappy quilts. Why buy fabric that you aren't sure what your plan is? I have told my DD and DGD to please come check out my stash before buying!

I check Craigslist regularly, searching on "fabric" and "quilt" or "quilting." I've come across lots of scores that way.

Like Jeanne S and SuzzyQ have said your stash will build on it's own, so concentrate on one quilt at a time is my suggestion. When I started over 20 years ago I really had no idea what I liked. I went to the fabric store after making a small table topper of 3 safe fabrics (basic blue, pink and white background) and started buying several fabrics just because I liked them. Some of them I still have and they don't excite me anymore so I'm trying to use them up in scrap quilts. Trust us, your stash will grow with just the extra fabrics from the quilts you make one by one. You'll be surprised how quickly this will happen.

You can also do the thrift store thing, but you are still paying for fabric and for me to spend money on fabric I have to really like it/know what I want to do with it these days. I don't shop willy nilly like that because quality does matter if you want to have the quilts you make for others last more than 5 minutes.

I also don't recommend telling people you would love fabric for gifts. My husband and son love to buy me fabric, bless their hearts, but their likes are not always my likes and much of what they have picked out are still sitting in my stash unused. And who says it will go with what I do like and end up buying in spite of their choices for me.

So just find a project you are excited about and buy for that project (adding a little extra if you really love the fabric knowing you will probably use it). Believe me your stash will come.

Mine just grew up all by itself. It happened over lots of years and projects. It was certainly not intentional- In other words I did not say I am going to buy this piece so I can add it to my stash. I rarely buy fabric at full price. I want only first quality fabric and wait for sales. I like estate sales for the best fabric as the least prices. One day I happened onto one that was selling lots of attractive fabric for 50 cents a yard. I bought all they had for about $75. I have very little of it left. I also trade with friends fairly often. From time to time I purge my collection and give things to my guild or a charity effort I admire.

I build kits instead of just accumulating random amounts of fabric. this insures I have enough of a fabric for a project and I don't have fabric that I don't know how to use in a project.

I agree about estate sales. They are wonderful for low prices and can have not only nice quality current (or nearly) fabrics, but they are a good source for vintage fabrics also. Garage sales can be good too. When I go to them, I always ask if they have fabric or sewing machine attachments. It is amazing what comes out of the house when you ask.

I frequently check the newspaper, Craigslist, Thrifty Nickel, and the estate sale websites mentioned in an earlier post. Each community seems to be different in where estate sales and garage sales are most advertised.

The other wonderful source that I have is the guild and charity sewing groups. Not only does fabric come through them, but the friendships that I have made with fellow quilters often results in opportunities for trading and giving each other the fabrics needed for projects.

Instead of asking for fabric as a gift, ask for gift certificates to quilt stores. There are some online places that are very reasonable, like Connecting Threads. All the large quilting sites, like Fabric.com, Fabric Depot, etc, usually have clearance fabrics for good prices too.

I started really building my stash at the point that many Walmart stores were deleting fabric from their inventory. My local store fortunately was not one of those and got lots of fabric from the close outs. It was selling for from $1 - $3 per yard so I stocked up big time. In my inexperience with quilting I did purchase some that was less desirable but it has still been used in scrappy quilts without major problems. Did need to do wider seam on some that raveled easily. And discovered that one melted with too hot an iron. Oops!
But the one thing I learned was that I tend to be drawn to "focus fabrics" and have to remind myself to shop for blenders. I don't use many solids because I prefer the softer, more textured look of blenders.
Also I tend to buy larger quantity than needed for any project I do so there's almost always some left over to use later.

Jeanne is absolutely right--build as you go! If you are looking for free/inexpensive sources of fabric, check out a guild, garage sales, thrift stores, estate sales. Good luck!

Thrift shops and yard sales are the cheapest source. Learn to recognize quality fabric so you don't bring home junk.

For us non_US folks what is an estate sale?

Some people throw away small leftover pieces of fabric so if you know any quilters ask for their leftovers. The site www.equilter.com com sells booty packs which is bolt ends assortment. Ask for quilt fabric for your birthday/christmas gifts.

An estate sale is held when someone has died or moved to a nursing home, etc. It's for selling the remainder of their estate. I love estate sales. Lots of great finds.

An estate sale is a large sale of most items from the home of a deceased person or (generally) one who has gone to a nursing home or to live with family. Estate sales are often run by a family member or sometimes an auctioneer.

I don't know where you live in Nevada but I bought tons of cheap fabric at a thrift store in Las Vegas when I was there several years ago. We have a Savers here that almost gives you the fabric, it's that cheap. My DH is a veteran and they always give him 30% off. As I travel around the country camping, I always stop at thrift stores and buy fabric.

Be careful with what you wish for... LOL. I agree with lfletcher, it will grow naturally. I try to buy fabric for projects at hand but invariably, there is always leftover pieces or you end up switching out a fabric that maybe just didn't fit into your project. Your stash will grow overnight...

[QUOTE=Nerys;7711710
Some people throw away small leftover pieces of fabric so if you know any quilters ask for their leftovers.[/QUOTE]

I've been given piles of leftovers. Most of my friends now know that if it is heading for the dumpster, give it to Mavis. It's so nice to make a scrappy quilt out of other people's stuff. When you are putting it together, you don't have to worry too much about getting two of the same fabrics next to each other.

If I get too much, or don't like some of it, it can be donated to St. Vinnie's or sent in the planes that go to Jamaica. The military needs to train their pilots; they need to learn how to fly a plane that is loaded. So they take things to the missions down there. They take sewing machines and cabinets, bicycles, fabric and lots of other things. The plane leaves from Milwaukee and we have a man near here who gathers stuff together and a semi comes and picks it up and delivers it to the plane.

You can get some of your best buys at an estate sale. Don't forget to check the closets for cotton dresses and shirts and blouses. I've gone to estate and garage sales and often scoop up plus size dresses and big and tall men's clothing. I look in the closets and see fabric on racks that look like shirts and blouses. They may be just what you need. Don't throw away those buttons on the strips. Leave the button strips in tact. They are perfect for the back of a pillow case to a throw pillow.

Have you heard that some fabric is male, and other is female, and they have adolescent hormones? Once you're out of sight and earshot, they party, and then one thing leads to another. Before you know it, there are fabric babies all over the place. Better to "arrange marriages" (buy just for each project) and watch the family grow over time, than to be running a fabric brothel and cotton daycare. :)

Be careful focusing on cost of fabric. It is more important to learn about quality of fabric. Some of the first quilts I made were learning experiences that way. The quality of fabric really matters as you work with it and how it wears.

Everyone is right. The stash grows more quickly than you can imagine. One of my friends swears it breeds in dark places and multiplies.

So true! Thanks for the laugh this morning zozee! :)

Be aware that "stash building" can turn into "shopping" VS actually making quilts. Buy what you need for the quilt you want to make. If it makes you happy buy an extra yard. But remember if you made one quilting using fabric A, how likely is it you will use that same fabric in quilt B??

Like mom-6, I built my stash from WalMart but that's been several years ago when they had a bigger variety. I shopped the remnant bin there and at Joanne's so I was getting pieces 1 yard or less. Look for good blenders, not focus fabrics. And, yes, they do multiply as time goes on and you get caught up in this whole thing! And those kids' prints that are so cute--the kids get older, too, so those baby prints just kinda sit there waiting for a project. Use 'em quickly!

Look at your local Freecycle. There is always fabric available.

I'm really surprised by the number of folks here recommending not buying simply for the sake of building a stash! I never have - have always only bought for projects. I have a very modest stash - mostly just enough to use for test blocks. But that is fine by me as I'm not fond of scrap quilts.

But I'm just surprised by the many responses in this thread simply based on the number of other threads here on QB regarding the various suggested purchases for the specific purpose of building a stash. As well as the many threads regarding the size of some quilters' stash.

Interesting differences.

My stash is made up of mostly fat quarters because I don't have a lot of space and they are so versatile. If I need bigger cuts for a project I get them as I go but get more than I need. I currently have a bureau of crafty items and a couple of the drawers have fabric in them. I also have a fabric bin type thing full of FQ. It suits me just fine. Do you know how much fabric you want in your stash or do you just want a stash? Does that make sense? Hope this helps.

I have a stash room, as in a room full of fabric, and I have learned that having all that fabric, and only being able to make 2-3 quilts a year is just silly. I have been thinning it out, just to see that it all ends up in quilts instead of a second hand store. Neither of my DDs is into sewing, so there is only one niece who sews and she only wants to make kid clothes so far. I read a thread on here about someone having to clean out a quilter's stash after she had passed, and I just don't want to leave that burden on my DDs. I am also beginning to make pillow cases, so some is being up cycled into those. If you have problems getting new fabric to play with and pet, then a huge stash makes sense, but if you are as slow as me, a smaller stash in colors that make you happy, makes sense.

I'm a fan of the remnants bin at my LQS as well as the one at Joann's (just make sure to read the labels on the fabrics at Joann's to make sure you're getting what you want, they also sell home dec and fashion fabrics which may not be suitable for the quilts you want to make).

I like to make scrappy/modern quilts, so remnants suit me just fine. I also buy yardage in blenders, blacks, whites, some solids and some of Paula Nadelstern's fabrics--all of which work well in my type of quilts.

When I'm buying yardage that is not intended for a specific project I tend to look at it in terms of how versatile it is. If I can see it working in a number of different kinds of project or is in a color way that I need, then it might go home with me.

However, you might want to get some quilts under your belt to see what kinds of things you like to make before committing to building a stash.

Rob