I know the fabric stores are getting thin, but as one also in my mid 40's, Quilters will always find a way !!
Cause no way will the world go nudist... :)

When i see a fabric i like at a good price...i buy! I will find a reason to use it later HAHA. That's why every quilter needs their own room!! Styles may change but the desire to make things from fabric Never will!!! :lol:

When I was working I bought what I wanted when I wanted... HUGE stash... I looked at it as a 'retirement fund.' However... I'm using it now - and I'm in my late 40's. Not sure what I'll be using when I'm 60 or 70, but I'm confident I'll have something!! :)

I'm like Amma too. I only buy when there's a sale. Of course, there are times when I had to buy b/c I need to finish my project.

When our local Joann's closed about 10 yrs ago I used my Christmas bonus check to really stock up on fabric. I look at some of it now and ask "What was I thinking? Did I buy THAT?" Everyone's right-tastes and styles change. Batting, blenders, backing fabrics are always good purchases for future use.

I added to my stash for about 10 years, I have a good sized stash. Being laid off from work almost 1 1/2 yrs ago it has sustained me, and kept me creative. I do not add to it anymore unless I find a great sale. When all those years I was adding to my stash, I would laugh and say this is for when I cann't afford to buy more.... How true those words are..

I buy when it's on sale! I have noticed though that I buy in spurts... like one month, charm packs, the next scraps, then notions etc... I have more than enough to last my lifetime and pass onto my daughter (who is 11 and also building her own stash). My tastes are changing so I keep buying!

I have a healthy stash, too. I've also found that when I go to use something from it, I have to buy coordinating fabric to finish the project. This surprised me at first. Now, I just have to stop thinking that I can make whole quilts just out of stash and feel better about supplementing what I already have. One thing that I have found is that I didn't buy enough yardage of some of the fabrics I really loved. I only got 1 yard pieces instead of getting larger amounts that would work better for me in the long run.

I don't buy fabric much any more unless it's for a specific project. My goal in retirement is to use up most of my stash.

I retired last August. I have a stash of mostly small florals. I have learned that many of the quilts I want to make will require a new purchase. There are so many new fabric designs and color options that my stash don't include. I have also learned that the quality of some of the fabrics are not equal and can not be used together. I am of the old school and will try to make quilts to use what I have. I have also purchased fabric on e-bay to build my stash the past few months. I have gotten a lot of the newer quilt shop pieces. Now I just need to dedicate the time and get them started, and not spend so much time on this board.