Creating a fabric emporium ?
 

When I look at posted pictures of other's fabric stashes I drool over the coordinated colors, hues, and tones as I look at my single plastic bin that holds my leftover scrapes and I wonder....I wonder how you decide on a project with the fabrics you have on hand? How do you know if you have enough yardage of the fabrics to make the quilt you want?
I tend to buy fabric for a specific quilt pattern in mind any leftovers are placed in the bin. I see beautiful fabrics when I am out but only pat them and walk on by. So when you see a piece of fabric, how much do you buy without a pattern in mind?

There are pros and cons to building a stash. I'm in a con phase. I have a lot of out-of-date fabric, my tastes have changed, and there's so much stash it's hard to find whatever it is I am looking for.

As stated there are some drawbacks to buying without a project in mind. My stash started with blenders and white on white or cream on cream... and then grew from there. The neutrals will somehow always find its way into a quilt.. and they are wonderful to have on hand when purchased at the right price.
If you are content in your quilting process... don't feel compelled to have a stash ... there are plenty of us that have fabric purchase regrets.

i have never really built one for the reasons above. the few times i have fallen for and purchased a single fabric outside a project need are, for the most part, sitting in my fabric cupboard waiting for a miracle :)

colourways change too, so even if you still like the fabric, it gets harder to find complimentary pieces. lots of reasons for and against, for sure.

aileen

Well, I have way too much fabric, and recently purchased 11 tubs off of Craigslist. I've given at least 4 tubs of it away to a SR center in an very poor area of my state. The tubs contained fabric that wasn't my taste or was crafting tools, supplies and patterns that I will never use.

A lot of it is Christmas fabric, so some of that will eventually find a new home, too. Red White and blue I intend to uses for Quilts of Valor, and donated some of that to the QOV rep in my area.

I do use my stash for making quilts. It kind of works like this: I'm rummaging throught the fabric to find one that will work with a quilt I'm already making. One of the fabrics I'm rummaging through suddenly inspires me, and I continue the hunt, but look for the 'right' fabric for two quilts.

I also use my fabrics for backings and to supplement fabrics for charity quilts given to me by my guilds.

As for fabric being out of date, 'out of date' to one person is 'vintage' to another. I use it when it works with other fabrics in a quilt that is under construction.

I am like nanny I don't have a big stash, just leftovers from quilts i have made. I was just looking at the thread on how do you store your stash and was amazed at the fabric some of you have. Wish I could do that. How much yardage do you buy at a time?

My stash consists of leftovers as well. I need to have a pattern in mind before I can come up with fabric choices. Plus, I just don't have room to have a stash. I think it's wonderful that people can work that way but not me. And don't ask me what I'll end up doing with the leftovers. Some I've given to folks looking for certain things; I've repairs quilts with them and the like. I'm not into scrappy quilts. I'll figure it out one of these days.

i have an absurdly huge stash.
it has all but taken over.

the upside is that i can always find something to use in a quilt.
the downside is that - despite all i have already - i can't always find everything i need for a particular quilt.
that means a shopping trip in search of something for that quilt.
which can lead to leaving with more impulse purchases.

i'm getting better, though.
i now consider a trip a success if i walk out either only with what i needed that day for a specific project, or empty handed.

my goal this year is to shop my stash exclusively.

wish me luck. LOL

Maybe we should wish you self-control instead. Luck doesn't have much to do with it, does it?

Anyway, I think those of us that have fabric and can walk in a fabric store to buy more should be grateful for our problem--it means that 1. we have health to go shopping 2. money with which to buy fabric (or an internet connection and money to pay for it.).

Remember that thread is aimed at people with significant storage - those of us with a single box of fabric have no motivation to respond in that thread.
I only buy for projects. Now since I like the scrappy look I tend to get lots of 1/2 yd cuts and have some left over, but I try to use the same fabric in a few projects. I only let myself buy 2 projects ahead - that gives me a reasonable time to collect the fabrics but not overbuy. I live in a small condo and do all my sewing in the dining room so I have to have tight constraints on fabric I bring home.