I am in good company- I have plenty of stash enough for more than one lifetime- have decided not to buy anything I don't absolutely need and also use some as backings that are pieced. I love scrap quilting and crumb quilting- (which is what gets me into trouble, cause I don't throw it until it can't be used)...the crumbs go in the doggie bed.

If anyone is looking for a place to unload some material. I would be interested, I am helping with a couple of charity quilts. One is are for a single lady with 2 children. With being out of work she is having a hard time making her house payments. One is for our guild. Also we help make pillow cases for children hospitalized with cancer. A shop owner gave me a really good look when I told her I was needing several pieces of only 1/4 yard each. Although I would be needing 112 different ones. It was like she thought I was kidding. So now when I go in she always asks in a joking way have I built up a stash yet. I am new to quilting and have not built it up quit yet. It did help when I was finally able to hit a yard sale and picked up a few pieces. I would be willing to pay postage if anyone is looking for a place to donate any. :) cstucke_1

I am guilty too and yes sometimes I hate cutting the ones I like the best. I donated 3 of those green garbage bags full to the Senior Center. They have a group that does charity quilts. It felt so good to let it go. I also gave them all my Coats and Clark thread as it isn't recommended for my machine. They were thrilled to get it.

Have been better but still seem to buy on occasion. Such a sickness!

I've stopped buying fabric, too, even though I'm sure I have much less than many quilters...and many on this board. I've realized that having too much fabric depresses me; I feel like I'm not working fast enough to turn it into something, and that takes all the fun out of what is essentially, for me, anyway, a hobby and pastime.

Besides storing the stuff gets to be a nightmare if you don't have a dedicated sewing room....which I don't.

Actually, just had this conversation last week with my daughter "If I quilted most of the day, every day, for the rest of my life, I'd never use all this material". Just gotta decide which is the best...and donate the rest. You are not alone!

I think we have the same dream. I also dream of being like Bewitched and wish I could just wiggle my nose and all of my housecleaning, laundry and everything else that takes time from my quilting would be done. I too have wayyyy to much fabric, and have only purchased in the last year or so something that I really need to finish a quilt, because I don't have that in my stash and have to travel so far to buy fabric. It's a good thing I don't get to Hancock's, Hobby Lobby or a quilt shop too often now. When WalMart here closed their fab. dept. we were all depressed, as that was the only place to purchase fab. within 90 miles from us. My quilting group and I really bought a lot when everything went on their big sale. I am also a recipient of loads of fabric, some I don't really need and some I really love. I have given away a lot that one person gave me, I just would never have used it. I will probably never use what I have in my lifetime left, however long that is, but I love pretty fabric and beautiful patterns. I only wish I had time to make all of the beautiful patterns I have collected. I am thinking that when the 4 quilts I need to get made for some special people are made, I will do a lot more for charity. I still have a few I really want to make for myself, as a just because quilt, using special fabric. Boy if we all lived near each other and went together, what a fabric store we could open. I could probably open a small one with just my fabric.

I am orginizing my stash. There are so many good places to donate our over flow. James Sisters makes quilts for every one male, female and children here in Ohio. Then Lionises quilts for critical ill children at children's hospital. Habitat for Humanity for rebuilt homes for low income families. Quilts of Valour for wounded soldiers. Then I have a church quilting group that gives other sewing groups fabric that isn't used in quilts. Finally my guilds(3) have a garage sale they raise money for our rent and speakers. Lastly my friends. I know my children will have first dibs.

Then I am down sizing my machines too. I gave 3 away last year and am working on another 3 this year. I would like treadle , FW, 301, 401, Diamond, 644 Juki, and 454 Elna. Plus one Viking, 2 singers and another Viking are going to children or co workers in need.

I prefer to look at myself as an investor in fabrics :D! I do have a stash I probably will never use up in my life time, but several months ago I stopped buying just because I liked the fabric. Now I "shop" in my stash first before buying fabrics for a specific project. Most of the time I have been able to "cash in" my investments. How satisfying!

Yup...We need an AA for fabraholics.....

Ok I'm a member of this group too. Moved all my CONTAINERS of fab into emply bedroom that I refer to as my fabric room...no room for the sewing machine. I really embarrased myself looking at all that fabric. Only goona buy batting and thread at JAs. Need to start sewing for charities again.

But what do I do? JAs sent me a birthday card...20% off my entire purchase in August!!! I think I need someone to go with me so I DONT take a cart....but what if the fabric is on sale...ohhhh that's a savings...oohhhhhh

Put it up on the quilt board in the offers/For Sale/or give aways. Someone on the board must surely need fabrics especially those that are new or those that just can't afford to buy the QS prices. Especially those on a fixed budget.
I too have way too much and I am going to be concentrating on scrap quilting using the Bonnie Hunter Scrap Users System. Good luck with your cleaning out.
Pat

Yes, I feel the same way. Enough is (mostly) enough. Believe I've bought a lot of my fabric just for immediate gratification or because it was on sale. If I made a king quilt top once a week for the rest of my life, I wouldn't get through all that I've hoarded. I now have so much in my stash that I actually feel overwhelmed when I'm pawing through it, determining what I might use for the latest project. Never thought I'd say it, but if feels like too much of a good thing. I probably haven't bought 5 additional yards this year.

singersewer, are we sisters? I feel that way too and I an NOT going to quit buying fabric....some people play golf, some take pictures and I buy fabric

I am determined not to let fabric overrun my sewing space, so am cautious as to what I buy. One thing that I remind myself of all the time. Sales come around constantly - there is no pressure to buy now, even though that is what the marketing dept is trying to sell us. For the first time, I bought a fabric collection just because I loved it without having a pattern in mind. That is a slippery slope that I don't want to fall down into so I will be on the hunt for a project so that this fabric doesn't just take up residence in my house indefinitely.

I am definitely trying to use up what I have on hand and not purchase much more. Sometimes I am successful; sometimes, not. Lately when going to quilt shows, where there are wonderful vendors, I have resisted and only bought patterns. Good thing I am from a large family and babies are always being born - been turning out quite a few baby quilts this year. Also my MIL asked me to make lap quilts for the granddaughters for Christmas. It was fun buying the fabric for that and it was on her dollar!!!

I am a collector of things. I did cut down on the Lladro and Swarovski but substituted fabric for them. I now have over 1500 yards of material and I really, really need to stop. I will die before I use it all! I have it in my will to go to a local charity-I did clear it with them before I did this.
Now to go upstairs and cut and sew!!!

We are all members of this board and share the same trait- we love fabric! I have been collecting it for fifty years and yes I have a lot but I refuse to feel guilty about it. I use it and enjoy it and turn out some pretty neat gifts. It has always been my sanity saver and was much cheaper than cigarettes, gambling or alcohol. Much of it was given to me or picked up very inexpensively at garage or rumage sales or in the $2 a yard tent at Len's. I have it corralled in large stacked Rubbermaid bins and frequently sort and rearrange it as I use it. I also share it and make numerous donation quilts. Will I ever use it all? Who knows but my daughters know what to do if I am ever not able to sew. They are to take anything they want and give the rest to my quilt guild. Our guild recently sold off Joan"s stash after she passed and raised $16000 to go to a cancer centre and to be used for some guild projects. I think that there are a lot of worse things than being a "fabric collector" (sounds better than a hoarder).

Hoarding is so much, and there so much lovely material out there.Started quilting six months ago. I think I got a lot hoarding to do:)

Confirmed fabric-aholic seeking 12 step treatment program
(or a biiig storage building...:p) for my quilter's disorder:
S.A.B.L.E. - "Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy" :D

I saw a pendant, which i am thinking of purchasing, that said "i have a fabric problem". Just to help me remember.

i have destashed some books, kits and notions to others that are newbies to quilting. That always feels like a productive way of utilizing what i call blessings. But then i later seem to have more blessings returned to me. It is a cycle that goes and comes around.

I have only been quilting for less than a year and I can see how one can collect fabric quickly. I have emails coming in announcing sales, on trips to fabric store I see fabric I have to stop myself from buying. I only buy fabric for the quilt I am working on at that time. Unless it's white or another color I always am in need of.

Maminstl: If you go to the site of the fabric name brand, they frequently have quilts they have designed using their line.
Postal Mama: I qualify for SABLE. May I join?
Fun thread. Ever notice when we start talking "stash" its one of the most popular threads? Some people talk about their children the way we talk about our "collection".
Just got to thinking, what is a pack of cigarettes going for now? Say $5 a pack. If I was a two pack a day smoker, thats $3,650 a year or $304 dollars a month. Never spent that much for fabric in even my most extravagant month. Feel much better now, still going to stick to my fabric moratorium though.

Emma, it' the Winters Tale collection, and they actually don't have one - at least not yet! I'll be keeping my eyes open though.

I was force to cut back when I had to put mine in storage. I decided that since I had to store it I had no business buying more fabric. Storage has many other things besides fabric but now I am forced to finish UFO's, if i can get in and find it. My goal now is to go to the storage with two bins one for keeping and one to get rid of. Pray for me.

My son calls me an organized hoarder, because I know where everything is even though I have tons. I still buy it anywhere I can get it. Fabric is so comforting to me, but have started getting a little bit more choosy and I can even go to the fabric store and walk out with nothing sometimes!

Oh yeah! I have more fabric than I can ever dream of using. I always look in the ISO to see if I can help anyone with specific requests. I really should put some packages together to sell or donate here on the QB. I really should!
peace

i'm not a hoarder, but I do have like 4 metal shelving units of material. it is all on QB's so I can see what I have. I also have quit buying. i'm sewing up kits I have bought, or quilts I purchased material for. I will need to get purchase backing because I use unbleached muslin. otherwise only what I need to 'get a project done' is purchased.

I thought I was the only one who won't 'cut' a piece of fabric!! Glad to know there's at least 2 of us!

I AM DEFINATELY A HOARDER!!! I admit it.:) But the last couple of years have bought very little as compared to what I used to buy. I like shopping from my stash. I make lots of charity quilts. I also make lots of other things as I do craftshows...about 8-10 a year. So I also have fabrics other than quilting cottons. But I have found these last couple years that I get more pleasure working with scraps (for quilts, runners, purses & booth items)...& shop the stash to go along with the scraps. Here's an idea for your batik scraps...I like to make BOM's from different sites out of scraps & then shop the stash for sashing, border, background to pull it all together. Here's a BOM from Persimmon Quilt website a couple years ago done just with my batik/blender scraps & a creamy blender from the stash to pull it all together. Most of my scraps get used alot doing it this way. I just finished quilting & binding this one.

It would be wonderful if you could donate it to a group that makes charity quilts or something. My dear friend gifted me many fabrics because she know I will make many to donate & have several friends that also do this. I will be forever grateful that I can sew & sew and the only cost is my time & thread!

Wow, 6 years sounds like an infant collector! I've been collecting fabrics since the mid-1980'S. True, I have made a lot of quilts & I have given much away (& I need to give more), but isn't there a total fascination with beautiful fabrics - the print/ the "hand" (feel)/ the possibilities? Yes, we need to reign ourselves in sometimes, but, of all the vices in the world, isn't this one of the more harmless ones? It's not breaking up families (hopefully), it's not pointless - it's a creative outlet, and it's not selfish - think of all the people who benefit from the generosity of quilters! I say: " Carry on!"

I though that a hoarder was someone who didn't want to get rid of anything. I think that a collector is a better word for most of us as MOST of us actually use and give away myriads of yards of fabric annually due to charity and family quilting.

Does a mechanic or woodworker get looked down on for having lots of tools or nuts/bolts/screws/pieces of wood, etc in his shop?

I love this thead. I too have way too much fabric but now I tell myself I am buying it for my two DD's and one DIL. They all quilt and this will be their inheritance as I went to the quilt shop yesterday to find a pc of fabric to match some placemats I am making. They did not have it so I had to buy four more yds of another fab. to add to my collection. It never stops. And thread!! I have five boxes of Janome Emb. Thread so it would be to my best benefit to emb some stuff for this coming Christmas. LOL Lets keep those quilt shops in business.

I am in love with my own addiction... I make no apologies, no more attempts to reform ( tried and was miserable).. I am what I am!
If the day comes and they find my body amoungst my hoards of fabric ... it will be with a smile on my face.

Okay, so you beat me to the confessional. I just admitted to my quilting sisters that I too, am a hoarder. My thoughts were always "I want to be able to start and finish that perfect project".
But always sseemed to need just another piece to make it perfect. Now I am faced with some very important projects to finish and I am out of space!!!
I vow to start cleaning out my sstash. My friends know I do not want my by beautiful collection to end up on the sidewalk with that disgusting sign "FREE".
Please keep me in your thoughts and I am starting right now.
Pegeth

I think I have problems with this stuff to

I am new here and this thread totally fits me. I think I need Fabriholics Anonymous. I have done better. About 6 or 7 years ago, I realized that I just didn't have as much time to sew and the fabric was really building up. Since I haven't had as much time to sew, I also haven't had time to go to those great sewing groups that always meet in fabrics stores which makes it easier for me to not buy. I've been really good at shopping my stash for a new project and mostly buying just to complete a project. But sometimes I see a sale that is too good to pass up. I'm not worried about it. I enjoy it so why stress?

I had a friend who does a lot of knitting and has the same problem with yarn tell me about a new acronym. SABLE - Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy. Yup, I'm there.

nhweaver - you are so cute! Write the date that you said that you won't be getting any more fabric (for future reference!). If you are able to stick to that, you are a better woman than I!!! I have 57 UFO's, am working on 6 BOMs for this year, and took a couple of weeks to reorganize my stash closet. My husband says that if I live three lifetimes I will not even get CLOSE to using all my fabric (sadly, he's right! But that doesn't mean I won't try!!). I determined that I would not buy any more fabric. Well, then I went to Ohio and Michigan for vacation and HAD to buy fabric as remembrance of my trip. Then I went to Colorado, with the same thinking. In addition, the two LQS's that were close to my home closed, so yesterday a friend and I ran errands and went to a LQS about a half an hour from here...well, I HAD to buy fabric, because who knows WHEN I'd get back there again...sigh.

Your post made me giggle. I wish I could hoard fabric this way, but I have true hoarders in my family (that scare me to death) & limit where I can keep fabric to my limited storage in my sewing room. I force myself to finish at least one project for each Set of new fabrics I buy with "the next project" in mind. Sometime it is really hard to walk away from a new find I love. I dream of the day one of my kids move out & I have MORE storage space to dedicate to fabric LOL.