Fabric stash
 

What's the best way to build up our fabric stash? Do you stash up yardages or pre-cuts? I have the tendency to do both, buy FQs or jelly rolls of my favourite collections, then 1-2 yards of nice fabrics from the same collection. Not sure if this is the right way to build up my stash though!

I do the same thing. I buy from a fabric collection. I buy a layer cake or jelly roll or a fat quarter bundle and some yardage from the collection so I can make a complete quilt top from that line. I have many fabric collections. I even buy charms. But I always buy yardage to go with whatever precut I buy. I also buy 5 1-yard cuts for "It takes Five" patterns. You need five 1-yard cuts to make the patterns. It's easier for me when I find a quilt shop and don't know what to buy.

This is a good question. Looking at my stash I am overwhelmed by how it all got here. I always buy a little more of a fabric for every project. I also buy a yard or two of a fabric if I really like it and hope to find a pattern to use it in, which prompts me to find more coordinating fabrics. I have been given fabrics by people who know I quilt and I have picked up some free fabrics at my library. I also buy kits which usually provide extra fabric just in case of a mistake or two. The same goes for fat quarters and jelly rolls. :o)

I don't buy precuts or jelly rolls usually. I just buy fabric that I love, usually just a yard, I have lots of variety but really not a great amount of yardage total. Of course these last 4 years have really made it hard for me to buy much. Hope things get better.

Until recently, most of my sewing was valances, curtains, baby bed sets, diaper bags, purses and hot pads. But, I have always had a "Fabric Addidction". I usually buy 2 yd pieces and have amassed a fortune in fabric. I just buy what I love (on sale). Ebay, online, quilting shops, fabric stores, etc. If I pet it, I buy it! :)

My mother says I see things differently than most people and can't help "changing" things as go along.

I buy fabric on sale. Hobby Lobby has sale fabric all the time and my LQS usually has $4 or $5 a yard bolts of discontinued fabrics. I buy 1 to 3 yards of good pieces from those. I also buy fat quarters, jelly rolls, layer cakes, and charm squares. That has built up my stash. I am also bad about buying kits. I have many of those. I have made myself buy less this year. I'm finishing quilts instead of buying.

I would not stash lines of fabric, personally. If I like them I buy them for a particular project (which may not happen for some time - I guess that makes it stash eventually :) ). My "stash" is all fabric found on sale which (hopefully) I can mix & match later. As others have said, I tend to buy a bit over the requirement, so that becomes stash. And other than that, I haunt the sales and buy fabric that fits my "type" which I can use later (I'm a tone-on-tone quilter almost exclusively, so I'd never stash prints).

I've always been one that when I get into a craft I go all in. Quilting is the one I wish I had waited to build my stash when I figured out what types of quilts I like to make. I thought quilts were only made with small floral prints and nothing bright. I love bright colors, batiks, and like to mix traditional prints with batiks.

I heartily agree! I've been sewing forever, but took up quilting a few years ago. Didn't have a lot of quality cottons for quilts. So I just started collecting things I liked. I love blue and knew I wanted to make a blue and white quilt someday. I have made my blue and white quilt, two of them, and still have enough blue and white fabrics to outfit a dormitory with quilts! Now that I've been quilting for a while I know more of the things I like to use over an over again. It's hard to make the most intelligent decisions about what to buy or "stash" until you've made enough quilts to know your habits. Start slowly and maybe you won't wind up with a bunch of fabric you've spent your hard-earned pennies on and yet may never use.

I have 2 jelly rolls and the rest is yardage. I just love fabric and if I see some I like I buy it. (Probably won't be there next time I go to the shop). I have so much fabric now I need to use some up.