How to use fabric from stash
 

I have bought fabric over the years, as most quilters do, because I like the colors and added them to my stash. Now this is the dilemma and I hope I can make myself clear. I find a pattern I would like to use but do not know how to incorporate my stash. I really do not want to buy new fabric for every pattern I might want to piece. (After all, I have this stash and really want to use it.) Also, I look at my collection, asking what can I use this in.

Many patterns require certain values, etc. to make up the designs. I spend too much time trying to make decisions and get discouraged.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

This is one reason I don't have a stash. What stash I do have is leftovers from projects. I would not have a clue how to go about selecting a pattern to go with existing fabric. Different from collecting particular fabrics for a specific project - as I am in the process of doing now.

If you like scrappy??? I'm sure other stashers will be along to give you some pointers.

How do you like scrap quilts? You can go and cut a 2.5" strip from all your stash items and use it in a pattern that calls for jelly rolls. Same thing with charm squares (5") or layer cakes (10")
I guess what I'm saying is make your own precuts. There's lots of free patterns out there, here's a great source:
http://www.modabakeshop.com/
You can make a controlled scrappy with a single color for the background or sashing to tie everything together. You can also just cut a strip from all your reds, or blues etc. It's amazing how different hues of the same color look great together!
Another idea is look for a single block you love that has 2 or 3 colors.
http://www.quilterscache.com/QuiltBlocksGalore.html
Use the same background fabric on each block, but a different focus fabric, then sash it!

Do you have at least 1/2 yard of each of your fabrics? The first thing I can suggest is to make sure that your fabric is organized by color. Then here's what I'd do. If I had a specific pattern in mind, I'd take the pattern and go into my stash and pretend I was at the quilt store. 'Audition' different fabrics together, put them in a stack and go away for awhile and do something else. Then come back to it and see if you still love it. If you have a lot of scraps, Quiltville.com has free patterns, and the quilting magazines usually have one pattern to make using just your stash.

Good luck!

Over the years the "in" colors change so it is hard to match fabric from different decades or even from year to year. I find it is easier to use stash fabric with a neutral solid color or tone on tone. Even when a color comes back "in style" it usually has a different value and tone so it is the same but not the same(if that makes sense). I like the idea of scrappy as others have suggested, it is easier to add different values and tones than a planned quilt that needs to blend very well.

First find your focal fabric that will be the main focal point in your patterns then find contrasting colors to match... add a zinger color to make things pop.... IM a scrappy quilter and I have enough stash fabric to last me quite a few lifetimes.. 1930s, batiks, neutrals galore, holiday, blenders and prints... 9 out of 10 times i shop my stash... I can quilt and sew at any given moment and not have to wait to run to a LQS for anything..

One of the ways I use fabric from stash is to let the amount of fabric I have determine what size the quilt turns out. I had three fabrics that just belonged together. But there was only enough to make a throw size quilt. So it was a throw size quilt. I have several that just belong together and they'll come out whatever size I can make with the fabric I have. I don't try to add fabrics just to make it bigger or add sashing to make it bigger. They come out whatever size the fabrics dictate.

I have found that if I "stew" over what fabric to use too long, it gets discouraging. What works for me is to spend a bit of time, maybe 20 minutes, making stacks of five fabrics that I like together. Then I come back later and look again and decide which stack I want to mess with. I also had to convince myself that if I "make the wrong choices," the world won't end. I go ahead and finish the quilt (because usually I decide that I don't like a quilt when I am in the middle of it) and I usually end up liking it.

I am very insecure about selecting fabric for a quilt. Often I opt for several shades of the same color, because I know those will go together. But I have finally, after four years, come to a place where I can just make a decision and go with it....not stew about it forever. Hope you get there too. It sure makes quilting more fun.

Dina

I usually find a pattern that clicks with a fabric I have in my stash. Then I start pulling out fabrics from my stash. I have them sorted by type (tonals, watercolor florals, calicos) and colors. Usually, a pattern has a focus fabric, then I add others that coordinate being in shades of light mediums and dark. Here is what I am working on. The pattern is called De Novo (free Benartex pattern on their website) but I am posting my EQ layout. I just slapped this together so these are NOT the fabrics I am using. Must hunt up a few more greens.
Sorry, don't know why the picture was so out of focus.....

I work from my stash a lot, but while I can find most of the fabrics for a quilt in my stash, I usually need to go to my LQS to add one more to complete the design. I figure that if I use five fabrics from my stash and buy one, I am still reducing the stash and will be happier with the result. If I used one from the stash and bought five, that's a problem. :thumbup:

Me too, just can't afford to buy material without knowing how much of it I need. And then to buy coordinating fabrics or hope you find coordinating later when the line is discontinued, too many variables to me. I always buy most fabrics with pattern in mind. If I see a fabric I like I might use it for small bags or accessories so usually only buy 1-2 yards so I have made myself several kits by taking patterns I plan on making and buying fabric accordingly. less surprises later

I have bought fabric on a whim and put them in my stash, but mostly I buy/collect fabrics with a project in mind. I collected red, black and white FQ's for over a year for a Turning Twenty quilt. I plan on making another one with just the purchased "whim' fabric. Scrappy quilts turn out nice too. : ]

I have focus fabrics and a lot of blenders. Since I only make quilts with at most 5 different fabrics (color deficiency), I rummage through my focus fabrics, get excited about one, and then hunt for the companion fabrics among the blenders.

Also, I tend to make very brightly colored quilts because the colors are much clearer to me than pastels.

I am a scrappy quilter too so working from my stash suits me fine. For a non scrappy quilter I agree with cathyvv's method.

try reversing your process...choose a 'focus fabric' from your stash you would like to make something out of, then pull coordinates that go with your focus fabric- then when you see what you have look for a pattern you like that would work with the fabrics you have picked out. think of your stash as shopping at the quilt shop- scraps can be cut into *pre-cuts* and organized into 'charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes & fat quarters' then you can choose patterns that use those precuts when you feel you have enough *like 20 fat quarters- for a 'turning 20' quilt* or a good assortment of 2 1/2" strips for a jelly roll race quilt---there are lots of options out there- start with the fabric. :)

I love having my stash, because I can usually make whatever I want whenever I want and not have to purchase anything at all for the project. Just consider your stash your personal quilt shop. Choose a pattern that excites you, "shop at home" and you'll see how much fun that is! :thumbup:

I so Agree especially when I know I bought them on sale/discount price compared to the regular price.

I would try to go to your stash and study them, organize them by color or theme. You will find that you may have more of a certain color and very few of others. Most people have more of the medium shades compared to the others.
If you have a lot of small cut pieces, like many suggested Quiltville.com is a good resource.
When I buy I always ask: is this a Focus fabric, Accent fabric, or background fabric. That determines how much I will purchase.
Don't let your Stash intimidate you. It is there saying "we want to play".

Most of my stash consists of remnants (less than 1 yd and 50% off the sale prices), fabrics from the clearance section at JoAnns and FQs and yardage purchased at quilters garage sales. The few pieces of LQS fabrics I have were selected from the bargain bin. When I start a quilt, I try to select a focus fabric from my stash, and build on it from there. I'll pull stacks and stacks of remnants and pieces out of the drawers and audition them with the focus fabric. Often I can get the bulk of my selections from my stash, and then head to the store for a couple more to finish out the color palette.
It takes time and practice. I'm still practicing.- I've only been quilting since 2011, but have made nearly 40 quilts.

I seem to have your same problem.

I'm another one that doesn't have a huge stash because I buy fabrics for the quilt I'm making and my stash consists of fabric left overs. I always buy extra fabric because I don't want to run out.... = bonus. Anyway, lately I've been buying fabric at estate sales and auctions so my fabric stash has increased quite a bit. And, I'm feeling the same as many I read about here.... there's not enough of one piece of fabric for the quilt I want to make.

I haven't made very many scrappy quilts but I do love them. And I use many small pieces of fabric for applique. I love applique. So, if my stash grows.... that's okay. If it gets smaller because I use some of those fabrics.... that's good. I've already told my daughter that she has a lot of quilting stuff to deal with when I'm gone. She doesn't want to hear it but she's been warned.

Many great suggestions! Just a slightly different slant. I almost always make queen sized quilts. Rule of thumb, takes approx. 9 yards of fabric, since I like controlled scrappy it is easy to pull five coordinating two yard lengths from my stash. Another thing that I learned from Bonnie Hunter, you can use approx. the same color in the same quilt in the same place in the pattern, it just adds interest. I guess what I am really saying is the choosing can be as much fun as all the other parts of making a quilt. Just relax and enjoy.

I make scrap quilts, mouse pads, mug rugs. I use them to practice new block patterns (then when I have a bunch of those, I make a quilt with all of those. I choose a fabric to sash them so they all look great)

One more thing, all fabrics will look good together, that's the good thing about scrappy quilts. I sew fabrics together to make larger blocks, strips and make lap quilts, there is no real pattern, just sew them together back and bind. all different colors, prints. I did these for charity quilts they go fast and look beautiful. I quilt them using my embroidery machine. I gave them to a nursing home, everyone loved them.

Love the DeNovo pattern. Seems to be a variation of the Turning Twenty, with a small sash added.

When I find a pattern, I shop my stash first and then add to what I need (need????) later. That way I at least use one or two of my stash before I venture out and buy more. :)

It sounds to me that your problem is not being able to put colors together. I think you can solve your problem permanently for about $20, if you take Joen Wolfram's class on color theory on Craftsy.com. She's an excellent teacher (I have had a number of her classes in person) and really knows what she is doing with color. I've learned a lot from her, always use a color wheel, and have had many compliments on the colors I put together. Craftsy has sales on classes from time to time. Joen has several tools and books for sale for determining color combinations; most quilt shops carry them.

There's an out-of-print book by Jenny Beyer called Color Confidence that is also very helpful.

Cricket

I strive to reorganize my stash at least once a year. When I do this I find inspiration hits me. I see pieces that call to each other, and I separate them out into bins for projects to get started. By the time I have these completed, and have bought more to add to the stash, it's time to get it all out again and repeat the process.

Right now Craftsy has a free class on color usage you can take, also. I just signed up for it last week.

My stash has really grown because I buy lots of clothing, linens, etc. to deconstruct from thrift stores. As long as they are cotton, I'm good to go! Also, I sort my stash by color.

What works best for me is picking the focus fabric and then finding things to go with it. After I have a pile of fabrics that I like together.... I often pick as many as 10 or 12, then I look for a pattern. Once I find a pattern, then I fine-tune my fabric stack to suit the pattern needs.

A really fun thing I do sometimes is set the timer for 30 minutes and see how many sets of fabrics I can pull. By doing that, I improve my color picking skills. Making those snap decisions is good because it keeps me from thinking about it too long so sharpens my eye.

Maybe a nice scrappy one. This is a braid I am working on. Still deciding what to put for the sashing.

I'm a new quilter on a limited quilting budget. I started my "stash" by purchasing some pretty fabrics on ebay. I buy in bundles, or lots, so I get a better price. The only problem is I also ended up with some fabrics I hated. I found I was so afraid of cutting in to my pretty and/or expensive fabrics (afraid I would do something wrong and ruin my project). To get over that fear, I decided to go to my stash and pick out the two ugliest fabrics I could find......they just had to contrast. Then I made a baby blanket using the ugly fabrics just to try out a pattern I wanted to make. The quilt turned out really cute......much to my surprise!!!!!!! Then I pulled a bunch of ugly fabric from my stash, cut in small pieces, and made a TAW. It is beautiful!!!!!!!!!! These 2 experiments have taught me 2 things 1) 2 or more fabrics that would look hideous together if made in to clothing can look great when part of a quilt design. 2) even hideous fabrics, if cut in to small enough pieces :D, can be beautiful. Now I'm ready to take that stash, cut em up, and make some quilts. If I don't like it, I can always give it away. There are some charities that prefer "ugly" quilts, so my experiments won't ever go to wast!:D:D:D

This is so true!

1. Ugly fabrics work when cut up small and a TATW works for that--just use 2 or 2.5" pieces
2. Some charities prefer ugly so the quilts won't get sold for cash
3. Be brave and use what you have!

Great job, grandma!

Threads Magazine has a "special edition" out right now, called Quilting from Scraps or something like that. It is great in sugggesting how you might store your "scraps/pieces" what qualifies for saving...e.g. bitty scraps could be saved for a bit...and then possibly toss after a set time. Also, how to store for light colors versus darks, and those "others" in between values. I can see how this might greatly simplify working from scraps. Plus the magazine is full of great scrap ideas for quilts without resorting to "scrappy" patterns.

I find that if I only purchase fabrics I really like, ultimately most of them will play well together. Also, I treat my stash like my own private Quilt Shop. I do have some fabrics that are waiting for that PERFECT pattern (for them).

That being said, occasionally, I purchase a fabric that is just not me -- those go into pot holders, pincushions, sample blocks -- someone will really like that fabric -- even if I don't remember why I bought it.

This 9 yards fabric is great to know and is a one-sentence tutorial! (Hint to put over on tutorial section) Thanks!!!

Ditto - I do have a lot of leftovers, but very few fabrics I bought on purpose with no purpose just because I liked them or thought they might be useful someday.
I do 'shop' my leftovers and if they are useful, great. But my fabric tastes are changing - I have only been quilting a couple years - and my idea of what kind of quilt I want to make next is changing too.

I put fabric that I think go together and then get a blender or background and do a block/pattern that I like. Bow tie, pinwheels, friendship star, half square triangle etc. love the way many fabrics look as they go together.

Well checkout Bonnie Hunter's scrap quilts. She has a bunch of wonderful free patterns. Pick out some neutrals and then add colours. the sky is the limit. In my own opinion keep keep one fabric, ie. a neutral to be the common thread throughout your quilt. Start with a lap quilt and if you like how it's turning out just make it bigger.

Marcy J. I know exactly what you mean! And, I've done the same with buying fabric that is to my liking and putting it in my stash. Some nice stuff there, but it's still sitting there. Uh oh, am I a hoarder???? I need to take a class on color values and the rest that goes with it. Anyway, I spend a lot of time staring at the fabric I've accumulated and I also get very discouraged. Then there's Bonnie Hunter who makes these gorgeous quilts from scraps, but that's different from what you and I are talking about I think. What about making Log Cabin blocks? I've tried with my batiks and what I've done so far is an assortment of pretty blocks. But, I do understand what you've written.

Marcy, what great suggestions you've been given, and I'll take those suggestions to use myself. A lot of wonderful resource folks on this board. Thanks to all.