I am horrified!!
 

One of my non-quilting friends asked me how much fabric I had in my stash. I told her I didn't know and was unwilling to guess because all of my stash is folded neatly on bookshelves, and I didn't know how many yards were in each piece of fabric...plus I sure wasn't going unfold anything.

She suggested I just count how many different fabrics I have. So, I did, counting anything that was over one yard...as I have my scraps and smaller amounts out of sight.

It turns out that I have 211 different fabrics!! I am horrified. I have only been quilting 3 years. How did I buy this much fabric?? I'm thinking that maybe I don't need that trip to the fabric store that I had planned for tomorrow. :)

Am I unusual or do I fit right in??

Dina

I"m afraid you are not unusual, not at all. I am trying to use up my stash as much as possible and not buy new. I have many, many quilt tops to finish up also. but I keep seeing things (fabric) laying around my sewing room and grab those and start cutting and sewing. Then I must finish those, so the tops of old still wait. But i'm getting a bit better and grab one every once in awhile.

I guess I shouldn't really be horrified....but I am certainly surprised that I have this much fabric. I tend to finish one project before I start another, but it looks like I sure could start a lot of projects without ever leaving my house! I guess I need to spend some time grouping fabric instead of just grabbing one fabric and buying stuff to go with it.

Dina

I'm also horrified when I look at my stash. But then when I start to pull fabrics for a quilt I wish I had more to choose from, because I make 99% of my quilts from stash.

I love my stash, but it seems that whenever I consider a new project, I always want something extra that isn't in my stash! I just rearranged my fabric shelves and was again amazed at the lovely things I own and then forget it is there! It's so hard to have everything easily accessible. It hides from me!

I don't think your alone. I would hate to have to count my fabric and I always promise myself not to buy anymore and even now when I am in a boot for an injured Achilles I order online there is always something I like. Don't feel guilty just enjoy yourself. Sue

I've got more than that, so join the crowd, march right along with us and hold your head up high.

That's the whole point!!! At least in MY world, and I encourage it in others. For instance, I often sew at night (not yet - still another few weeks after surgery before I can do that!), I sew on the weekends, I sew when the shops are closed and it would really cramp my style if I had to run out for the right thing at those times. For instance, I just recently completed a curved log cabin quilt in graded shades of reds/golds/teal that had at least 50 different fabrics in it -- ALL from my stash. I'd have spent hours and hours if I had had to shop for those fabrics. Yuck!

Looks to me like you are off to a great start in your quilting career!

You are not alone! I bought a pattern a couple of years ago that called for 30 batik fat quarters. I did not even know what a batik was - even though I have been sewing garments and quilts for over 50 years. So, I started buying batik fat quarters - then decided that I really liked batiks, so started buying bigger pieces and bigger pieces. Then, I read on here that you should pre-wash your batiks, so I dragged them all out and started hand washing them. I hung them on lines in my utility room and removable lines in my living room (with a fireplace) to dry - this was winter. This process took about a week to do them all. I then folded them up and put them in piles of 25 each. Surprise - I had over 200 different pieces of batiks!!! I was shocked too! I should add that I have bought more but have lost my sewing room to my son who got a divorce and no place to live.

You only have 211? LOL!

I consider my stash like a pantry... it should be well stocked! Yep I can sew off my pantry for years. I tried the shop just for a project and found myself running all over town and never being quite satisfied. Now I let the fabrics that I love guide my process and when inspiration hits , I don't waste a moment.

My thoughts exactly. I must have that much just in shades of red. :o

My question is what kind of friend would ask questions that would end with you feeling horrible. What does she collect? and how would she feel if you questioned her about it? The only time I should feel quilty about adding to my stash is when I don't have the money to pay for it .... or I've gone without necessities to have my stash. I enjoy my stash!

i would never be able to count lol never!! i only buy a 1/2 yard at a time and consider my stash to be my palette! I usually collect types too, batiks, Japanese, brights, plaids, black and white, 30's, I spy fabrics, etc etc etc you get the picture. I also collect vintage fabrics. I am well prepared to quilt into my nineties when I finally get to retire someday.

Just relax and enjoy the bounty that you are blessed with!

Only 211? Sweetheart, that's nuthin'! (And tell your friend to mind her own beeswax.) Don't be horrified, be happy, and enjoy it! Would a carpenter be horrified if he counted his pieces of lumber?

I would not take the time to count my fabrics for myself, I certainly wouldn't do it for someone else.
I have lots and lots of large pieces of fabrics and smaller pieces of a whole bunch. When I want to make a quilt, I certainly don't want to have to go shopping for fabric.
Just start a quilt and keep making them.

and if i die tomorrow and never get it all used up .....let everyone know that i enjoyed buying ...looking at and looking for all those wonderful fabrics that have ...and then donate it to a good cause

Ditto .... and I'll probably be adding to the stash for many years to come!

Jan, so happy to hear from you again!! Hope you are recovering well!

I have a small stash, but it's growing. I think I'm addicted to fabric....LOL, but I keep telling myself this way I won't need to go out when it's snowing, I can just be creative from my very own fabric store right in my sewing room. :). My husband has noticed my addiction and he thinks its cute. We'll see what he says in a few more years when we'll need an addition to store it all. Besides, you can't let a good fabric (or sale) slip away. Ha ha

To be honest, my friend was just curious. She lives in another state and we were chatting online about my quilting hobby. When I made a quilt for her about two years ago, I emailed her a picture of my stash to help her decide what fabric I should use. So she asked me today how much my stash had grown... I wouldn't have counted my fabric just for her, I got curious too. :)

I am still surprised about how much I have. I do feel better about it after reading all the welcome comments. Thanks everyone!

Dina

Should you be horrified .......depends.....can you afford it? Will you use it? Yes to both means no harm no foul. No to either means you have an issue

Believe me you fit right in!!!!

Don't feel horrified. Instead think of how blessed you are! When I have friends come over and see a perfect shade for a project they're working on, I promptly hand it over. I'm blessed with a generous husband and enough stash so that when my mom wants to work on a project but can't even afford to buy a fat quarter, I can share my stash with her. It's like Christmas, seeing how much joy it brings her.

I think we are all alike here: just re-arrange my stash a couple of weeks ago but no, i didn't count them

I don't want to count mine, more fun to just look at it and enjoy it.

It doesn't seem to matter how much I have I never have the right shade of green for this quilt or enough browns for that quilt!

Lovely to see you on this thread Jan.

No matter how big my stash I am always some fabric short to make a new quilt. Today I need to shop as I need white on white to begin a quilt.

Fabric designs are trendy. If you see it today and love it, and can afford it, add it to stash!

Haha! You are one of us!!!! You just stumbled on our secret........we are'nt Quilters........we are Fabric Collectors!!!!Welcome to 'The Club'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I consider it an investment. It is worth more now than when it was purchased.

I have a lot of fabrics also no where near what you have. Recently Jaba helped me fold my fabrics around those.. comic boards? so they stand up on a shelf. I would bet I have close to 100 yrd of variety fabrics. I also shop my stash a ton. I do f4 trades all the time to get a variety in the smaller pieces. When I do shop I try hard to keep blenders in the stash so I can do the late night whip it up with some of the smaller pieces. Its not horrifying to me. I get quilters envy when people say they have BINS of fabric they havent seen or .. too much. I don't have too much! share with me!!! lol.. your doing fine. but maybe stop shopping for a while. we all get sick of our older stash. start using it from the oldest out this way you have room for NEW things :)

I don't smoke, gamble or drink, I just build my stash and love every piece of it. Thats what quilters do. Enjoy

Me too mic-pa lol went to Vegas and did not put one penny into those slot machines! Did win a meet and greet with donny and Marie, but that's another story hahaha!
What about designer shoes, see the prices of those lately?? Thank The Lord I don't want to collect those!
I collect fabric, it's an investment for my future.

I think it's my personal mission to stimulate the economy :D

I didn't know that you should wash all your batiks before using them..........why? Do they run? I love reading what's on this board almost every morning but I don't post. Don't know how things work on it. I know.....I know ....I should read how to do things. But that's like Facebook....I'm on that but don't usually post things either. Just love to look at the pics of my kids and grandchildren and friends of mine. I've been quilting for about 10 years, been retired for 5 years. I don't quilt regularly, only when I'm working on a project. I also have some UFO's. Now concerning my stash....I have it in two large book cases, and some draws and on some shelves.....I seem to be more of a collector than a sewer!!! But when I go in my sewing room I love to just stand there and look at all the beautiful colors!! I love my "stash" I don't know how much I have either.....but I know it's not enough! It will never be enough. And yes I do pick from it and I have made quilts from it without hardly buying any for that project. Nice talking to everyone! I just love, love this site......such wonderful people on it. I sit here every morning with my coffee and enjoy all of you!

Glad to see you back Jan. Hope your PT is going great.

Never ever be horrified by your stash. What was that silly song, "Don't Worry, Just Be Happy":D

You are seriously not alone :-) We recently moved last month and when it came to my sewing room I had 14 boxes of fabric. These were not small boxes either they were the medium sized U-Haul boxes and I had 14. That doesn't count the 4 machines and 2 boxes of tools. I think I am out of control. Sad part is every project I go to complete I need to go to LQS to get the "ONE" thing I need to finish it so I go get more.

All I can say is enjoy your stash :-)

Tammy