I've been hanging around here for a couple weeks, loving every post, but I feel like I'm in the minority in that I am not a "stasher." By that I mean I don't purchase fabric without a distinct purpose. I save all my scraps, of course, and I will occasionally purchase a bit extra, particularly if it's a fabric I truly love. But I don't go out and buy just for the sake of buying. I learned this long ago with my knitting, and I feel like for me, the same goes for quilting: if I don't have a plan when I buy something, it'll never get used. I don't mind having a few "pets" in my stash, but it's like any other animal--it gets to a point where the care and feeding is simply overwhelming and no longer enjoyable. ;) Realistically, I can only complete a handful of quilts a year. If something enters my stash now and doesn't see the light of day for five years, I may not even like it anymore! I also don't make a lot of money, but I like to use good materials. It saves me money to only purchase what I need, when I need it.

There are lots and lots of reasons I prefer to buy fabric on an as-needed basis. I'm not at all judging or disparaging those who have huge stashes, but it's definitely not how I approach my hobby.

What are your reasons for stashing or not?

Because I like a fabric and may use it, if not immediately, then in the future, when it would not be available. A lot of times I see a fabric I would like for a project, only to find it came out more than a year ago and is no longer available.

And because I can. Someday I may not be able to afford to buy the fabric I want. I can now, so why not?

I am not a stash collector either. I may have a few extra pieces of something that I love, but without a plan of some sort it does not get purchased. I find I feel shameful if I have a plethora of something and others are going without. I am a practical type of person and I need to use it to create something useful for myself or someone else. That is just me (smile).

I do pretty much exactly as you do. I have limited space and found from previous activities that it doesn't pay to grow too much of a stash. I love hand quilting and since I work full time and go to school it can take me up to 6 months to finish a quilt. At that rate it doesn't pay to get too much ahead.

That being said, I do have 4 shoe box size plastic bins with FQ and charms that I have fallen in love with. I justify these knowing if I need a quick all machine done quilt I have a supply to go to. I am now on a no buying restriction. Nothing can come in unless something goes out. Space and time are my enemy.

I am too limited on space so most are purchased with a particular project with a few FQ I just had to have. But I am looking to the future since retirement is just 10 years away so starting to getting organized and making room.

I commend you for not being a stasher. Lots of times I find the piece in my stash isn't big enough for the project I chose to use it on. Being practical is a good thing, so never doubt yourself for that. My closet is overrun with fabric waiting to be used for something; and sometimes it is inconvenient to not have room for other stuff. Of course I live in a 70's ranch style home that doesn't have alot of extra storage to begin with. Again, I commend you!

I don't have my own stash as my mom made quilts, she doesn't have time anymore, and as I don't have my own car or a job that will give me extra money as it all goes toward college, I have to use whatever she's got left. A lot of it is stuff that was given to her that she didn't use and I look at it and go, I don't know what to use that for so it goes back to the bottom.

I do however have a few little scrap pieces that I really liked and put them in my own little box or small pieces that my aunt gave me that were left over from a quilt she made, funny, I get a lot of triangles from her...

I'm on the same minority train as you! It just goes against my conservative nature. There are times when I wish I had a stash with a particular color or design to go to but I don't so I make a special trip to Hobby Lobby and get what I need. I've been told I'm not a real quilter because I don't have a stash????

My "stash" is more earmarked. I have a tendancy to buy what I need for a specific project so when storing it, I have less of stash sorted by colors and more of stuff put together like kits. I buy it because I find a particular fabric that I really want to see made into a particular pattern. When it's time to start something new - I usually just go to my cupboard and pick the next project from what I call my stash. If I ever get snowed in for a week or so (sometimes I WISH that would happen!) I'd have plenty to keep me busy without running out of something to do.

Nanajan, I'm sorry someone told you are not a real quilter without a stash. If you feel like a quilter, no matter what level, you are one. The quilt police need to get a life.

I commend all of you without stashes. I wish I had less.