Mysterious part of my stash
 

I've been making quilts for years. Along with most quilters, I have so much fabric that it's kind of embarrassing. I don't mind my old fabric at all. I actually like the old calicos and other vintage fabrics. I love scrappy quilts, and my older fabrics work just fine with scrappy designs.

However, there is one part of my stash that I'm not particularly fond of. I have SO MUCH BROWN in my stash. I can't even remember when brown was popular, and I don't know why I have so much of it.

I'm slowly incorporating portions of my brown stash into scrappy quilt backs. I often cut 10 inch squares of my stash and make scrappy quilt backs from that.

My question is----do any of you have parts of your stash that befuddle you? That you wonder how on earth you acquired it? That you don't really like any more?

I love browns. Nice ones were hard to find.

I am fond of all my stash.

Well, yes I did and while I was sorting through it I found some really ugly fabric that I hope I was not responsible for buying. LOL

LOL - don't we all !!!!! I inherited a lot of fabric from my BFF and she was VERY fond of dark, dreary fabric. Not my choice, but I am trying to use it up.

Brown is coming back. Better save it.

Yep. Planning to have another "sale" to the new guild I'll join next week when spring comes. Last 2 times have been quite profitable for me, selling fabric at $3-4 a yard, making over $1000. I will NOT be buying new fabric this time, but really, really narrowing down my collection and supplies.

Jan in VA

I found a box of half yard pieces I had bought at an estate sale and forgot about. It's all flower and garden prints. I'm not fond of those prints and have no idea why I bought them. I have been using them to make pieced backings for my scrap quilts. The box never seems to get emptier. LOL.

Oh yeah, one of my favorite color combinations. I love brown and I have quite a bit of it in my stash as well.

I love the browns so much I've used mine all up and am currently replenishing browns.

I get horrified when I sort my stash. Why did I buy that? I am truly a batiks gal and love the brights. I get so mad at myself when I come across a print with no cooridnates, I must have purchased because it was on sale. Some bargain. It goes on the free table at the Guild.

I love brown, and it's hard to find good ones. Remember that it goes well with so many other fabrics, and you always need some fabrics that don't scream me, me, me.

Funny,I hardly have ANY browns in my stash. Pinks are the most popular color in my stash.

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*** I like ALL colors and use Brown a lot.
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I love the browns. Love to pair them with lighter brighter colors gives great shadow effects and makes lighter colors crisp looking. Great for puppy dog and cute kitten appliques.

Brown and pink or brown and red are nice combinations I think.

When I find fabric that say "what were you thinking?" I get rid of it. There is always someone who thinks my horrors are their beauties.

If you have fabric you don't like, give it to the missions. Many of these places have people who want to learn to sew, and need something to use for practicing. They can use non-quilting fabric, too. They want old sewing machines also. Ask at your church for places that could use the fabric and machines. Some need the machines to be treadle or hand crank.

I use my old dark pieces for pillowcases- which I fill with unusable scraps of fabrics and battings to make dog beds for the local animal shelter.

I had some not so old fabric - various pieces - I no longer liked or wanted to ever use again. Gathered them all up and put in a big zip lock bag for church yard sale. Maybe someone else will want it.

Browns are beautiful paired with Teal, Turquise, Pink, Purple, and especially Orange at this time of year. I found I had 44 different browns in my stash and was sure surprised, because, like you, I didn't think I used them much.

With me it is more of what I DON'T have. Recently I stocked up on purples and browns (HA! you and I should have talked, huh?) There are also hardly any florals or big prints. That's OK - I am making it work.

My path into stash management is to cut some of my scraps into 8"x1 1/2" strips for a mitered log cabin. It is so much fun to see what I have in my scrap bag. It's like visiting old friends.

For me it was all the black I found in my stash that I don't recall buying. I must have had something in mind for them ? I prefer the browns for a back drop for the bright colors.

My DD bought some really ugly fabric. She used it for a stack n whack which turned out very pretty. You'd never have guessed the original fabric was so ugly.

Browns...1980s. With blues. For your questions: I have one quilt top that will never get quilted, because it's more than ugly. I like most of my stash. If there's anything I don't like, it goes to the guild 'give away' table.

I used some of that unwanted stash on backs, but otherwise, gave away or sold everything I didn't love. I have one piece I do love, but it doesn't go with anything. It is earmarked for the next random scrap quilt.

seems I never have browns and I do have one pattern torn out of a magazine that used brown as the background and scrappy in the blocks--loved it and someday plan to make it. My guild has a "garage sale" to help pay for programs and classes coming up--I really need to go through my stash and do some de-stashing--but dang, I really hate to get rid of fabric--what if I need it sometime!?

I fall into the same category as Betty62 posted, I also have some ugly fabric that showed up in my stash and I can't imagine that I could have purchased it. I also believe that some of my older, less desirable pieces were collected when I first started quilting and didn't realize that quality really makes a difference both in colors and design. I am a much bigger fan of LQS fabric than big box stores for my quilts.

Brown is a neutral. I love fall colors and so I buy lots of browns to go with them. I love them with the turquoise, peach and beige too.

I also have fabrics that I wonder what I was thinking when I bought it. I am trying to eliminate it from my stash. But, it is very hard to let go of perfectly good fabric.