No More Shopping for Me
 

While packing up my sewing room for our move, I counted all my fabrics as I packed them. I keep my fabrics sorted by size so it wasn't difficult. What was difficult to wrap my brain around is that I have 481 yards of fabric (not counting kits and what I've given away). How on Earth will I ever buy fabric again knowing how much I already have? I could sew for years and not use it up. Guess I'm going to have to get creative in putting colors and designs together. Haven't told DH yet how much is there.
I'm sure I'll still drool over fabrics when I see them, but will be much more choosy about what I buy

But when those coupons come out and the deals are published and the fabrics are so sweet and scrumptious and seductive, temptation just gets the best of us. My excuse to DH is but these are great to add to the charity stash and your mother will love it! Sometimes we just have to sashay up to the spouse with the best explanation we have when we get caught bringing it into the home. smile pretty and give them "a piece" of the piece of chocolate to share.

I don't have near that much fabric but I got to thinking - I would need to live to 100+ to use what I ​do have.

That's not quite five small Home Depot moving boxes full (12 x 16 x 12)

Pat just don't tell him. He probably has as many toys as you have fabric. I am trying to use up what I have but occasionally will need to buy a little bit to finish off a UFO!!

Good Luck with your move.

Same here.....It's been 3 yrs since I bought fabric. Mainly I have "what was I thinking?"& ooooh,I love it.
My problem now is getting something half done,then starting something else. Finally learned to put the pattern,book etc in with whatever needs to be finished.

We are moving too, it's quite a wake up call isn't it? Check out our moratorium thread here on the board. It helps with keeping to the idea of using our stash first and just buying what is necessary. Good luck on your move!

Shouldn't have counted! When we moved, I didn't.

We are moving in a year so I started sorting my sewing room now. I didn't realize how many orange tone fabrics I have. I must like fall colors more then I thought. I'm giving away a lot of my stash to my quilting friends. I know they will use it for donation quilts, better then moving it and storing it again.

I know when you see how much you have it just boggles the mind. I have to keep telling myself no no no unless I have a real use for it. Always have to have an out!

I just moved my sewing room into the basement. I broke down crying several times, overwhelmed by the amount of fabric and quilt kits. Part of it was feeling ashamed of hoarding so much stuff. If I made a quilt every week for the rest of my life, I couldn't use it all up. My husband asked why are you crying, then said I should feel fortunate to have so many beautiful things.

If you make large quilts, you can easily use 9-12 yrds per quilt......so your yardage is only enough for about 48 quilts ... :)
SO....if you make 10 quilt a year, the fabric will last you only 5 years.....See? it is not so bad... :D:D:D

My friend wanted to make her grandson a patchwork Christmas stocking. I told her before she started buying too many fabrics to check out my stash first. (I have about 200 different Christmas fabrics.) At first she thought I was just being nice, and said she did not want to use up my fabrics, but when she saw them she realized it would never be missed. She felt obligated to buy a fabric to replace what she used - and since it was something I didn't have that was very nice. I have more than I will ever use - but just can't resist the Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas fabrics. It's my weakness. So I do try to just stay away from them, but sometimes they are right there in front and call my name.

A queen needs 8-9 yards just for the back. The front at least that much. That isroughly 16-20 tomake 1 queensized quilt. What is the problem? Maybe just spend more time quilting. Yikes,this yeat I havefinished over 100 quilts. that is a Lot of backing fabric just in those! Yes I have used up a lot of fabric this year! just sewmore, less time watchingtvor on the computer.

Exactly! I did not even count the backing fabrics! That would halve your amount of quilts to be made ....!

You HAVE to go shopping, Girl!! :D :D :D :D

If you go scrappy, it may last you a long time......some people say scraps multiply at night....! :D

Other than wide backing fabrics and an occasional immediate need ( like a commission order I don't have the color for or background for) I haven't purchased fabric in 3 years. Still feel like I could go for years working out of my stash... But, hubby bought me a $100 gift certificate for the local quilt shop for mother's day! I've been looking at it for days, haven't ventured in that direction yet. Waiting for the perfect time...

I'm with you! I filled eight 40 quart bins with fabric and that's not all of it. Seriously, a fabric catalog just came and has drool all over it, but unless I live to be 150, this will never all get sewn. Unfortunately, my retirement isn't really retirement and I'm having a difficult time having the energy and patience to get around to the sewing.

I have my fabrics on white coated metal shelves. I can see that I have lots and lots of yards of fabrics. Every time I hope the closet I see three shelves, about 12' wide with several stacks of fabrics. I only buy remnants of fabrics to go with what I have.
I never measured them, don't know for sure but, guess I have many, many yards. I think I will have to live to be about 200-300 years old to use it all.

I'm with you there. Bought way too much and now have enough for 100 quilts. The only thing I buy now are fabrics for the border or background. I am happy with what I have as I have absolutely beautiful fabric.

So many of us are in this boat! We recently moved. While I did not officially count the yardage it was quite a lot. Since I have always stored my fabric that is less than 2 yards in 12 quart plastic totes by color it was easy to move and set up my sewing room. I store two yard pieces in a bookshelf ruler folded. Larger pieces are on the bolt boards that I ask for at the quilt store. No, I won't use it in my lifetime but my family knows just what to do with it whenever I cannot sew anymore. Keep enjoying it without guilt but do add a piece from time to time-it is good for a quilter's well being.

Thank you all for making me feel better about my large stash......I am trying not to buy any more also!

This thread sure makes me feel better about my stash!! I have a DDIL that uses from my stash & a new quilter is my DGD so I know my vintage fabric will go to good people! We're not hoarders just passionate about fabric!

I am using more and buying less, but my stash is increasing because I am purchasing fabrics I would not have originally purchased so I now have more variety of fabrics to choose from. If they would not design such beautiful fabrics, I would not be so tempted.

So, NO, I have not intention of stopping anytime soon.

I don't have very much fabric but what I do have I sometimes find very hard to cut into. Reading this thread has made me think that I really should not worry about using up my fabric as I buy it and then buying more when I need it, rather than trying to "collect" it.
One thing I find really hard is that fabric collections come out for such a short period of time I feel the pressure to buy it while I can before it sells out, even if I don't need it.

I also have a large amount of fabric. I now only buy what I need to coordinate and finish a quilt. I keep tell my kids I have my fabric supply for when I retire and I don't have to buy any more. They haven't bought that one yet. My one son tells me he's going to bring a dump truck up to the window!!!!

I have enough fabric to cover at least three states. My mother passed in 2013 and since I am the only one of my siblings that sews I got her stash and supplies. I did go through all of it before I brought it to my house and only brought material that was suitable for quilting. That amounted to 5 large plastic bags........I have washed all of it and I use what I can for charity quilts. I supply two guilds with stacks of material for charity projects. I guess I have enough for about three years of projects. I do not have to buy thread for the next century. I keep a great portion in the freezer so it does not rot. The only fabric I buy is a coordinating fabric or sometimes a backing. I have already told my daughters they will have the leftovers to deal with.....I need to be sewing at 99 to use all this fabric. Right now I make about 20 to 25 charity quilts per year......and I need to increase my output!!

I did not realize how much I had til I moved from Oh. to Mo.--I had brought out a few carloads to store in my Dad's basement. Which was 8 lg and 18 med totes. I thought it would help on the major move. My sewing room took up the 1st 7ft of a 24 x11 x10 moving truck and there was still a dozen each of totes and banker boxes of fabrics. I've used maybe one lg tote in the last 3 yrs but there is no way I can use it all.So I am sorting through it all and making bundles of fabrics with the pattern for each and I will sell off the rest. I started spring cleaning and I have to much of every thing. So its time to let go of the excess. I have already decided to get rid of all but 3 machines. Letting go of these will be hard but I feel they need some one that will use them. I feel like I'm living in a storage locker.

This made me smile....what a lucky woman to have someone understand you so well. Now back to getting rid of my stash by shopping in it.....

I have a lot of fabric but I look at as an investment. I only buy fabric on sale so that makes me feel better.:D

I recently did a little math. I store my stash in four five shelf bookcases and in a walk in closet. I usually buy a minimum of three yards or more of any fabric I buy. So just by counting the amount of different fabrics on one shelf, I come up with 25 X 3 yards (a conservative estimate) I come up with 75 yards on one shelf. Multiplied by shelves 75 X 35 I come up with 2625 yards. That is not even counting the multiple scraps, UFO's and misc. cuts I have laying around. Trying not to buy any more unless I need it to finish a project. I refuse to feel to guilty this was all accumulated over a almost 40 year span and is a constant source of entertainment.

I too, have lots of fabric...LOTS! I justify it by telling myself that since fabric is so pricey now, having a huge stash is a good thing. I do still buy fabric if it's relatively cheap or if it's a fabric that I absolutely love. No guilt, no apologies. My husband encourages me, bless him! Once in a while there's a tiny bit of feeling overwhelmed, but I quickly put a damper on it. I love quilt making.

My friend downsized and donated the majority of her stash to a nonprofit that makes quilts and that was close to 2,000 yards. I personally have more than that, and it includes felted wool, silks and velvets, clothing fabric and lots and lots of quilting fabric. We have instituted a no fabric rule unless you absolutely, positively cannot find something in your stash for the quilt you are working on. So far, I have only purchased a couple of fat quarters for Bonnie Hunter's Grand Illusion mystery quilt. It is hard, especially when you see new fabrics that call your name.

It makes you stop and think if you stop and figure out how much money you have tied up in your stash.

I have to stay away from the fabric stores. I have way too much fabric.

It sounds like we are all in the same boat. I have a whole room full of fabric. I make at least 20 Linus quilts a month but it barely makes a dent in my stash. We are getting up in years and looking at moving into a retirement home. I started collecting plastic bags like they use in the stores for your groceries. I figured when we were ready to move I would invite all of my sewing and quilting friends to come and fill a bag for ten dollars or so each. I will of course have a sewing/quilting room where ever we end up but I just can't take it all. I have two embroidery machines, three sewing machines and a serger. Of course there are supplies for the embroidery machines like stabilizers and of course special threads galore. Don't forget various size rolls of batting etc. After looking at most of the retirement homes in our area we have put that on hold. Most of them were lovely but it would be like living in a luxury hotel. We are just not comfortable in that kind of place for everyday life. I am trying not to purchase anymore fabric. Of course my step-daughter gave me a gift card to Jo Anns' for Mother's day.

I have close to that amount, stashing up because I know when I retire the money be there to buy, buy, buy!

I too have tons of fabric and could not possibly move it all. When I get upset about it, I think of all the fabrics I still
love and how cheaply I purchased them for to help me feel better. My husband is very supportive - he built shelves
in the basement and attic for fabric storage, but now these are full and I was in a lull. So now he encourages me to sew, sew, SEW. I try not to buy anymore but if I see a beautiful fabric it is very hard to resist....-Judy

Well here is a really good idea to help you bring your stashes down .
Being a new quilter I,m always looking for left overs from people . You could send it to me LOL
I,ll even pay the postage . :)
When I see some of your sewing rooms I just drool it would be so neat to have a pile to pick from .
Some day i,m sure I will be there .

Have a good day every one
Tom

I also have way too much fabric, it became overwhelming for me to even go into my sewing room. So I ordered a bunch of space bags online and stuffed them full. After I vacuumed all the air out I was amazed at how little they got. Don't let the little pile fool you, it's heavy. My husband helped me and we labeled each bag with the contents and put it on the bag as well in a folder. So when I want something I know where it is and I just have to take it out and re-vacuum the air out. The bags are under our bed and now my sewing room looks so much better, not cluttered.

I love my stash and it is a good amount for me. I have a hard time resisting a sale so have unsub. to just about every online shop. If I need a particular thing, I know where to look. If something does get through, I do not click on it. I seldom go into a quilt shop and we have lots here.