I keep my "other than100% cotton" fabrics in seperate plastic containers. My Friend laughed her head off when she read "Special Fabric for Something Special" on a container. Every quilter knows what that is. When I find that pattern I'll be ready!

I think that we tend to get handmade art/handmade gifts confused with the crafts that we made in grammer school for our moms and dads. That's why we feel chintzy when we give something that we have made. In truth, it's a much more expensive gift than the check or the silver bowl - it cost TIME.

i have daughters who "get" it. they are artists, and budding seamstresses. the rest of the world? not so much. we have a friend whose mother has collected fabric for years. he has gotten me to promise that i'll help clean out her house when she passes. she has literally filled up her house (three bedrooms plus) with fabric. there are hundreds of folds, bolts, piles, etc. but you know what? it has kept her busy and active, well into her 80s, now. she still sews, quilts, makes curtains, drapes, etc. some folks collect little things--some collect big things. quilters collect potential, i believe. we collect what might be. we collect dreams made of the fabric we find, we collect against the day we will have enough time to do as we please with all that beauty. my fabric stash is nothing compared to our friend's mom's--but my dreams are younger than hers. (and taking care of her stash may cure my need for mine, eventually!)

LOL! I collected fabric for all of the many years that I worked--anticipating my retirement years when I would quilt all day. Most days I don't quilt all day, but I know I have enough fabric to keep me going for the rest of my life If I decide I do want to quilt all day. That, of course, doesn't keep me from getting more fabric. Who knows, I might live to be 250 or so!!!!

Forgive those who make comments like that -- they have no idea. Those scraps that would have been thrown away will make beautiful quilts for people who cherish them as they cuddle up in them. When I'm having a bad day I just walk into my quilt room and I feel so much better. I got no less than 5 'thank you's' from someone I gave my last quilt to...she'd had surgery, and several of these 'thank you's' arrived when I was having a lousy day, and when she was getting some real comfort from the quilt during a rough recovery. The quilts aren't award winners by any means, but I feel good making them, and those who receive them feel good receiving them -- win, win! I'm presently cutting up some of the smallish pieces into preset sizes for bins (thank you, Bonnie Hunter!). So when I'm ready to make the next quilts, I'll just have to start sewing.

I don't throw out any fabric except a real small piece even if I make a mistake cutting it can make something else. Fabric is just to expensive to throw out no matter how small, but then us wealthy people who can afford a sewing machine for a craft wow I guess they have no hobbies. I try to keep my sewing room neat but when your cutting fabric, etc. sometimes you just can't have everything perfect especially when you have a home & family to take care of so be happy quilters/sewers/crafters enjoy our life. Sue

I am making one with 2" squares, but I am using them as leaders and enders. I am up to 10 blocks of 8X8. I think this 1st one will have to be mine. I spotted some squares of my son's shorts when he was little. If he was good in the fabric store, he could pick out something for me to make shorts out of. He had geckos, marbles, Monopoly, planes and taxi cabs... When I get on a cutting kick (to TRY to get my scraps TAMED! Like THAT is going to happen!), when I get down to the 2" squares, the go in the leaders and enders basket. Send me a PM if you want to know more about leaders and enders.

That's my husband! He never does understand why I buy so much fabric.

My ex husband didn't get it either. He had no problems spending piles of cash on collectible toy tractors, but he would get that dumb/confused/annoyed look on his face when I bought fabric. And I truly didn't have much at all, just 2 little milk crates full.

I bet they wouldn't understand why I stood for about 30 minutes at a "scrap basket" in a quilt store sorting out scraps to buy! What was amazing was that my aunt and cousin who do not quilt were with me and really got into it. I could hardly convince that I had enough and get them away from it. Might make quilters out of them yet!