I was reading a thread here the other day where the member went to a garage sale and there was about 80 totes FULL of fabric, she got two totes and some other stuff.

I DO NOT want my family selling totes of fabric at a garage sale when I am dead and gone. I feel that it is a waste and my own GREED is taking something away from the other members of the household (my children). If I spend 10 dollars on a yard of fabric and NEVER use it that could have been 10 dollars that my children spent some place we enjoy. I will never get the 10 dollars back trying to resale it.
I am really good at talking myself out of anything and everything too though, I don't feel this way JUST about fabric. I talked myself out of my new puppy, my husband got him anways. I talk myself out of new clothes, and even getting my hair cut when I really do hate it long. lol All so I don't have to spend money (that we have available to spend). Wish I could find a happy medium.

Oh no, that could be very dangerous to have it right next door I have to at least drive 20 min to town or call my dd's MIL
and have her bring it too me

I'm here I am raising my hand and I could give it a good home
LOL I like to just look and feel and sometimes that is enough

[quote=janRN] MY tastes and style of quilting have changed so much over the years. I advise new quilters to buy basics: blenders, white on white, beige on beige, and not so much of "today's" colors. I don't have a large stash. quote]

I am at a point now that I am trying to do this. Stock up on basics and focus on less trendy fabrics and or reproduction. I have not bought as much because of the economy but I find I have too small a pieces in my stash to complete quilts. So at this point I try to buy yardage for backing, sashing and borders to use with all the FQ and scraps I have.

there are church groups &guilds that will take knit sto make lap to lg quilts for cancer patients & homeless. I understand dbl knits are especially good for homeless--heavier, takes more abuse! someone else told they can be cut into ??2" strips & crocheted into rugs.

With the price of fabric going up I am glad to have a little stash. I only buy what I absolutely need when I don't have it in my stash.

I, too, watched the "horder" shows and decided I didn't want them coming to my house. I've got way to much, of everything, and now I'm clearing my mother's house that is worse than mine. I have 6 large boxes of double knits of hers that I plan to take to a church mission group since they are the only ones I've found that will use it.

We've both done all sorts of crafts also, so we have tons of those items. It's gotten so hard to find something, that it's usually easier to go buy more than find it. I've declared war on my house and am trying to take a sack of something (trash, donate, sell, etc.) out of it every day. I'm hoping to get enough done to be able to have Christmas at my house this year -- right now everyone wouldn't be able to sit down at the same time.

Only if it's weighing you down. I happily bought fabric for about a year while I was building my stash. Lately when I walk into a quilt shop, I see lots that I love. But I don't love buying it any more. My eyes are full when it comes to fabric. Now I enjoy "shopping" in my own sewing room. Part of the enjoyment is paring it down. With all the scraps I've generated, it's gotten a little out of hand.

I know that I am the "odd man out" but I have learned to resist buying fabric simply because it is gorgeous. Unless I intend to cut that fabric out tomorrow, I don't buy. I have a stash from leftover fabric from projects plus fabric purchased before I realized that it was more fun to buy for a particular project rather than for future use. Am I sounding far too practical and frugal (maybe even cheap).

I now have two big plastic tubs full of fabric and intend to use them for piecing backing for my quilts or I have a yen to make the clothesline baskets. That should make a hole it my stash. Strip piecing has also sparked my fancy.

Now to stay off the computer and get to work maybe I can reduce my stash.

I took a class at my quilt shop to "Use My Stash". It sounded like a good idea. I had an Asian Jelly roll, and the stash project was for strips so, I decided to use the jelly roll. Well, as I started to put it together,it was too dark, and it also needed a fabric to bring it all together, so I bought a yard of white and green asian fabric, and when the top was sewn together, it needed a border, and a back. I found a really nice Asian border and also an Asian back that just made a beautiful quilt. but when I was finished, I think I ended up with more fabric left-over than I started with!!!. Oh well. Hopefully lesson learned. But probably not!

Like most of you, I have a stash that I have accumulated for many years..Now, I'm running out of room to store it.
This summer my daughter had a garage sale and I thought...."why not sell some of that fabric that you don't love as much as you did when you bought it". It took me a long time...sorting, putting back, etc. Let me tell you....once I decided to let it go, it actually felt good.
AND...I sold over $300.00 ($4.00 yd) worth of QS fabric.
Now, I am now challening myself to use my "stash"...that if fun too.

challenging

No sooner I sell a fabric then I would find a need for it, so I guess I will be a bit greedy for awhile longer.

you need to find a longarmer to help finnish your tops I'm in Jersey but if you like email me at [email protected] and we can talk

I guess we are all in this same boat! I was in the neighborhood of Hancock's today and just stopped in to buy 1 yard of black on black for a border ---HA!

They were having a sale and the rest as they say is history. I bought some fabrics for .50 a yard..I spent $50.00 more than I needed to.

Plus, last week my husband returned home from a business trip with a duffle bag full of decorator fabrics for me. He said it was Christmas in July and I truly felt like it going through it all. What a haul and the best part is that it was FREE!

I'll never find enough projects or time to use all I have but I simply cannot pass up a beautiful piece of fabric.


By the way---how are ya'll getting the nice signatures on your posts? Are you posting from your personal emails? I can't see anything on the board that allows this customization.

Roxanne

Roxanne, I live just about 35 miles southwest of you- I live in Springfield Hwy 3 comes by here. and if you do a search -=Signatures there is a link where you can go and get yours done.

Mine is not too much just yet. Yesterday, I was able to buy the last of a quilt shop out. Lock Stock and barrel. Got 18 bolts and 2 boxes just crammed full. Took DH most of the day to add shelves in my sewing room closet. Love that guy

I go through the same thing, and decided that I would try to get through the current inventory before getting any other fabric. Unfortunately, I do not always follow that, as there is some other fabric out there either in the store or online that is on clearance and is beautiful. I have like 8 good-sized containers myself, and still found myself being in fabric heaven with some of the batiks that were on clearance online at Hancocks of Paducah. Well, they are sitting atop a desk waiting to be placed with the existing inventory. I just think it's hard to do, especially if you have a long list of quilts and ideas for them.

NO NO NO

That is a great way of doing it, have been on fabric diet for awhile now and am doing well! :thumbup:

A little stash is a good thing. I live pretty far from the nearest Joann. It's nice to have something on hand for quick projects. Sometimes, you just want to be spontaneous.

A lot of stash is a bad thing, imo. I'm a frugal crafter. I try to use up all I have and not over buy. I don't like clutter.

My husband says Not if you have a warehouse !!

Hi Marye,
I'm not sure where Springfield is, but glad to have a SC neighbor!

I must be one of those "technically impaired"---I cannot get this signature thing to work. Must be (1) too tired (2) too late (3) too stupid (4) all of the above.

Thanks anyway.
Roxanne

A few years a member of my guild had a terminal illness, before she passed away, she instructed her daughters to divide her stash and give to the members of our guild. Each one of us got a brown paper bags with at least 6 lengths of fabric, magazines, patterns and sewing tools, I try to keep my stash low , but being human I cannot always resist, but I asked my daughter to do the same thing , beside being a souvenir I know that my stash is gone to be loved I hoped the same way that I did.

Well I only started quilting what...two weeks ago? So my stash is still small (only in comparison to some of the pics I've seen on here!), but it's working well for me. I can see how it could accumulate very fast though.

I went to JoAnn's with my MIL and drooled over all the gorgeous fabrics (okay...not literally drooled, don't worry!). But I haven't bought any fabric yet (I've been given a lot from MIL and a few very nice ladies) as I feel bad spending DH's money. I don't have a job and I know he wants me to get what I want, but I feel bad spending it on me.

Still, I think we're going to work it out so I get an 'allowance' and then I won't feel as bad. Something low like $5 every other week would be good...keep the stash down but still be able to get what I need. :)

I THINK WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME BOAT. i HAVE BEEN MAKING QUILTS FOR KIDS USING MY OVER RUN STASH . AND i HAVE USED A LOT but NOW i WANT TO MAKE BLANKET FOR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN COMING HOME AND tHE ONES IV'E CHECKED INTO WANT YOU TO USE RED , WHITE AND ,BLUE . wELL THAT MEANS BUYING MORE MATERIAL. SO WHAT'S A GAL GONNA DO? WOLD LOVE SOME CLEAR CUT GOOD ANSWERS IF THERE ARE ANY . THANKS RONDA

NO! there will be a time when you will want something and the only place you will find the right fabric---is you stash. How about color coding it that way it will not seem so bad when you look at it. I just bought-3meters of seeded homespun, 3meters cream, 3 meters black and 4meters of mint green-all homespun and a strip of Japanese panel fabric--today--all on special of 20%off. but spent a further $100 last week. Now I have to fight the wind so I can wash it all, iron it and put it all in the appropriate colored boxes. when it's there it does not seem so much. So go ahead and buy it when you see it other wise it wont be available when you need it.

Definitely a huge epidemic of that quilter's pox "SABLE"
"Stash Accumulation Beyond Life Expectancy"!

When our members pass, the family usually brings what they don't want to the other members and we pick what we want and if she died of cancer etc. we pay what we can for what we take and it is donated the the persons favorite charity in their name. I have 5meters of material for $2, that was what was asked. It is one way we remember our friend and celebrate her life too. But it is sad seeing them gone.

I do have a stash -- small compared to what some of you write about -- but I'm trying to buy for a specific project rather then with the thought "I'll use that someday". However, my good intentions might change if I ever run across a garage sale of fabric!!

I have a large stash, and have nearly no time for serious quilting right now (homeschooling 4 kids, and babysitting a 2 yr old granddaughter 5 days a week). We also want to buy a house next year, and I realized that *sigh* 25 totes of fabric was too much- it does include flannel for kids pjs, and misc silky costume fabrics, but of course, mainly good old quilting cottons.I gave some away, and am selling the rest locally- keeping only my favorites, of course! Once you "divorce" yourself from the fabric, its very freeing to see it go.

I use my stash for lap robes , I send some to the Va with my son. The guys and gals dont care if it is red,white and blue or not . I send my scrappy ones and they love them.

are you going to sell here on the site as well. I am looking for stash builders for my scraps
Patsy

Big Stash? Yeah, I have one. Not as big as my mom's though! A lady in my Knit-Cro-Sew Club asked me to teach her to quilt. She has very little extra money for supplies right now. So tomorrow when we get together with another member of the club the fabric will appear from my stash. I am going to enjoy my fabric one way or the other. She gets to learn something new to her and I get to play with my fabric. And if anyone just insists on parting with their stash, it can come and live at my house. Someone will use it somewhere along the line.

"in all things moderation" is my motto. It reminds me of that old saying "she that dies with the most material....dies anyway.

I had a lot of "It was a good idea at the time" fabric that had not become quilts, mis matched,remnant, odd pieces etc. I got the pattern for "Little Dresses for Africa" online, and used a lot of them! The dresses were easy and look so cute, and I was able to work down my stash a bit.

I really don't have that problem, as I cant afford to by the fabric. God bless.

I would agree. I read this about another stash item- yarn. " Why can't I just collect it. Other people collect things that they don't do anything with..." She put her pretty yarns out in baskets! I don't know if you could do that with fabric..but why not? The stores do it- so we'll buy it!! LOL.
Seriously though, I have been reading the articles about hoarders too and it's a little scary. 2 points that were made; were that they felt "things" could be trusted, not people. And many of them were depressed and anxious about other areas of their lives. I'm sure many of us can relate to "shopping therapy", but it really doesn't work. Things don't make you feel better. It's finding that balance - enough but not too much. Best wishes to all of us!!

Yes, I've had the problem for years. It started watching my mom tear apart old clothes to make something for us kids to wear. Maybe that is why it is so hard to resist nice new fabric. I have in my life(75) bought so many yards!! Now I get my 'fix' by looking at it on the 'net. I do that until the word quilt make me sick! It fixes me for quite a spell. Maybe this can help someone. That and knowing, there is no way it will ever be sewn up by 'the buyer'. :) :)

I have a group of ladies that quilt on Monday nights. ALL of them, except me, had not sewn or anything in the past. I remember when we first started, the other employees here teased them about "getting old" because they were going to make a quilt. That was about 6 months ago. Now on Mondays, the first thing we do is look at all the "great pcs" each found over the weekend. These gals didn't know what a "stash" was, now they all have one!! every spare minute is spent talking, sharing and laughing. OCD? YES!