Since I sew very scrappy, even the 'uglies' get used in my quilts --- as Bonnie Hunter says..."if its still ugly you didn't cut it small enough!". I don't get rid of anything that can be used in quilts. My problem is yard sales & thrift stores -- I have to force myself to leave, and take only a pre determined amount of money to spend, or it gets absolutely ridiculous! I can spend $100 easily, buying small cuts, XXL men's shirts (GREAT sources of plaids, stripes, etc), oversized women's clothes, etc, that have very good, sturdy fabric that are great for quilts. Mind you, that's on top of 40 years of buying lengths of fabrics, and scraps from many, many quilts...

More power to you....shop until you drop.

I, too, have done this. I hit 2 LQS going-out-of-business sales back in the early 90's and my husband encouraged me to buy, buy, buy - said the cost of fabric would only go up and this way I would have a bunch to work with - boy, I miss that man! But every time I use a piece of that fabric, I hug it and think of him!

LOL I can see my daughters now going through my sewing room saying " now we know she was nuts" !!! Hopefully I will have time to destash before I go to the quilting room in the sky!!!!

I can truly relate to what you are saying. If I see a sale that is too good to pass up, and I can afford to do so, I buy it, especially if it is a fabric that I use a lot, like white and beige background fabrics, usually tone on tone, and adorable baby quilt fabric, seasonal fabrics, and specialty items/fabrics for making bags/totes, etc. Then when the mood to sew/quilt attacks, I don't have to run to the fabric store to buy it, where I would most likely spend even more money. LOL. I tend to work in "cycles", making baby quilts, gift items for craft fairs, totes, purses, as I feel I'm more efficient when I can sort of work assembly like on the projects.

My best remedy for not buying fabric and batting is to tell myself; "we have extra bills this month. There will be another sale come along before very long." I just have talk myself out of some of these 'things.'
Maruah

Life isn't fair. So any beautiful fabrics and so little money and storage space! I feel your pain. :-)

With the price of cotton going up up up - I've made a commitment for this year to make only quilts that I can pull fabric from my stash - except for backing pieces - but I've been known to piece fabric for the backing also. I've thus made it to March - hope I can survive the year; and if I do make the year that I can see a difference in my stacks of fabric. Wish me luck!

You can never have too much batting, and it's always better when you get it on sale. As my oh, so wise sister told me before she bought me 7 king size batts, "It doesn't make noise; it doesn't eat; it doesn't spoil."

Think of it as a hedge against future price increases. And who doesn't need to build some stash for that snowed-in day where you can't get to the store to get that one thing that will complete a project. I think I have more than I will ever complete but I can't keep away from those perfect-for-me prints when I see them on sale. So what if I have a lot of fabric? Coin collectors don't spend their coins! So, maybe I am partially just a fabric collector! Cheaper than therapy, I'm sure, LOL!!

ETA - hideous fabrics make great bindings, ask me how I know!!