Oh and one more thing about my stash. I am a big Bonnie Hunter fan of "Quiltville" fame and after she spoke to our guild and I took her class, I am a reformed scrap saver. I use her system and it has really been wonderful! I sort all of the scraps at the end of a project into strings, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, 3 and 3 1/2 inch bins. If the scrap is 5 inches or less, I cut them into the above sizes and then I have a separate organizer for those. I further divide them into lights and darks. It has been great because of little side projects where I am doing something scrappy and I can just go to those bins and grab what I need. In the past year I have made two of her quilts and my daughters proclaim they are the prettiest ones I have made to date.

I used to think I had to much fabric. But since the cost of fabric is high and there isn't extra money like before. I'm glad I have extra fabric. I'm sure I will run out one day

Project Linus quilters? You can find them online or the local guild usually has info, or will pass it on. Of course you could send it to greedy little me.... :lol:

Remember, not all quilts have to be pieced. I've often made quilts where the front, back & binding are the same fabric. The quilts are about 42 inches wide & however long I want or can make them. Do some cross hatches on the front & you're done! Fast, easy & a great way to use up big pieces of fabric.

Early this spring I went through my sewing room and decided that I had way too much fabric, so I made a commitment to use it in charity quilts. I went on to EQ6 and made up some patterns for easy quilts that I could make up with small amounts of a single fabric. I have since completed 29 children's quilts and 15 adult quilts. Most are lap quilt size and were very easy to make. I still don't feel that I have made much of a dent in my stash, but by Christmas, I hope to have quite a few more completed.

i take fabric that has gotten on my nerves and made rag quilts somebody will take them aouple of them really thins out my stash

What is a tube block?

Good for you. It will feel so much better when you are finished.

If you are going to donate your fabric, try the local guild or ask at your LQS there are many gals making quilts for children in hospitals, our wonderful selfless Military, and for hospice and Nursing Home patients. Please be sure it goes where it will be used for charity.

I also plan to go thru my stash.

Always happy to give a good home to fabric about to be orphaned!! I get tired of ripping up clothes sometimes too, lol, but then other times I wonder what I would do while watching TV some evenings if I didn't have something to rip apart. Smiles and hugggs!!

When I find that fabric or craft items have taken over more room then I can spare, I find the local senior center is glad to take it off my hands. They make quilts,comforters, and such and donate them to local shelters. Also the Local animal shelters can use blanket material for bedding.
:) good luck to all

I did the same thing a wile ago. I kept 'blenders', but was able to part with floral prints I knew I wouldn't use and novelty prints that I've 'outgrown'. Some one would be thrilled with your donations!

check your PM's Need an address

well when u do decide to sort ur stash keep me in mind please .I make quilts for children with cancer and could really use all the fabric i can get and put it to good use .thank u PM for my address

Bobbie, your quilt is exquisite!! You must have a lot of patience and a good eye for color. It is a wonderful quilt.
Audrey :thumbup:

I am no where near having enough fabric, much less too much! But, I would love to be there if for no other reason than to aggravate my children when I die! :lol: :lol: :lol:

CAJAMK:
I have very very little space for my sewing and quilting, but heres what I do to get and stay organized:
1. Sort your fabric by size. I have mine in: 1/2 yard or bigger, fqs (and similar) and scraps; so 3 categories. It's an easy project to do in front of the tv.
2. Fold all fabric sizes similarly, and sort by colors.
3. Get it out of totes and baskets!! This is the easiest way to see it and not make it messy every time you're looking for just the right piece.

As you're going through, it's a good idea to start the DNTK (don't need to keep) pile. It's also encouraging to set 1-2 projects aside and together so you have something to start on!

I got some inexpensive bookshelves at Walmart that I have everything stored on. You can usually find shelves or bookcases at yard sales or craigslist if you have a little space to put them. I have everything sorted neatly (snort!) on the shelves- but at least I can see... most of it!!!

Good luck!

As long as you can get into the room. I would not consider it too much. I bought a 48x72" cabinet at Lowes and folded my fabrics with my ruler and stack it, it looks very neat and I can get to it all. I had it in 6 large rubbermaid containers before Hard to lift and harder trying to find the fabrics I wanted to use for a quilt. Liking my new way much better.

Beautiful scrappy quilt picture.
I too have made a quilt out of a large piece of fabric and usually do the ssme for the back and quilt it up, usually they are fabrics too pretty to cut into little pieces. They are very fast and a fast way to use up fabrics. Sometimes I put a contrasting border/borders on them to make them wider. Anyone would be happy to get these.
Beautiful stacks of quilts.

A member of our church had a yard sale of fabric that her aunt had when she died. It FILLED a double garage. I remember them saying that her house had just a path through all the fabric in the house. They even said there was a SOFA in the back room that no one even knew was there because it was buried under so much fabric!! I think this lady is contention for "winning"! :)

Wise words indeed!
Kind Regards,
MaryAnna

I'm at that point now, and I've made that promise to myself; BUT the only thing that upsets me is that all of these gorgeous new fabrics that are now in the shops won't be a part of my stash later on. What can a girl do? {{{{{{{swoon}}}}}}}

Our LQS has fabrics (that came to her from the family of a deceased quilter) for sale to benefit the missions in Haiti. She has all of this woman's patterns, fabrics, books, etc.

All mine has been given to me from the wonderful people on the board, as I am disabled and am still trying to get SSS. So I have no clue as to how much is to much. God bless.

I'm just beginning this journey, collecting for years & now have time to play. I save the clear tubs that pre-cut salad makings come in ( flimsy but seem to work well so far). They stack well fitted into one another, I can see clearly in, and catagorize the colors. There are so many ways to use even the tiniest of scraps. Get everything sorted out before you donate anything......

Also, for the big pieces I hang together, color coded. Easier to look through, add to than stacks. Also can figure yardage easier than stacked.

I am always looking for new patterns if anybody wants to give away any.

quiltsrus

You could stack crates on the side and you have instant shelves. You can see your stash and it only takes up about 12" X 15". I have a stack behind the bedroom door. I got the crates for $3.00 each and stacked 6 high. With the amount of fabric you have you may need more than 1 stack. You will want to concider covering if light or dust is an issue.

Crates are an excellent idea! Thank you for the suggestion.

I know this is really dumb of me to ask, but where do you find crates?

Not a dumb question - if you haven't had a need for one you wouldn't necessarily know. Asking questions is how we learn. And, believe me, we all ask plenty of them. Soooo - if you don't know ask away. We're all glad to help.

Crates can be found at K-Mart, Target, Bed/Bath/Beyond, Meijer's. They are big in college towns, too, for the back-to-school students. I've seen them at IKEA also.

I remember years ago we had one from our milkman for milk delivery. Does that age me or what?

Are you Kidding??!! ;)

Wal-mart. A lot of stores have them in the back to school area now. College students use them in the dorms. I have also found them in the hardware stores in the totes and storage area.

Thanks! I'm familiar with the milk crates. They were my salvation for storage in my classroom. I asked because I was thinking of wooden crates such as apple crates, etc. I am really dating myself.

:oops:

My sewing room is the same except I built in the verndah and put big shelves on 2 walls. I too am going through my fabric as I re- arrange the room to make it easier to get into the cupboards. I have 1 rows of plastic drawers 7 high as well as all the shelves are full of boxes full of color coded fabrics. I am still buying fabric as I see some thing I like. But I am making a baby quilt using most of the fabric from my stash. I will post the quilt when I finish it. I am thinking of doing a couple of blocks to take and show friends at the quilt group.