Starting a stash... what would you include?
 

If you were to start to build a stash from scratch, what fabrics would you recommend as being very important to include?

And if you already have a stash, are there any fabrics that you thought were must-haves, but didn't turn out to be useful?

Good topic - I think the answer(s) will depend on what people like to make.

I think a really good black is a 'must have' - I love the intensity of the Michael Miller black - I'm not so impressed with the fabric itself.

Blenders/textures are useful to me.

I would like the white-on-whites to be more 'substantial' - many of them seem so thin/flimsy on the 'plain' part of the fabric.

When I came back to quilting, I took a quilt "color" class and we looked at all kinds of fabric, too. I love geometric designs (bold and subtle), Kansas Troubles, prints that read solid, black, red, orange and almost all Blank Quilting. We were encouraged to use our color wheels in adding fabrics to our stash. I have a nice collection now. BUT I found that the Fairy Frost I got was a little flashy for me or maybe I just haven't found the right project. If it ends up not being right, I will take the rotary cutter to it and it will be in a scrap quilt.

Black, 200 count muslin, various marbles, blenders or other tonal fabrics would be a good start, along with some various prints in the persons favorite colors or themes. Personally, I like bright and soft shades, along with batiks. I'm not into the civil war prints or much of Moda's muddy colors.

I guess I am a bad stash builder..I just buy what I like when I want it...When there is a good sale, I buy even more..When I go to use some as focus fabric, I end up usually going out to buy the coordinating fabrics. Of course this leads to more stash!!

I'm not sure I would set out to 'buy a stash' as "Stash happens". In fact, if I had to start from scratch, I'm not sure I would know where to start.

In the beginning, I was making two charm quilts -- one with blues (ended up with about 225 different fabrics) and one with music theme fabric (at least 170 different fabrics). Since I only needed a 6" square from each I ended up with plenty of both buying 1 FQ at a time (i still have 2 drawers full of music fabric). Another time, I collected bright FQs during a shop hop to make a couple of baby quilts. Again, plenty of extra fabric left over -- ended up making 230 Flying Geese plus the piano key border for a twin size quilt, gave a stack of squares to a friend, another baby quilt and STILL had fabric left over, although not as much.

At one time I collected cat fabrics (FQs). I'm not positive what I was going to do with them. Still don't know, but I've at least cut into them. I also have a box of florals, which I'm not sure how I've accumulated. Others I've collected for samplers I'm working on -- 30's; red & white; black & white.

I've used a whole bolt of a gorgeous purple and pink batik over the past 10 years; Kona Cotton Snow has gone into a couple of 30s samplers. 15 yards of Kona Cotton black has also been used. But these are fabrics I've purchased with specific plans for. I'm not sure I'll buy the black again -- I do dislike the lint it collects. I keep thinking I have enough of the Snow, but seem to run out and I have no idea what I would do with more of the batik.

i built my stash on colors that i enjoy. i found, though, that i loved making quilts for other people and needed to purchase colors that they loved. so, i would say, have a diversity of fabric colors.

Have beem quilting for ten years and never needed black until recentky! The only thing I would advise is neutrals - whies, creams, beiger, tan, etc.

If I had to build a stash it would start with neutrals , tone on tone type fabrics. Then I would build in colors that I like to decorate, then some Chistmas or holiday ... as there is always a gift that needs to be made.

Blenders are always good. I just purchase more than I need for every project.