You had four walls and a room full of fabrics and you have sold or gave it away and are down to less than 200 yards?
In the last year I have been selling just about everything I won't use because of "too much". I used to want the most fabric and now I am hpapy with a more organized room. Besides, anyone who came to visit left with a good box of fabric.
Now I am content using what I have but I feel so "empty".

My thought is I can now buy more of the newer fabrics coming out but in moderation this time, I don't buy just to use to give to someone else, I don't buy because it is on sale and pretty, etc.

I know there are stash builders out there, just wandering if anyone else is happy having a smaller, more manageable stash.

She who dies with the most fabric wins...really? Then what good was it to me? ROFL.

And last but not least, I know those buying from me are enjoying the fabrics and all. Makes me smile. :thumbup:

I do not want a big stash just to much to keep up with I have been down sizing for the last 7 years in every way so keep building more stash?? Most of time you do not have enough in stash without buying something to go with it anyway

Absolutley!

Debbie, I have been trying to follow your example and remove from my house whatever I know I won't ever use. I have sent lots of stuff off to people who have expressed interest, and it so far hasn't seemed to make a dent!! But I will keep working. I have discovered some wonderful fabric I forgot about while digging through the stacks :D

Well I have quite a stash myself...I worked at my LQS for a couple of years and I just bought yardage of all the lines that came in that I liked.
The problem with me is this:

1. I either don't want to cut into those sets because they are a set all from the same line....or because they are now unavailable...so if I use them I won't have any left (What a hoarder!)...so I need to save them for something *special*...This is crazy talk!

2. If I have it in my stash and I "LOVE" it.....if my LQS still has it I will leave it in my stash and go buy more. See how crazy I am?

3. My stash is so big ...I don't want to go searching thorugh it to find just what I need...so I go buy more.
OR
I find that my stash is all the same colors becuase I buy what I am attracted to...and most of it doesn't work

4. Those beautiful lines of fabric that I buy......I think I have hardly made a quilt only using one line of fabric ( maybe a jelly roll quilt or something)....because why?? I think because it's so matchy-matchy and I always have to have something to break it up.

So I am tying to think about dwindling the stash down by using it! In reality...isn't there always going to be something pretty that comes out that I will fall in love with all over again?
Probably. So I just need to use it and enjoy it until something else catches my eye.....
I signed up for a Judy Niemeyer class.....I am making her pattern called "Japanese Fan".....I pulled everything out of my stash to make it.... can tell you now..my quilt will look nothing like the picture...and I doubt anyone in the class will have something similiar to what I am making. But I am making myself stick to this plan. :thumbup:

Cathy, that is funny. Maybe you can bring some to the OCtober retreat and sell it on the sale table like we had last time. Those of us wgho bought things loved it. Just an idea. LOL. I really like less. It's more manageable. If I need to see a lot, then I will visit the Houston Street Merchantile and look around, or The FLying Needle or Cabbage Rose.

This weekend Joanieu and I are going to Mckinney to meet Olga and deliver her things from me. I am sure there are LQS's there to see. If you wanna join us, let me know. I can give you time and date as soon as she gets back with me. I knew we would go there to visit Mckinney soon. Saturdays the day.
Your dot fabrics are on the way .

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OMGosh. I am laughing still. Love your point of view and attitude. I have some I won't use because it is in a Collectors stash like Mark Lipinski, Kaffe, Mckenna Ryan, Betty Boop, etc. And a stash of batiks with fish and deer and other animals. So I still have fun things in my little stash. Thanks for sharing. Still gigling here.
Remember the Sable club...Stash accumulating Beyond Life Expectancy. :roll:

After reading various blogs on "cleaning up" fabric stashes, I looked upon my sewing room and my stash. Oh what a disaster. I then began looking for ways to organize my stash. Being a lover of scrap quilts, I do not want to get rid of any bit of fabric.

Yet, facing the reality that my stash is taking control of my sewing room...I had to do something. I have emptied out 4 large totes. Either by donating or cutting down to specific sized squares, strips and so on.

At this time, it still really does not look a whole lot different in my sewing room, but knowing that I am making a dent and progressing toward an organized efficient system keeps me going.

I really am enjoying the process and feel so much better knowing that be honest with myself about whether I will use it or not...giving it away and only keeping what I will use is my goal.

Yes, my stash is too big too. still! i've been making tops to move it along some what. and sold books and patterns, etc. I still have a long way to go but it does feel good to down size a bit!

So glad there are others de-stashing like me. It is very addicting to buy fabrics and NP3 made me see how much I spend just to put in this room. Now I have more control. At least for now. Love reading the stories.

I gave away most of my stash to local Project Linus groups last year. I only kept fabric that I really have something in mind for, plus nine shoebox-sized plastic boxes of "souveniers".

Is it still a stash? Yes, just a very small one. I can't take it with me anyway, and nobody in my family would want it... so why not let it go to somebody who can use it?

I'm fine with the results.

Hi Debbie!
I downsized my stash and honestly I'm a lot happier. I let go of stuff I know I won't use and it feels good to give to someone you know will use it.
Now I have only the fabbies I love and am buying more prudently for 2 reasons:
1. I don't have the money for my former spending habits.
2. I have 3 sons and dread leaving tons of fabric someday to them LOL LOL
Hope you're doing well!!
Hugs, Sue

PS. I can now go in my sewing room and not have a panic attack!! Nice bonus hahahaha

I am careful buying stash because that will take the fun out of buying fabric for that particular quilt pattern I want to make. Most of us have more fabric than we will ever be able to use, even if we sewed 24/7! I used to do this with scrapbooking also. I would buy all this paper, yet when I had a particular page I wanted to do, I would have to go buy "special" paper for it. I now have probably 25 lbs of scrapbook paper! But, let's face it, paper can be bought on sale for $.20/sheet! I only buy stash when I get a REALLY good deal on it, otherwise, I must have a particular quilt in mind to buy fabric.

Fortunately, since I live in a two-bedroom apartment, I simply don't have room for a monster stash. And it's not as bad as it sounds. I pretty much can think of every piece of yardage, FQ, and scrap that I own, making it easier to find what I need. I don't even have a designated sewing space. All my sewing supplies - machine, fabric, notions, everything - fit under a twin bed and within a small TV stand. I had to make a rule for myself: if it doesn't fit in those areas, I can't keep it. And I pretty much don't buy fabric unless I need it for something specific. It saves space and lots of money too!

This small space seems to work for me, since I am very disorganized by nature. I LOVE the beautiful sewing rooms so many of you post here, but that's a luxury I just don't see in my near future.

Favorite Fabrics...When NP3 and GRamma Mo were here for the retreat, we actually bagged up 5 bags of fabrics to go to my Project Linus Chapter. Yes I could have sold it, but the quilts it makes for them brings a bigger smile.
NP3 did scrap booking while here too to make me a Retreat scrap book and I could not believe the prices on the supplies. Of course she used Creative Scrapping items. I will not do like before and buy out the stores when I start a new hobby. I will buy by the project. Especially with today's prices.
Do I worry about fabric prices going up nd not being able to afford it??? Nope, there are always sales. LOL

I like it!!! I really do not want more than what I have and being a beginner quilter, reading you makes me want to get organized NOW lolll and use scraps for crazy quilt as soon as I have enough
I do not want it to become a burden instead of a pleasure
Thank you ladies for "telling" me to destash
Loll

helou - love your avatar. YOu can look at stashes of members on the QB and stare in Awe. It's amazing I wasn't alone with my four wall stash. And now I am not alone with my half wall stash. Oh still have a shelf of FQ'q and kits. But manageable. Fun..fun..fun...

While I can't say that I only buy for the project at hand I also can't say that I have what most would consider a stash. My "stash" would probably fit into 2 med totes. I have one sm bin w/fabric for baby quilts; one for raq quilts (sq already cut, ready to sew together) and then one for my patriot fab. I have found some fabric that I love and get not knowing what I'll use it on but normally find something. If I leave it without putting it into a quilt then how can I truely enjoy it. If I'm taking a class is the only time I buy most of the fabric for a project at one time. Most of the time I try to see if I have the focus color on hand and if it's enough or if I have what goes with it. I'm just now getting my sewing room setup and it's great to see fabric that I had forgotten that I had come out so I'm glad I don't have the stashes like some of you; I'd never come out of my sewing room. I wish I could buy more but I have space constraints and money constraints. I will confess though; I spend more on my quilting items than anything else that I do.

My stash is mostly FQ's and 1/2 yards... for small quilts, and many were given to me by quilter friends. When I want to make a big quilt, I go shopping...

And I love my little stash! It's fun for me to start pulling fabrics out and seeing how they spark each other. Much easier for me than going to a shop and searching...

I can lay out some pieces and meditate on them for a few days before deciding which ones I want to use for a project.. Works for me...

I have a small stash compared to most quilters. But it is probably way more than I will ever be able to make into quilts. I have slowed down on buying fabric lately. But my stash is all folded neatly and on shelves in two cabinets. I may add more if I get another cabinet.

I consider myself to have a small stash. Probably less than a hundred yards. I also have a lot of pre-cuts I bought when connecting threads had a good sale. I am still a fairly new quilter and thought that a stash would be a good thing. The problem is that the things I have in my stash I never seem to use. So I have decided not to add to my stash. Once I am finished making the quilts from the kits (I think 4) then I will try to use up some of the stash to cut down the amount I have. I hope to be starting a family within the next couple of years and know that my quilting will slow down. I will not want to store all that fabric when I have kids and have to store all of their stuff. Our house is only so big and I don't want it to be cluttered.

I'm with you! No more buying becuase its pretty. I too am destashing.

thank you Debbie I love cats, can't you tell loll (I like dogs also but cats suit my life style better for now) it is a counted cross stich
I have looked at some members' pictures of their stash and it's beautiful. I have one large plastic bin and a small one and for now it's more than I might need for the next 10 years and I am happy not too be overwhelmed by it. I kind of watched your progress Debbie for the last few months (did you not post pictures of it) and I am glad that your are happy with the outcome....
:thumbup:

i do have a large stash but i have always been extremely selective of what i will buy or even accept for free.

if i know i won't use it or don't like it i will not buy it or accept it - not even for charity quilts.

i learned long ago that i only enjoy working on quilts that are made with fabrics that speak to me.

so even if its free or a buck a yard if it doesn't speak to me i don't want it.

I agree, I use the fabric I have and add bit when I NEED it and now only buy 1 yard or less. I don't need to have the biggest stash, just enough to sew as I like

I thought my stash was small, but now I know it is. 100 yds? 200 yds? you guys my stash is no more than 10-12 yds. I guess I need to start shopping!

Debbie, I also enjoyed reading your progress as you detashed. I've been detashing, but have a way to go. I've never bought yards and yards of any one fabric; guess I've always loved the scrappy look. I hope in the future to be making charity quilts; right now, I'm still making quilts for my family and to sell as quilt tops.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories.

Ditto. Thanks to everyone for sharing. And yes I had one of those ROom reorganizing topics, several. It was a long process. LOL.

Most of my fabric is 30 years old, more or less. It is my goal to sew up my fabric before I die. I rarely buy fabric. I would love to buy some new fabric, but I am pretty commited to using what I have. I do buy solids, but that is about all and only when they are on sale.

I am finding it challenging to work within the boundaries of what I already have. It's kinda funny. I bought what I liked so most of it goes together pretty well. I used to back my quilts with muslin or a solid, but now I use my stash. It was hard to do at first, but I am enjoying my creative backings.

Good luck to everyone on their stashes!

I have no interest in a stash, seems it all just gets sold off for cheap at estate sales when the person dies, and they didn't even get to enjoy it. I want to use my fabric

I have been working all summer to clear out some of my OLD stash. Not fond of those fabrics anymore. It is amazing how long it takes to use up what one has. Would need three lifetimes!!!!!!!!!

I had cleared out most of my stash and then got about 200 yards at an estate sale. It is really unmanageable but I can get my stash into 5 bins (redoing my sewing room to make room for quilting frame). Anyway, I am glad I don't have a huge mobile home for just my fabric anymore.

I was going to post the same question regarding a "stash". I started sorting mine last night and was wanting to ask how you sort your fabric. I went through ten big totes and have hardly made a dent in what I have. So far, I have sorted by theme; i.e., Halloween, Christmas, florals, novelties, homespuns, solids, reproductions (Civil War and 30's). I am inundated and overwhelmed with fabric. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!!!

I love it! SABLE club-- stash accumulating beyond life expectancy!!
I have to be a lifetime member of this club, I built a stash when I was sewing and not quilting. So I have even more fabrics to contend with.
I do give away what I know I will never use, or I make community quilts with fabrics I don't care for anymore.

Walls of fabric? SABLE? Bought it just cause I liked it? Sold most of it over the last year or two?

Were you writing about me?

LOL with a shout - That sums me up too well Charismah!
Debbie you can tell from all your replies that you are not alone!

DH made me a deal - if I can use up/sell/give away 50% of my stash within 1 year and 4 months, he's going to buy me a Nolting for my 30th birthday! So I'm in severe clean up mode.. I want that Nolting!

So glad to see that you have "managed the stash" and are feeling good about it.

Morning Debbie and congrats on getting your stash under control. My problem is I have three sections--1 for Project Linus donations; 1 for Guild charity quilts and 1 for myself of high end fabrics. Just as soon as I get my Project Linus tub about empty, along comes another box delivered of odds and ends to make headway upon.

Oh well, some day I will get to that third stack of fabrics--My Stack! lol