My "hoard" continues to grow. I make lots of things and use lots of fabric. Lots of times, I just can't resist the remnant bin. My take on this is that - you never know what will be the "perfect" fabric and.. I am saving for my retirement. Yeah - I know that isn't a good excuse but it's the only one I've got. I do mostly scrappy - bought three rems today that total about 1 1/2 yds. that cost me $6.21. I shop about once a month. I've saved all the rems that I've purchased for the last 3 months and will wrap them up to put them under the tree for me. I live alone and I'm really looking forward to the treat. If I haven't used it all by the time I die - I'm sure someone will enjoy the blast from the past that I've left behind.

It's interesting that I just found this thread after spending 8 hours trying to organize my sewing room today. I got disgusted with it. I can't really say it looks that much better, either. Lots of little stuff is out: thread, fabric donations I recently received, a friend's project, books, projects underway, UFOs, projects that are queued for cutting, piecing, needing a back, or quilting, needing a binding, etc. The biggest thing in the way is donated fabric, and I spent hours cutting some on the Accuquilt GO hoping it will take up less space and be easier to use. I make quilts for homeless families and people know that and give me fabric. I haven't done as much sewing lately as usual due to health challenges. I'm not using fabric up as fast as usual.

Hoarding? No, I use the fabric and give away quilts. It's inventory. It's just that I have too small of a house and very limited storage space, and this feels very cluttered. I do have my own fabric also, plenty of it. I bought it while I was working a job that always needed overtime, and there went my sewing time. Now I have the time.

I haven't purchased any fabric to speak of for a year or more, and before that, didn't buy much for years. One exception is fabric for a specific project. I don't collect anything else, like a hoarder might. Despite the current mess, I am usually reasonably well organized. I do give away fabric to others who are doing local charity work. You can walk through my house. I know where everything is.

I think that the storage space is just too limited for the space the charity quilting requires. I don't think it's hoarding, but the sheer volume of it makes it feel like it might be. Does that make sense?

I think of fabric as tools, or pantry/kitchen supplies.

Some people don't like "extra" in their house--their cupboards are basically bare. These are people who were actually "afraid" during Y2K. Others, who work from a "full pantry" idea, weren't fearful--they already have enough on hand, probably, in a pinch, for a month of food. (Maybe not ideal menus, but food nonetheless).

It is my guess that these same people who get uneasy at the thought of having extra fabric around, probably don't buy extra food--they don't work out of the "pantry method" of food shopping--they prefer more day to day or week to week shopping.

I think it is more of personality thing.

I honestly don't think it is hoarding if you are constantly using it.

I love having fabric around--but too much can be too much to organize. When you spend more time organizing, cleaning up around, etc. than using/sewing with your fabric, then you've probably got too much.

Hoard?...no....I fully intend on using every bit of fabric I have. When? Who knows! I made four wall hangings, all from my stash...I have at least 4 or 5 more "ideas" rolling around in my head that I know I have enough fabric for...but I also know that there's fabric on bolts, in the store calling my name!!

Congratulations on finding a job Carolyn.

It's not the stash, hoard, collection that's growing, it's our houses that are shrinking. It's a well known fact that creative, intelligent and loving women, quilters in fact, exude warmth which dries out their houses causing shrinkage and therefore their stash, hoard, collection only "appears" to be somewhat large in volume.

My brother refers to my stash of fabric as stuff, which I need to get rid of. Therefore to his mind I am a hoarder and it all needs binning even quilts. I just think iam an untidy stash storer.

I've just started quilting. So far I've only bought new fabric for the quilt I'm working on now. I've also bought used flannel shirts for my next quilt and if I see a fabric I like in the thrift store I'll pick it up for future projects. So far the daughter has claimed most of them. I also want to build a small inventory of different threads and other sewing essentials so I don't need to buy a bunch of stuff for every project. It doesn't hurt to keep an inventory of fabrics or other supplies you know you're likely to use on hand.
Rodney

I put out a fair amount of quilts... but I also feel that my stash is getting bigger and bigger. Part of it is due to the fact that when I order from Fabricshack (which is the only place which gives me reasonable "bang for my buck") I have to order 7 yards.
I really try to think ahead on what I might require on the next project - but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Right now I have decided that there is no more quilting fabric coming in. Only quilts going out. If I don't have the right color, tough luck, I just have to stick with what I have.
Well, maybe I have hording tendencies but I'm keeping watch on it and try to "walk the line".

I am not a hoarder just a gatherer of pretty fabrics!