My stash is a bit over the top but nothing like that! I have shelves in my sewing room and have the fabrics assorted by color, feed sacks, large pieces for backs and vintage. I have purchased a large part of the fabrics at house sales and at this point, I stay away from the calico in Jo-Ann's. I run in grab what I need (usually thread or lining)and go straight to the check-out counter! I still get caught at house sales or thrift shops but I will NOT let it outgrow my sewing room!

My stash does include several kits that I plan on making soon. Usually the kits contain more than enough material and I add to my stash - keeps it going.

Have you tried talking to your friend about maybe having a quilt in day with a lot of quilters (experienced ones and new ones). She could provide materials and they could each make a quilt to share.
To me her stash sounds like a great place for 4-Her's/girl scouts to learn about fabric and make a neat item.
What we think is ugly they may love.
I would suggest that being she loves material so much, she sould share and see the faces of those who receive.

A stash is too big when you looking at it no longer lifts your spirits.

I know I'll never use all of my stash, but visiting fabric stores is so much fun, and I watch for them everywhere we go. It just makes me feel good! I love sorting through my stash, and often donate a few pieces to a quilting club at a local church that makes quilts for fundraisers. Sometimes I share with friends. My husband doesn't complain, he knows it makes me happy. Now that the cost of fabric is increasing so much, I'm especially happy that I have my collection.

I figure I could have worse addictions. If fabric is my biggest vice, my husband and family shouldn't complain.

I have to be honest on this topic. I lost two people, both quilters, who were very close to me in the past couple of years. I inherited their quilting rooms, except for the machines. But even before, I realized I was 'tired' of some of my own fabric, and that I had to quit buying. I like to buy, and in order to buy a new piece now and then, I decided to use up the majority of my stash, and then supplement when necessary. I got the stash way low, then was able to add some very good bargains over the XMas sales...whew, new fabrics :)

I will never have mine as large as the other womens - who died before they could even come close to using it all. What a waste. As a person with a brain tumor, I do realize how quickly this could happen for me (but hopefully not!). Therefore, I use what I have, will not outgrow my storage space, and buy a new piece every now and then as needed to complete a quilt - but no/very few spontaneous purchases for me. I think I've been quilting long enough to see there's not that much value in hoarding fabrics...when your taste and quilting style may change at any moment, as mine have done more than once :)

Just my personal thoughts :)
Debbie in Austin

when is your stash too Big?
when youre featured on Hoarders

My husband astutely pointed out that this is a self-limiting problem at our house. When I run out of room to store it in my ample sewing room, I'll necessarily stop buying it. If I have to box it up so that a can't touch and admire it, then what's the point?

I made a decision when I started to quilt, that I would try to do it on the cheap. Not necessarily with cheap fabric, but good fabric bought cheaply. At the time we were in and out of thrift stores 3 or 4 times a week. Whenever I found good material I liked at a reasonable price, I bought it. I now have maybe 4 or 5 document box size totes full, plus 1 and 1 1/2 closets, half a rolling tower. Our 2nd bedroom is very disorganized and is set up as a very inefficient office. Recently, I suggested to DH we turn it into a quilting room and got the ok. Now we need to decide how to do it, and I'm in the process of trying to wind all my material on comic book boards.

I generally sew in the dining room on a sewing desk with 4 drawers and with a chair next to me piled with projects. I have also thought that it would make more sense to swap the chair out, get rid of the pile of projects and substitute a dresser for the storage and then leave the top clear for a pressing surface.

A long, not always relevant post, but I too have joined the don't buy too much until I have used up some of my stash group. I must confess I've recently bought a couple of pieces of yardage at Joann's on sale with coupons just out of sheer need to buy :D. I would not feel right about quilting if I had to buy fabric at LQS full retail prices, just me, but I have mostly been on a some what tight budget financially and especially when I first started quilting, we had just retired and didn't know how we would do, we had a lot of years ahead of us and no idea how much retirement would cost, how much income we would wind up with and how far it would go. As it turned out, we've done fine, but part of that was being frugal and building up the stash as I found bargains and I mean paying as little as $1 a yard :thumbup: