Would you?
 

I have been doing well using up fabric during the pandemic.

Now - a relative of mine has offered me 3 boxes of fabric after cleaning out a family member's house. I have not seen it yet but am thinking a lot of it will be from the 80's and 90's. Should I take it, would you? I guess I could go thru it and share with my quilting group.

Absolutely. If its not to your taste - pass it along to the charity quilters.

Yes I would. Go through it, take what you want and then share with others or donate somewhere.

Wouldn't be a question for me, absolutely! I feel like there's sure to be *something* cool/usable in there, and yes, the rest to donation, or stuff for me to practice new skills on.

Yes - but with the proviso that I could pass on what I did not want to keep.

Absolutely!!! Nuff said.

Take it, but don't promise to use it. Just say that you will look thru it and decide what's best for it. Whether it's your own stash, community quilts or the trash. Not all saved fabric is worthy fabric. Sometimes it falls apart, sometimes it's polyester, and it may just be ugly. Use what you want or pass it on.

Always! You never know what kind of treasures there will be. As others have said it can always be donated to a charity group of quilters if it is not to you taste. I have a number of fabrics in my stash that are dated to back in the 90's or even earlier. There may be hiding in all these fabrics that missing piece of fabric that you always wanted.

Hello from a little south of you (Winnebago). Yes, especially since you've been good using up your stash during the pandemic!

Of course you should take it and go through it, keep what you want and disperse the rest to the world. But watch out, somehow word spreads that you accept fabric and people start handing it to you...

The ladies in my quilting group and I are often given handfuls to full stashes to help deal with them. We go through, clear out the trash, sort into quilting and non quilting and then donate the non-quilting fabrics and offer the quilting fabrics to others we know and then various forms of donations. A couple of interesting things I've posted here and sent far away :)

We have a textiles recycling group a hundred miles or so away, I volunteered to take the "non quilting" yardage up there, we had all sorts of things from canvas to bridal netting and then Covid struck. 6 months later they have still not reopened and half my couch is somewhere under 3 feet of yardage donations. I will most likely be placing a free offer on Craig's List -- must take all! I should ask my local thrift store if they will accept a prepacked container of poly blend yardage and large scraps. They used to, but I don't know about now.

I just took a box that was loaded down with fabric not too long ago, I haven't had much of a chance of going through it, other than look to see what patterns there are and what kind of fabric. I got it from a son whose mother quilted for years but recently had a severe stroke and she asked him to take the box and either give it to someone or throw it in the trash. Some of it seems to be poly-cotton, but she is what I call an 'over-starcher quilter', meaning everything is so stiff that I'm actually afraid to fold any of it or it might snap. So I'm going to have to soak the entire box of fabric in hot water to get all the starch off and then assess if any of it is useable for quilting.

I never say no to free fabric. The way I see it, I'm potentially saving someone else from getting ahold of fabric that might not be quilt quality, and if they're new to quilting, it could spell disaster for them.

I don't understand the concept of turning down free fabric! I always say yes! even if I turn around and give it away for free later....

Probably. Can you look at it first? Also, do you have an idea of the quality and fabric content?

https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png Yes, You may wonder what could have been if you don't take the chance to see it.

Oh yes I would! Go through it and take what you want then as everyone said, donate the rest. I personally donate to my group of quilting buddies and to a church group that quilts for worthy causes.

Yes, I would. Our little group at our local Art Center was given some bags/boxes of fabric, which we went through and found lots of good stuff, one of the things that was found was a bed sized top, with a date of 2/1920. You never know what you might find.

Definitely a yes if it were me! It's so much fun to go through it if nothing else. Just donate what you can't use. Another idea for donation places is to see if your local high school/vocational school has classes that do sewing and contact the teacher to see if any could be used. Good luck and hope you find some great stuff!

In a heartbeat!! First, I'm a very scrappy quilter, second, I'm on an extremely tight budget! I take anything offered, sort, wash, add the selected fabric to my stash, and offer the rest on our swap table at guild or give to Goodwill.

Our thrift shop takes in fabrics. They also have a group of ladies that make quilts from some of this fabric and put the finished quilts up on an auction to help keep the thrift shop open. Its ran by our local disability organization. In the past when I go thru my fabrics and pull what I don't like anymore I'll send it over to them. One time I sent 7 large brown paper bags full of yardage never to see it on their shelves so they must have given it to the ladies to make up quilts. I'm just glad someone made use of it.

Yup...

and what doesn’t appeal to you can be passed on.

Totally agree. You never know what you'll find and can use.

My dear friend that was also a quilting buddy until she could no longer see well enough to sew, went into an assisted living facility and her daughter gave me all of her fabric. Some of it dated back to the 60's. But most of it she and I bought together in the late 80's and early 90's. I went thru it with my current quilting buddy so when we were done it went to the thrift store. Much of it we may never use - or we may decide to make a lot of retro donation quilts. Or my daughters will be giving it away when I am gone - but one never knows. I grew up with the "It is better to have it and not needed, that to need it and not have it."

Yes, for numerous reasons. I would want to honor the quilter, by finding homes for their stash (be it in mine or pass it to someone that would/could use it). Older quilting fabric is usually a better quality than what is available today. Sorting through stash is fun and you might discover fabric that you need (backings, neutrals, basics). Inheriting a stash pushes us into different color pallets or different styles of fabric than we normally choose, and allows us to experiment for free. If your stash is bursting at the seams, then keep what you want and pass along what you don't and gives you an opportunity to pass along some of your own stash. Lastly, you are helping the destasher - you have given them peace of mind that the stash will be used. This is a win for all involved.

Definitely! Never turn down anything that someone want s to donate. Even if you can't use it
you can always donate and/or offer to friends. Plus which it cold be something you have always wanted.

I never get this lucky. If I ever do I would accept it and use for donation quilts. I now use my own fabrics, buy batting and backing. I am slowing down a bit but, I still try to donate 30 or so quilts to foster kids in my county.

Yes-I would take it and either make charity quilts if you wish or share it among your quilting friends

Just as it disappoints me that some downplay the options available at JoAnn's, it disappoints me that there are some comments here about polyester fabrics. Personally, there are some qualities of the poly/cotton blends that I like. I like the sheen that polyester has given to some of my quilts. I do not have to be concerned that poly black will fade as cotton does. Polyester has much less chance of bleeding. Cotton is a natural substance that with time can deteriorate. Polyester will last forever. Just think of all that double knit that we used to have--it will never die!--only snag maybe?
Generations of women who put scraps into quilts would be so offended by the quilters of today who think fabrics have to meet a standard to make a quilt. Waste not, want not became their motto and look at how we treasure those vintage creations.

Use what you can from that stash and share what you don't want. Use your imagination and creativity without concern what the "quilt police" think. Chances are they won't be showing up at your door anyhow.!

I wanted to edit my comment but this is what's coming up so I'm adding one more comment. If you find there are double knits in that stash, you might consider simply cutting that into squares or rectangles, stitching into something interesting and simply tying them for donation quilts. Double knit stands up well to use and laundering that it is great for utility quilts.

Well said, Illinois!

Yes, take it and then apply your own good wisdom as to what is to keep for your own use and what should be passed on. This is a blessing to you and eventually to others who will receive quilts from you in the future.

Take it. I've been looking at my stash for a while and would like something different. I'd sort very critically, don't want to increase my stash.