Darcyshannon

I have a pretty good sized stash. I am avoiding quilt stores because it is too hard to see cute fabric and not buy. I am making my DH a wall hanging for one of our rooms but it is out of solids, so not too expensive.

I have scraps, love the posssiblities and colors. I have yardage, mainly of blenders. I have a goal of finishing three larger quilts this year and some smaller ones including wall hangings. I will only buy fabric if I need it for a backing etc. I already have the fabric for the quilts I am making.

The only regret I have is some of the individual purchases. Some of my “must haves” have turned into “what was I thinking” but it is still nice soft quality cotton so I will cut it up and with other fabrics in a scrappy quilt it will add color and texture.

I enjoy being inspired by my stash and shopping it. I like knowing I don’t have to shop to start a new project or in many cases to find the right fabric. I even have some fabric I have saved for backings.

I hope to make more charity quilts. I want people to feel the care and support in the quilt wherever life takes them.

I too want to teach children to quilt and I have plenty of fabric to share.

Butterfli19

I wondered if there was a connection and that's ok. There has to be a balance.

Right now my 8-1/2 year old grandson wants me to make him a shirt using a hawaiian print. Saturday we went out and I picked up Simplicity 8852 but it's not so easy to find hawaiian prints in New Hampshire, lol.

craftyheart2

I probably have a medium stash by Australian standards. I love to sew scrappy - I have only made about 4 quilts using a small number of fabrics (maybe 3-5). I had a lot of fabric donated recently because I make a few charity quilts each year, I also sew with a small group of friends who also do charity sewing as a group occasionally. I am happy to donate fabric for borders and backings when asked - even though I am probably not the only one who could. Tonight I have cut out 9 breast cancer cushions without having to purchase anything and I will probably donate many more. A small bag of scraps makes me as happy or happier than yardage.

Julie

SillySusan

Bearisgray, you did it again! You always bring up something intriguing to ponder.

Yes, I have a huge, huge stash. I was a volunteer at a thrifts shop and became the Craft Lady! Since I am a Depression Baby, and have a bit of a hoarding gene, it was impossible for me not to buy every pretty, and not so pretty, fabric that came in.

After I 'retired' from that retirement volunteer position, and had time to survey my house, I realized that I really went overboard big time!

Do I regret my indiscretion? In a way, but life is too short to grieve. I am just trying to correct the situation... by not buying any more fabric at all! And, sewing like mad! And, thank the Lord, I am seeing progress! I am making baby and kid quilts for donations. I have no idea how many I've made. I'm too busy to count them.

For the record, I have only one working sewing machine and only about a dozen quilting books. --- But I have 100s of novels left over from a post-retirement 'job' of selling books on eBay!

Since I'm in my 80s, I have to really work at finding homes for all this stuff. Time is running out!!

jmoore

I have a relatively small stash in comparison to others...but I’m okay with that. I typically buy fabric for a specific project and seldom purchase something just because I like it. I have 3 small scrap bins (strips, crumbs and larger pieces) that have evolved from leftovers of projects. Sometimes it’s difficult to do scrappy projects because I don’t have enough variety but I’m okay with it since I end up giving my quilts away anyhow.

WMUTeach

I have a stash. It was inherited from my sister-in-law after she passed away. My purpose/goal/calling is to use her stash to bless others with a quilt from all that she had accumulated.

I have made quilts for family members using her fabric, first for the babies that would have been her grandchildren and now working on other family members, so they can continue to remember her. But many more quilts are just given to someone who can be blessed by a warm “quilty” hug.

I do not despise my blessing of a quilt stash. Nor do I build it any larger. Reducing a stash is a slow process but it is happening. I have one double wide closet for my stash and the bins of fabric are much less full than when I brought them home 18 years ago. I have never purchased new fabric for a whole quilt. I just could not justify the purchase when I have enough fabric already on hand. This results in most of my quilts being scrappy, but what is wrong with that? After nearly 18 years of making quilts, I still have a lifetime of fabric to fulfill my call to make quilts for others. It is a joy to find a pattern online or on this board and to shop my own stash for the fabric to make my version of the piece.

When I begin to feel frustrated with depth of my stash, I have reduced it by periodically pulling out cuts that I know I will not use, ever. That is a freeing experience and as others have said, it feels good to put the fabric into the hands of a quilter who will use it. Why let it sit in my bins when it could be in someone else’s quilt?

Do I ever shop? Yes, but not often. I have discovered the joy of wide backing and I often will purchase that. The scraps climb into the correct color bin and away I go again. The second thing I have discovered about using my "stash only" is I do not have the current trendy, modern colors. Well, that is OK too. I am more of a traditionalist anyway. Beautiful fabric does not have to be in the current color or print. Lastly, I purchase neutrals, often by the bolt or large cuts on sale that will make my colored scraps POP. Love my stash and love shopping from my stash.

lindaschipper

I will fully admit to being an emotional buyer which has left me to too large of a stash. I've given away fabric/patterns, have sold occasionally on sites....only to find that I go out and buy more. It's simply a never ending cycle.

carolynjo

I am beginning to thin out all my stuff. I have given away all but 1 sewing machine. Almost all my fabric has been given away. I sew now only to mend. I do have a new great grand, so I will make her a summer skimmer or two, but no longer any big projects. I can't sit to sew now, so it's time to quit. I have enjoyed my sewing career, though. I have made car seat covers, bed spreads, dust ruffles, awnings, you name it.

Friday1961

I have never deliberately acquired a "stash". But I have bought fabric -- not nearly as much any more -- because I liked it, and thought I'd use it sooner or later. And I've bought a few yards of basic black and basic white to "have on hand." All my fabric is in a 42x81" Billy Bookcase from Ikea. Some are in "kits" -- that is coordinated fabric bundled together for a project -- but most is on comic book boards, shelved like books, and I have a couple of less than half full bolts, one my kids bought at an estate sale, and I have containers of scraps.

I'm currently planning a quilt for my eldest son and bought fabric I thought would work but have decided against, so it will go in the "stash" until I can find a use for it. I do not have a dedicated sewing room so always have to think about storage, not only of fabric but everything else that goes with it. So I try to keep it manageable.

maviskw

I started out making clothes for myself when I was about 13 years old. Then I sewed for family and friends. Next I sewed for the children. When I moved into this house in 1986, I had a bushel basket full of fabric pieces left from my sewing. I wanted to use it up and be rid of it, so I bought a book called "Fabric Lover's Scrapbook" by Margaret Dittman. I made some Seminole Strips, then used them in a Square Dance skirt (which I still wear). Then our homemakers club was making quilts for people in our area who had had a house fire. We made quilts together and had a stock pile of about four or five at a time. Some were donated for benefits, too.

From then on, I have been still trying to pare down the fabric I have in my house, but have gotten nowhere with that. It just keeps on getting bigger. I don't really have a huge stash compared to some, but I have plenty.

My latest project is for my 6'8" grandson. I'm making a scrap quilt for his bed, which is extra large. I start with two of my tiniest pieces of fabric (less than 1 square inch), find a straight side and sew that together. Create a straight side with those and add another small piece on that side. I keep adding until I get an 8.5 in square. My cornerstones are 2.5 inches and have at least 3 pieces each. Many have 4 or 5 pieces and some have 7 or 8. It is so much fun making these little things.

My kids know what to do with my stuff but I need to keep on sorting it and bagging it up to keep started things in one pile with the fabric that goes with it. I haven't tried to count the number of things I have started, but have many. I've been making more charity quilts lately, in which I use up fabrics I just want to get rid of. With eight children with spouses, 21 grandchildren and 4 great grands (+1), I have plenty of places for lots of quilts.

Now I have to stop spending so much time on the Quilting Board and start sewing.