I admit I neep help !
 

I have not bought any fabric for at least a year but am still struggling with the disease of wanting to accumulate more ! While searching ebay this am to see what lots of fabric were selling for so I could de-stash, I found myself wanting to bid ! I have so much now in my tiny home that I am overwhelmed and therefore do not get anything done . Whew, perhaps in posting give myself the strength to part with at least half of my stash !

I'm a member here, also. And I say to myself, I don't need anymore fabric. Which is really true. I'll never use up, what I have. I went to a fabric shop 2 weeks ago, and they was having 50% off plus 10% more if you buy what ever is left on the bolt. Anyhow, I came out of there $75.00 poorer, and $75.00 fabric richer. And a week ago, I bought 3 1/2 yrds more from a member in the sale/trade area of this group. Going to 2 quilt show's, this week end. I tell my wife to tell me NO MORE FABRIC. I'll try to let you know, what I do. Take care Don

In preparation for retirement I knew I would need something to keep me busy. It is common advice that your income will drop when you retire. So I decided to lay in a supply (stash) of fabric while I could still afford to buy it! Here I am retired for 7 1/2 years now and cannot reduce my stash. I set out on a quest and made over 40 charity blankets and numerous small projects. It didn't make a dent. Because I throw in the occasional fabric sale and projects for which 'I don't have what I need so I buy more', my stash continues to grow. I sought help from my peeps only to find out they had the same problem! There is no help for this kind of addiction!

So many of us have this addiction. I like to say it is cheaper than therapy.I am trying desperately to get mine ready for de-stashing. Every time I start looking at my stash I see some I forgot about and think "that would be great for . . . . Never ending.

Oh to have such a problem, if you need somewhere to send fabric just let me know LoL. Actually it's really a good problem to have, at least our addiction is something productive. I know lots of people are addicted to things that keep them trapped in bad behaviors and selfishness. At least we create things that give us pleasure and we can share them with others and give them pleasure also. I see it as a win win.

I have finally decided to try to give some of my purchases away. There are fabrics I thought I would use but now, nope. I think they will end up on the give away table at Guild. It always seems like when I start to make quilts, I need 1-3 new fabrics to coordinate. It's a losing battle to get rid of 2 yards having to buy 4.

Set yourself some personal guidelines and budgetary restriction. Maybe, I won't buy any more fabric until I complete a couple tops using my stash. Or, I'll buy only one new yard and see how I can combine it with my existing stash. Mostly, I just immediately delete the fabric websites from my computer. Don't even open them. Maybe you could trade some of your stash with another quilter of similar taste. It would be new fabric to both of you and no $$ changed hands. For me, finding fabric is kind of the thrill of the hunt. Once I buy it, pat it a couple of times and incorporate it into my stash, there it remains and I feel let down.

LOL not all of us have this problem. Ours is just the opposite, not having enuff in our stash. So the hunt is on still trying to remain within our budget, especially being retired and on much limited funds. We "quilting paupers" look forward to the freebies and give aways and sales here and elsewhere to help build our stash. However, buying fabrics is a quilters virus and is most definitely catching. One I will gladly except-still trying to stay within my budget. I have learned to have a special acct at my bank specifically for this purpose. Every month i deposit x amt of dollars in that acct ., just for this purpose. This way i wont hopefully go over board, even tho it hurts a bit to have to pass up some nice fabs posted on the board.

I have learned to like scrappy quilt more than I used to. I find I can use up misc. pieces and those piles get smaller! I am making quilts for homeless folks, women in a shelter, and kids "in the system". Doing pieced backs has helped as well. Small pieces are made into crumb blocks, rest into dog bed stuffing. Maybe I am making a dent_~~? And oh sew fun trying!!

Just this year I went through my stash and got rid of all scraps that I would never use and all fabrics that I have had for over two year with no project in mind for them. I gave them to a co-workers daughter that is learning to sew. So I only had enough fabric for ten quilt projects I think. Now I am back where I started...buying fabrics on sale. I do have plans and patterns for all of my fabric and am pretty good at getting the tops down. Sometimes I consider myself a topper instead of a quilter because I go through stages of not feeling like doing certain steps. For instance back in July I quilted 6 tops from my pile. This situation of mine has gotten me into a rut with 6 quilts that need binding. All they need is bound and I can do whatever with them, but noooo I am not interested in it at this time. I am the point when I need to re-evaluate my love of quilting and see things through or donate them to my guild. At least I know that they will get bond and given to a charity.