Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums > Main
Does anybody get overwhelmed by their stash? >

Does anybody get overwhelmed by their stash?

Does anybody get overwhelmed by their stash?

Thread Tools
 
Old 03-05-2013, 06:00 AM
  #51  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Charleston SC
Posts: 10,743
Default

Part of my stash is organized on boards and in tubs but the problem is I have run out of room..Um until I get a sewing room that has more room I just dream and tolerate the disorganization.
mjhaess is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 06:10 AM
  #52  
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 55
Default

Hi Jeanne, What is the pattern you most think about? Get all of the fabric for that pattern, and only that pattern, put it in a tote, and that's the one you can work on now. When you get tired,or need a change, go to the "stash room" and go through it a little at a time, knowing you have a quilt waiting in the other room, will keep both jobs separate. Good Luck!
Anita in DE is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 06:10 AM
  #53  
Senior Member
 
qwkslver's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: WV
Posts: 582
Default

Originally Posted by jcrow View Post
I use to not have a stash. I would buy enough fabric for one quilt and just make it. When I was done, I would buy fabric for another quilt and make it. And so forth. Then I started collecting fabric. Now my spare bedroom lost the bed and nightstand and dresser and I put in bookcases and storage units and rubbermaid tubs and two long tables and a long dresser with a rectangular ironing board on top and 4 irons and the closet is plum full of batting and under the tables is full of fabric and everywhere I look is full of fabric. I have fabric from floor to ceiling.

I am not getting any quilting done. I am overwhelmed. I can't decide what to do. Too many choices. I have quite a few BOMs every month and am behind in every one. I have one from last year that I never even started and have all 12 blocks still in their bags.

What can I do? I go into my sewing room and plan on doing a certain quilt, but get sidelined by all my fabric lines and patterns and end up petting and rearranging my fabric and then shutting the light off and closing the door. I so wish I would have just bought enough fabric for one quilt at a time. I gave away so many kits (probably 30) to help me reduce my load, but I end up finding more fabric I just have to have and my room is plum full again.

Help me figure out how I can start sewing again!!
I don't know if this helps or not but when I can't decide what to work on I go digging in the scrap bag and start making 9 patches. I can always find a use for a 9 patch (table runner, etc.) and it gives my mind time to figure out what I want to do next. (My dad called it "studying". He would say I'm studying about something). I accomplish something while I am making my next project (in my mind). You will be all right, once you figure out how to go about what you are trying to do. Perhaps you could ebay some of your stash you have fallen out of love with.
qwkslver is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 06:30 AM
  #54  
Super Member
 
mom-6's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 6,395
Default

It really helped me to get all my fabric out of miscellaneous totes, tuppers and bags. Now that it is folded on shelves I have a much better idea of what I do have and can relatively easily find what I need for whatever project I'm doing. Also this way I can see that I don't have enough of something if I can't remember how much of that pretty blue and green batik I used on that quilt last summer. LOL! Now I still need to reorganize periodically as stacks get shuffled with pulling out fabric to audition for projects. And I need a better method of storing my scraps, but that's a project in itself.
mom-6 is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 06:34 AM
  #55  
Super Member
 
sweetpea's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: southeast Kansas
Posts: 1,086
Default

So glad to know that I"M not alone.
sweetpea is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 07:39 AM
  #56  
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 67
Default

What overwhelms me, is the huge number of fabric companies, the huge number of designers, the huge number of new fabric collections, the huge number of new rulers, gadgets, thread, the huge marketing push for us to NEED one of everything. It is this marketing that I have to take a step back from, including fabric shop newsletters, and magazines, which, let's face it, are selling more than teaching, at least to us who have been quilting for a decade.
I guess what I am saying, is that I am more overwhelmed by the push to think I need to constantly buy, more than I am by my huge existing stash. Best advice that I ever received was to get grounded by choosing a smallish (new) project, and working only on it, forgetting everything else, and regain the lovely satisfaction of completing it. And I also like to think back to when quilting was truly using whatever fabric the person could get their hands on.
wsquilting is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 08:40 AM
  #57  
Power Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Upland CA
Posts: 18,376
Default

I had mine ruler folded and stacked, Stash got to large to tell what I had. I put them all on boards and it is much better. I can see what I have.
mighty is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 09:00 AM
  #58  
Senior Member
 
pyffer3's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Shubuta, Mississippi
Posts: 465
Default

Maybe you could make quilt kits and sell those. I am always looking at quilt kits online. I haven't bought one yet because there are so many out there and I can't decide what I want to try first. I have problems deciding what combination of fabrics go together. The baby quilt I recently finished I bought a set of FQ's that were already paired up. Other than than I have worked on blacks/whites. If you decide to make kits or group things together for sell, let me know I for one would be interested in helping you de-stash!
Originally Posted by jcrow View Post
I use to not have a stash. I would buy enough fabric for one quilt and just make it. When I was done, I would buy fabric for another quilt and make it. And so forth. Then I started collecting fabric. Now my spare bedroom lost the bed and nightstand and dresser and I put in bookcases and storage units and rubbermaid tubs and two long tables and a long dresser with a rectangular ironing board on top and 4 irons and the closet is plum full of batting and under the tables is full of fabric and everywhere I look is full of fabric. I have fabric from floor to ceiling.

I am not getting any quilting done. I am overwhelmed. I can't decide what to do. Too many choices. I have quite a few BOMs every month and am behind in every one. I have one from last year that I never even started and have all 12 blocks still in their bags.

What can I do? I go into my sewing room and plan on doing a certain quilt, but get sidelined by all my fabric lines and patterns and end up petting and rearranging my fabric and then shutting the light off and closing the door. I so wish I would have just bought enough fabric for one quilt at a time. I gave away so many kits (probably 30) to help me reduce my load, but I end up finding more fabric I just have to have and my room is plum full again.

Help me figure out how I can start sewing again!!
pyffer3 is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 09:33 AM
  #59  
Super Member
 
oldtnquiltinglady's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Lafayette, TN
Posts: 1,204
Default

Well, here I am still sitting here reading, and haven't even gotten out of the first set of entries on this forum. Such good ideas, and so appropos to me. I am right in there with all of you, ladies. And I am going to go out to my sewing room and work on a project TODAY.......

One day last month, I asked my DIL to go out to my sewing room with me and get started on reorganizing, because I wanted to sponsor a quilting class in March. We did it, I sent out invitations to my MARCH EXTRAVANGANZA, got all the preparations in place to have three work or cutting stations set up; March 3rd came; cold and snowy (we live in a very rural area) and no one showed up except my sister who is going to be one of my teachers. Well, you know what we did. We went out to my sewing room to clean and rearrange, etc. and found one of my WIPs from about two years ago. What a joy. We started searching and pulling out, found everything that I had already done on it, figured out what needed to be done to work on it some more; and enjoyed the best day you ever heard of, just lovely sister-time that we never seem able to find. And I am out of my slump. Can't wait to get out there every day now. Someday, when I figure out how to post pics, I'll do that. And to the one who told me how to do it in a post a week or so ago, I still have your directions sticky-noted to my computer screen.....thanks.
oldtnquiltinglady is offline  
Old 03-05-2013, 11:17 AM
  #60  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Seward Alaska
Posts: 319
Default

I have been telling my husband for years that I was collecting for retirement and now it is 3 months away and what am I going to do. Work in a quilt store full time and may be taking it on permanently. More fabric than I will ever get to quilt, now its my daughters inheritance since she is learning to quilt. Grandson (21 months) also likes to help grandma sew as well. So don't think it will go to waste. Now I can be more selective on what I buy, my stash is built.
squires1042 is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Carrie in PA
Main
53
04-08-2014 03:25 AM
Prism99
Main
157
01-22-2011 12:41 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



FREE Quilting Newsletter