Colorful1

I also had an overwhelming stash so I purged by getting rid of the fabrics I didn't like. In my case, no matter how small I had cut them when trying to use them, I still didn't like them (lol)!
I suggest donating the fabrics you inherited. You'll be able to enjoy your stash, again
Good luck!

AliKat

String quilts, coin quilts, or anything scrappy is a great way to use the material you are unsure of.

I do a fair amount of charity quilting and those are considered utility quilts not heirloom quilts. Those who receive the quilts are overjoyed and definitely are not related to the quilt police. Charity quilts are a good place to begin to improve your quilting.

ManiacQuilter2

I am sorting out thru my stash which over the decades has gotten too large for this small apt. So I am sorting by what is sell able and what should just go to a charity group. If I love a fabric but don't see a future for it, then it should be purged.

This is exactly what I do. Sometimes if I am lucky, I don't need to go to purchase additional fabric. Unfortunately, found out last Wednesday that the last remaining quilt store that I can reach by taking the public bus is closing. She was nice to give me 25% off the day before. There went a Ben Franklin out of my budget. Stashed up on bright tonals.

NikkiLu

Many of us are in the same boat as you. I "inherited" my best friend's HUGE stash after she passed away. But, I do not like most of her fabric. No way could I have told her husband that. I had to act thrilled to get it and promised him I would "do something with it". But, it is still in my garage room in plastic totes. I even tried to give some to my best friend's sister (long story about why the husband did not give the fabric to his sister-in-law) but she told me that she did not like her sister's taste in fabrics. Both sister's had long-arms. My plan is to make lap quilts for nursing homes/veteran's homes/ etc.

Terri D.

Life is too short to be overwhelmed by your fabric stash. Your stash is something you want to be proud of and be of benefit to you rather than a burden. Set aside 15 or 20 minutes a day to go through everything you have and sort it into three piles: Keep, Toss, Donate. Don't save anything you don't love.

The other thing you could do is use the fabric you don't care for to make practice blocks before cutting into your good stuff. That way, you can check to make sure your cutting was accurate, your seam allowance is correct and that you understand the construction of the block before diving into a project.

Best of luck to you!

TeresaA

Scrap quilts!

You can make very coordinated scrap quilts by choosing color schemes and picking fabrics from those schemes. Blue and yellow, blue and purple, red and green, etc. Pick colors that greatly "read" from one of those schemes and choose a scrap quilt to make. Pick neutrals or lights to go between them. If you want a "modern" quilt, make that neutral a grey! You can make "all-color scrap quilts too, but make sure you place a great deal of light fabric between the colors, or it gets muddy pretty quickly.

You can also use some of them for things like pieced backings.

orangeroom

I'm not sure about everyone else, but a few times a year, I thin my stash. I wonder at times what possessed me to purchase certain fabrics. If I'm not fond of them, I donate them to a local senior citizens place. All proceeds go to assist local seniors. Some I hold onto to see if I'll like them the next time I need to 'make room for the ones I REALLY love.' I still have a decent size stash. Good luck.

Boston1954

My sister has, in the last few years, given me a fair amount of fabric. Her taste is not always my taste, and I said to her just yesterday, "You don't mind if I use some of these for backing, do you?". She was just fine with that. If you find that you have some you really do not care for, make a few doggie quilts for the local shelter. They will be thrilled. Doggies don't care what they look like.

Chester the bunny

There isn't a piece of fabric that cannot be used as a binding. )
That is where I use my uglies. You are only looking at 3/8" of it.

CathieB

If you have fabric from your mom that you don't love, bless someone else with it. I would guess that your mom would be pleased that someone would like it enough to use it and it takes a bit of guilt and burden off of you.