greaterexp

I bought fabric just about every time I found a great sale, and I'm glad I did. Prices have soared! Yes, I am overwhelmed, but I am still glad I have that fabric. I tend to do the same with patterns - buying or finding free ones, and now I am overwhelmed with too many.
I've started cutting fabric into kits, and keep it with the pattern and backing, if I have it. I like having something ready to sew at all times. It seems to help with motivation to use up what I have.
I've also limited my time looking at patterns, and I've stopped buying fabric for now.
I hope you take a break, if you need one, but keep going when the mood hits. I know folks who thought they lost interest in a hobby, gave away or sold all their materials, only to regret it later.

Gemm

The overwhelm is real and it can take a lot of effort to get past it. There's already been a lot of great advice and encouragement in the responses here (and I'm appreciating the reality checks, too, so thanks!) but I just wanted to add my two cents' worth and echo what most people are saying: it's totally okay to need and to take a break. I dabbled in quilting for a little while in the early 2000s and then life reared its ugly (busy) head and it took a pandemic and some big life changes for me to have enough time to get back into it.

If you're not ready for a complete break, it's also okay to shove a few piles/boxes/totes/bags (however you store your fabric and quilting stuff) into the basement or spare room or the back of a closet or toss an old sheet over it and only be able to see a limited selection of your fabric (or patterns) for a while. Because I source a lot of my fabric from other people's discards, it tends to be extremely random and generally in pretty small or odd-shaped pieces. I find if I try to focus on a limited amount of fabric (I store my scraps in colour boxes so that's often where I start) or a specific idea I am more likely to be able to move forward with a project.

A couple of specific shoutouts from other responses:

Iceblossom, joe'smom and greaterexp are right - getting organized can be a really helpful first step. Maybe it's purging (but not everything!), maybe it's filing, maybe it's sorting, but regaining control over part of the chaos can help you regain the fun and joy you have when you're piecing. And I agree that the Fabric Moratorium is a great place to get ideas and encouragement - I'm actually heading there next to share what I've been doing with some of my scraps. :-)

Butterfli19

I think many things are overwhelming these days. Ever been to a garden center to look at plants? Or try to choose a healthy grain bread? Sometimes too much is just too much.

I've been where you are and a few times over the last twenty years I went thru ALL my craft and sewing supplies and donated them to either the local nursing home or Goodwill. Some were ambitious purchases and some were "OMG I HAVE to HAVE THIS!!", then a month or so later it was more like "what the heck am I going to use this for?". Over the last few weeks I have decided to sew for me. But what? So I would like a summer handbag and am looking for videos and books to do just that. You don't always have to sew for someone else to feel good, sometimes sewing something simple, even just a pretty, flowery coaster for your coffee mug, is so much more cheery that you would expect.

My suggestion is to sit outside on the warm days and watch nature and the trees and the butterflies and listed to the birds chatting with each other. Just sit. Take it all in. Then go inside, pick three of your favorite fabrics, and make yourself something just for you. That will tell you what direction you need to go in. Then you can figure out what to de-stash and what you would love to keep. As they say, less is more. Keep what you absolutely love and donate the rest. Your mind will clear up and you will feel freer. Happy days are ahead!

Lena1952

Your statement about kits reminded me of something I said to my husband years ago. I was going to a Sheep and Wool festival and told my hubby I didn’t need any yarns or patterns but was going to drink in inspiration. I came home with 4 or 5 kits. Hubby laughingly said “ I thought you said you didn’t need any yarns or patterns and yet you came home with both”. I told him kits didn’t count because there was a concrete plan for them as opposed to just random yarns and patterns with no plans in sight. So if this true then your kits don’t count as stash acquisition because there is a plan. 😂

Lena1952

Onebyone, thanks for the link for the apron. One I hadn’t seen but will most definitely use.

Onebyone

You're welcome. I love to share fun patterns.

aashley333

Do you have other hobbies? I keep looking at my huge stash of stained glass and a patten I've designed of scattered roses, but quilting seems to get in the way! I keep saying that I'll make the glass panel next, but I get quilt inspired and can't work on both. I haven't lost my glass mojo, I just have lots of mojos!
Maybe find another mojo and keep your fabric!

Onebyone

Here is the weblink to the fat quarter bag pattern. The pdf download I posted is confusing.
https://www.allfreesewing.com/Bags-a...at-Quarter-Bag

Minnesewta-sam

Thanks for the apron link Onebyone!

cathyvv

I quilt as an excuse to buy fabric. But I donate fabric to my quilt guild, so that "justifies" it. And I get to see the fabric eventually become a quilt.

I once bought a fabric because it was on sale for a ridiculously low price. I didn't really like it, so it was donated. After many 'ugly' fabric comments, one of the quilters used it as a backing fabric. It was stunning!

You just never know...