Noob finally sees the light- Practical reasoning for building a stash

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02-04-2013, 10:18 AM

#41

jlwheart

Senior Member

Join Date: Sep 2011

Location: Duluth MN

Posts: 381

I love my stash! I flat-folded all of my fabrics and put them on my shelves. Now I can see everything at a glance and I get inspired every time I walk into my workroom. I'm into making totes and it's fun to audition my fabrics.
Some of my fabrics date back to the early 70s incl. my wedding gown leftover lace. Years ago I learned that if I loved the fabric buy it because it may not be there later. Have never regretted what I bought. Well, there was this one pc of home dec that seriously changed color when I washed it. Now though it's perfect for my totes. Again, I hate to throw away fabric so it went in the stash and now I'm thrilled as it's found it's purpose! I hope everyone can get inspired to do a little stash building.

02-04-2013, 10:47 AM

#42

petthefabric

Super Member

Join Date: Jan 2013

Location: Florida

Posts: 3,830

This is a riot: and I see myself. There was a time when everything, well a lot of everything, I saw I liked. Maybe that was before Aug 08 when the bottom fell out. Oh yeh, I also retired & $ in must be > $ out. Now I see very little. So I'm sure glad I built my stash when I liked a lot and had more $. Now I can pull what I want from my stash.

02-04-2013, 10:53 AM

#43

JoanneS

Super Member

Join Date: Mar 2008

Location: AZ and CT

Posts: 4,898

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpspeedy2

I make about 21 Linus quilts a month. Two thirds of them are just child friendly prints with a flannel backing. When Joanns had a sale before Christmas of bolts of flannel I stocked up. I can get between nine and ten Linus quilts out of a bolt of flannel. The less I have to pay for the fabric the more quilts I can donate. I could probably make enough Linus quilts out of my present stash to last me at least a year. Of course that fabric is not what I have stashed for my personal use. Some of it is for garment or household sewing. I will admit the balk of it is suitable for quilts. My stash room also holds probably at least a dozen or so finished quilts, about three ten yard rolls of 48" batting for the Linus quilts and several quilt batts in various sizes. There are also 4 or 5 finished tops and other projects in progress floating around. My stash room is in the basement and out of site of the general public. My sewing room is upstairs and not nearly as cluttered. It was orginally a bedroom so the closet is stuffed to the gills with my thread collection as well etc. I also have several pieces of antique or at least "old" sewing related furniture that holds more of my thread. Then of course there are various containers that hold seperate projects like the bias binding collection and elastic for the Princess Pillowcase dresses I make. I also have storage bins and drawers for my GO accesories and the various stuff for my two embroidery machines. I could go on and on. Every thing in both those rooms is "definately" necessary.

Wowser! I think you win the prize! It sounds like we could shop your stash. And yes, it's all necessary.

02-04-2013, 11:41 AM

#44

MargeD

Power Poster

Join Date: Feb 2011

Location: Lowell, MA

Posts: 14,083

I have limited resources, however, I try to buy on sale or with coupons, but if I see something I like I try to buy it because some fabrics have a "limited shelf life", so if I see it I buy it. I first heard "limited shelf life" from a quilt teacher, so she should know.

02-04-2013, 12:57 PM

#45

newbiequilter

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Location: No. Calif

Posts: 527

Quote:

Originally Posted by JulieR

My stash is my own little savings account. I'm planning to shop out of my stash this year as much as possible!

Also, squirrel.

Ditto - no squirrel's here (unless there are beads and glitter involved)

02-04-2013, 09:57 PM

#46

Pattycakes

Junior Member

Join Date: Mar 2011

Location: Mansfield, Ohio

Posts: 104

I have tubs and tubs of stash, and I am blessed with a boyfriend that enjoys seeing what I make from my stash. I was recently in a quilting slump, working all the time and didn't have the energy to sew. He handed me some money on a day I was finally off and told me to go buy some fabric to inspire me. But I have finally got the bug and my stash is starting to disappear.

But I owe alot to everyone on the board to help me keep my sanity during my slump, because even though I was to exhausted to sew, I was able to enjoy your creativity. Love you all for your inspiration. God Bless all the Quilters in the World! THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!!!

02-04-2013, 11:18 PM

#47

cricket_iscute

Senior Member

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: New England

Posts: 865

I amassed a huge stash while I was working. I always thought I would have time to sew, and there was always some emergency at work that did not permit it. Then I'd get inspired by new fabric and, again, I wouldn't have time to sew. Going to quilt shows only served to increase the stash most years.

Since then, I got forced into an early retirement by the economy, now have a lot of time to sew, do sew a lot, and am so happy for my stash! Now I have limited income and can't go buy fabric, but do have great fabric to use in my stash. My husband can't complain because I'm not spending money, except on thread. I consider my stash to be my Fabric IRA.

Last edited by cricket_iscute; 02-04-2013 at 11:24 PM.

02-05-2013, 02:22 AM

#48

mom-6

Super Member

Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Texas

Posts: 6,395

The best part of having a sizable stash is going shopping in said stash when you have that late night surge of creativity that says you MUST try out the brain storm you just had.

02-05-2013, 09:53 AM

#49

Butterflyblue

Super Member

Join Date: May 2010

Location: Texas

Posts: 1,441

Quote:

Originally Posted by deedum

I have a stash since I live in the country. If I want to start or finish a project at 10:30 p.m. I can. Because I have a stash. I cant run to the LQS at the cost of gas, so that is my reason to build a stash. Not to mention that I can.
I buy when I get great prices for the most part. Even outdated fabric looks good in a scrappy, darn it, now I want to go buy more fabric!

I live in the country too, and I appreciate my stash for the same reason. Last minute Halloween costumes, gifts, etc. that I would never do if I had to run to town just to buy fabric or wait until I was going to town anyway.

02-05-2013, 11:08 PM

#50

colleenancel

Member

Join Date: Oct 2010

Location: Spokane, WA.

Posts: 67

Stash-Plus!

When I started quilting in the last ten years or so, I put out a blanket statement that I would make a quilt for anyone who asked me, and all the babies that came along. Lo these many quilts later, I am starting to realize something about myself, quilts, and stashes:

1. I cannot pass up a quilt shop.
2. I always buy SOMETHING whenever I go into a quilt shop, thus building my stash as I go.
3. I frequently buy approximate yardage for some future quilt, so I can have everything ready, just in case I need to make a specific thing.
4. I always ask the recipient of the next quilt what colors, theme, fabric, etc., they would like, necessitating a large and very specific fabric purchase. (DARN!) Never does anyone say, "Oh, just go ahead and do whatever you want."
5. I rarely use anything from my stash. Not that that's a bad thing. I frequently rummage through my stash, enjoying the stacks of fat quarters and the yardage cuts, securely knowing that, whenever I retire, I will be able to make lots of quilts from my stash.
6. If I find a pattern I love, I will probably find it near a line of fabric which would be perfect for that pattern. so much easier to buy than have to recreate the set later......
Bottom line, I love to fondle fabric, love to have a stash of satisfying proportions, love to buy specific fabric for specific projects. I make one quilt after another, yet I will soon need more clear plastic tubs, and more space for my stash.