cricket_iscute

I understand completely. The same thing happens to me in my stash in general.

However, about 9 years ago, I found a focus fabric I absolutely loved and knew I would continue to love. So I bought fabric to go with that, and now have a nice collection. I can go to that collection when I am ready to make the next quilt in that series. I keep it separate from the general stash.

Now there's an interesting distinction I just noticed: I call fabric bought just because I liked it, but without necessarily matching it with anything, my stash. But I call planned fabrics, centering around a focus fabric, my collection. The collection is easier to use because the matching is already done, whereas the stash might require looking in each box, pulling out a lot of stuff, auditioning all of it. Stash would be less defined potential, then. A collection would be a highly-defined and pre-auditioned fabric group that goes together and is restricted to a certain color scheme and theme, in this case, blue-greens, yellow-greens, and other blues, greens, and blue-violets (and red-violets) - all batiks.

So how many of you have stashes, and how many of you have collections?

Cricket

Rosyhf

I wouldn't even consider counting my stash, I don't have that much time hahahahahahah

quiltmom04

You fit right in! Once we fall in love with fabric - it's all over!!! Hahaha! And unlike a painter, if we need a color, we can't mix fabrics together together the correct one, we need to have THAT one. Hence, the stash! But, you are NOT alone!!!

MargeD

While not horrified, I was amazed at how much fabric I had when we were downsizing from a 3-bedroom home to a 2 bedroom apartment. Because people knew that I quilted, they would pass on their fabrics, plus when my sister passed away, I inherited her "stash". I did manage to give away about half of my stash to a dear friend, who passed on some of the fabrics to another friend who did charity quilts, so I know the fabric won't go to waste. Because of "budget cuts" since we are both on Social Security, I no longer make lots of visit to JoAnn's or order fabric off the internet, but I still have a significant amount of fabric. That said, I did make a quilt for our DGD that was made entirely from my stash, and I will post the picture when I get it quilted, hopefully in the not too distant future when the Dr. says I can use my arm again. I had surgery to repair a pretty bad torn rotator cuff in my right arm (of course), but I'm beginning to do some sewing and hope to be able to start quilting again soon. I plan to send a picture of the finished quilt to QB.

Iraxy

This post prompted me to count my fabrics and I have you beat by some. However, I too like to sew at night and I am grateful to have such a variety to chose from. That said, sometimes a fabric just speaks to me and I want to have it in my stash for a future project or honestly, just to look at.

mike'sgirl

Yours is the spirit we should all have.

kat13

I could easily buy more...bug my shelves are overflowing...I keep telling hubby I need new shelves but I have no more wll space or floor space in my itty bitty room..so yes I need to use some frabric...but there is some that I just like to look at and can't bring myself to cut into it!! I am so bad!!

Sewnoma

My stash isn't much smaller, but I'm not horrified by it...I'm delighted by it! I have given myself permission to keep as much fabric as I want, and I use fabric from my stash quite a bit. I add to it quite a bit too...I don't see a problem with that as long as it's not piled up to the point where it's getting destroyed (now THAT would be horrifying) and I'm not overspending...I'm still paying all my bills, putting money in savings, even started saving for my niece & nephew's college funds. So I figure as long as it's all under control the size of the stash doesn't matter one bit!

AUQuilter

I consider it my emergency preparedness plan- just in case, all the cotton crops die off - I have enough to use or trade for a lifetime. But I still buy from time to time when the right piece crosses my path and sometimes when "the price is right"!

Jo Newman

You can NEVER have too much fabric! I have much more thsn I need, but will still pick up new fabric. Lol I have made 3 scrappy quilts that used up some of my stach. I have even invited a couple of quilting friends over to help me reduce my fabric piles. Would love to hear others ideas.