Fabric Moratorium 2026
03-18-2026, 10:07 AM
#81
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Central NM
Posts: 1,715
Hungry Caterpillar quilt used up stripe fab that I took from the free table at Project Linus YEARS ago. I cut the fabric into 5 inch strips, then 5 inch blocks. Flipped them when sewing them together so they look like a woven ribbon. What a neat border!!!
03-19-2026, 01:18 PM
#82
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 304
Pictures, please!
03-24-2026, 12:31 PM
#83
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Coos Bay, OR
Posts: 211
Joining in
Hello all. Im joining in because I have a massive stash to get under control. It was my grandma's and Im the one interested in doing something with it. I dont fully know what all I have. I know its more than I can store when Im able to setup my own sewing room.
Right now Im just using hers while my parents are working on soring and organizing. I have future plans for my own space but the aren't in motion yet. Mom keeps asking me to find anything I dont want and I have no clue how to go about that.
Im starting with finishing and adding to her charity quilt pile. There's a large amount of batting that I'll hopefully be able to put a dent in and I need more quilting experience, plus its a nice way to add to her work without feeling like Im going to mess it up too bad because they're mostly simple. I naturally chose one of the nicest ones to start with but I will be able to give it to a friend, so it will be materials all out the door.
I am resisting the urge to buy some duck printed fabric for the back. I haven't found any ducks yet and my friend loves them and the fabric I chose for the back with need a bit more width. On the other hand I'd probably have to secret it into the house because my family would not respond well to more fabric. So thats holding me back.
Anyways I thought this seemed to fit here. Thoughts and tips are welcome.
Right now Im just using hers while my parents are working on soring and organizing. I have future plans for my own space but the aren't in motion yet. Mom keeps asking me to find anything I dont want and I have no clue how to go about that.
Im starting with finishing and adding to her charity quilt pile. There's a large amount of batting that I'll hopefully be able to put a dent in and I need more quilting experience, plus its a nice way to add to her work without feeling like Im going to mess it up too bad because they're mostly simple. I naturally chose one of the nicest ones to start with but I will be able to give it to a friend, so it will be materials all out the door.
I am resisting the urge to buy some duck printed fabric for the back. I haven't found any ducks yet and my friend loves them and the fabric I chose for the back with need a bit more width. On the other hand I'd probably have to secret it into the house because my family would not respond well to more fabric. So thats holding me back.
Anyways I thought this seemed to fit here. Thoughts and tips are welcome.
03-24-2026, 01:54 PM
#84
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 926
Welcome, Cedar! It sounds like you've got a good handle on how to approach a mostly-unknown stash - grab something to start with and get going! I love that you're finishing up some of your grandmother's unfinished projects - I think she'd be so pleased. That being said, it also sounds like you're pretty new to the quilting game and so you may not have a really clear idea of what you will most enjoy doing or how your interests and abilities will evolve.
If you need to get rid of some of the stash quickly, you might want to do a quick scan through and find fabrics that really don't appeal to you at all and start putting those in a tote or a bag for donation. If you look up local quilt guilds or organizations like Project Linus, they're usually able and happy to use fabric you can't. If you have smaller pieces of batting, some guilds make placemats for Meals on Wheels and they might be glad to take those, too.
If the stash is really random (as mine is), you can also look for fabrics that seem to go together well and could make a future project and start putting those together in stacks or bundles or boxes. You might notice some fabrics just don't seem to want to "play" with anything else there, and that can be another good way of weeding out some of the bulk.
I'm sure there are lots of other ideas out there, but hopefully that will help you get started. Good luck - I hope you are able to come back and report on your progress soon!
If you need to get rid of some of the stash quickly, you might want to do a quick scan through and find fabrics that really don't appeal to you at all and start putting those in a tote or a bag for donation. If you look up local quilt guilds or organizations like Project Linus, they're usually able and happy to use fabric you can't. If you have smaller pieces of batting, some guilds make placemats for Meals on Wheels and they might be glad to take those, too.
If the stash is really random (as mine is), you can also look for fabrics that seem to go together well and could make a future project and start putting those together in stacks or bundles or boxes. You might notice some fabrics just don't seem to want to "play" with anything else there, and that can be another good way of weeding out some of the bulk.
I'm sure there are lots of other ideas out there, but hopefully that will help you get started. Good luck - I hope you are able to come back and report on your progress soon!
03-24-2026, 02:06 PM
#85
Member
Join Date: Mar 2026
Location: Marion, IL
Posts: 8
I'm trying!
Fun - the wagon is filling up, but there's always room for more, of course!
I've been thinking about what is needed for me to get fabric out of my stash, and I realize there are a few stumbling blocks that often seem to get in the way of starting fabric-busting projects for me:
1) I see something that could be easily turned into a quilt, such as a panel that just needs a border, backing and binding, but I'm just not in love with it as a project, so it gets put to the side (multiple times for a couple of them) and the fabric remains.
2) I can see the beginnings of a really fun project in a small pile of fabrics that will play well together but there's a good chance that I will run short of those colours/fabrics so will feel the need to go out to get more of something which really isn't the point so the fabric gets tucked away again.
3) I get excited about a potential project based on a fabric or selection of fabrics but then I spend too much time trying to find the perfect pattern to make with it and end up with inspiration overload (overthinking is also one of my "gifts") and there goes the fabric, back in the box!
Honourable Mention: I have a pesky box of a few UFOs that are still in my stash. I do like piecing tops. Finishing quilts is not quite as much fun or physically manageable sometimes and it's very easy to say "I'll work on that later."
I can see some fairly obvious solutions to these issues (mostly just "jump in there and get started"-type ones) and I hope to be able to do just that, but I thought actually putting them down in writing might help me (and others, perhaps) see and avoid the tripping hazards this year. It would be so nice to get some quilted projects done and out the door.
Best of luck to everyone in achieving your goals!
I've been thinking about what is needed for me to get fabric out of my stash, and I realize there are a few stumbling blocks that often seem to get in the way of starting fabric-busting projects for me:
1) I see something that could be easily turned into a quilt, such as a panel that just needs a border, backing and binding, but I'm just not in love with it as a project, so it gets put to the side (multiple times for a couple of them) and the fabric remains.
2) I can see the beginnings of a really fun project in a small pile of fabrics that will play well together but there's a good chance that I will run short of those colours/fabrics so will feel the need to go out to get more of something which really isn't the point so the fabric gets tucked away again.
3) I get excited about a potential project based on a fabric or selection of fabrics but then I spend too much time trying to find the perfect pattern to make with it and end up with inspiration overload (overthinking is also one of my "gifts") and there goes the fabric, back in the box!
Honourable Mention: I have a pesky box of a few UFOs that are still in my stash. I do like piecing tops. Finishing quilts is not quite as much fun or physically manageable sometimes and it's very easy to say "I'll work on that later."
I can see some fairly obvious solutions to these issues (mostly just "jump in there and get started"-type ones) and I hope to be able to do just that, but I thought actually putting them down in writing might help me (and others, perhaps) see and avoid the tripping hazards this year. It would be so nice to get some quilted projects done and out the door.
Best of luck to everyone in achieving your goals!
03-24-2026, 05:21 PM
#86
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 926
You're in good company, Daren - you'll notice many of us take flying leaps off the wagon at times but we're very good at keeping space for everyone who wants to try to be more intentional about using the fabric they have, whatever that looks like. :-)
I'm in awe of your commitment to hand work - I enjoy hand sewing but I get plenty of that when I put on my bindings! I do love that you seem to have the same sense of adventure when working with your scraps as I do. I love to see what comes from such disparate pieces of fabric and I'm always so much more satisfied with scrap projects than I am when I have a matched set of prints to work with...
I'm in awe of your commitment to hand work - I enjoy hand sewing but I get plenty of that when I put on my bindings! I do love that you seem to have the same sense of adventure when working with your scraps as I do. I love to see what comes from such disparate pieces of fabric and I'm always so much more satisfied with scrap projects than I am when I have a matched set of prints to work with...
03-24-2026, 05:53 PM
#87
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,259
We all start and stop at different points in our stash building. I joined the moratorium years ago for full priced fabrics, and even sale fabrics, but I gave myself a thrift shop exemption... I currently have more fabric than I want and am working at reduction in various ways and being very conscious of when I do buy but I accept that some fabric does come into my life from time to time.
What I really need to work on right now is getting the long arm I bought about 2 years ago now set up. Ok, I had severe vision issues for a full year and couldn't but I've been able for the last year. Once I can get some of my donation tops quilted down and set free to face the world, I will have space for new tops which will come from old stash... that's the multi-year plan anyway.
Until then, I'm just doing my best not to tempt myself and only buy when I have to. Right now I'm not doing so much sewing so I'm doing zero buying.
What I really need to work on right now is getting the long arm I bought about 2 years ago now set up. Ok, I had severe vision issues for a full year and couldn't but I've been able for the last year. Once I can get some of my donation tops quilted down and set free to face the world, I will have space for new tops which will come from old stash... that's the multi-year plan anyway.
Until then, I'm just doing my best not to tempt myself and only buy when I have to. Right now I'm not doing so much sewing so I'm doing zero buying.
03-24-2026, 06:35 PM
#88
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,460
Congratulations, all you moratorium participants and lurkers. We are here because we have so much at our finger tips. I consider it a blessing and a burden all in one. I am currently on a binge of "just give it away". This past week I took 22 yards of this and that, mostly yardage, to a quilt meeting. I came home with only about two yards of my smaller pieces. I did not put it back in my stash but added more of what I just knew I would never use and took it to different quilt group's "give away table". It required taking a hard look at what I want to use and what just doesn't thrill me.. I came home from that meeting with an empty bag except for one 2.5 yard piece I can use as a back. That really is what I NEED, backs. I will give this a try again next month with the same two groups and in the meantime work on making more quilts with what is still in my stash the makes me happy.
Chin up and when the give away mood hits............follow it. But, keep what you really love.
Chin up and when the give away mood hits............follow it. But, keep what you really love.
03-25-2026, 04:30 AM
#89
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Delaware
Posts: 1,620
WMUTeach, It's a good thing I don't belong to your guild or I would likely be posting that I added to my stash! LOL It seems i am always in the need of backings. I often cobble backings together from my stash, but Some days I just don't want the extra hassle. So far I've gotten triple the amount out than I took in. Hopefully, others are enjoying the same stash reduction.
03-25-2026, 05:39 AM
#90
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,460
WMUTeach, It's a good thing I don't belong to your guild or I would likely be posting that I added to my stash! LOL It seems i am always in the need of backings. I often cobble backings together from my stash, but Some days I just don't want the extra hassle. So far I've gotten triple the amount out than I took in. Hopefully, others are enjoying the same stash reduction.
