cathyvv

My fabrics are mostly in a two china closets in our garage. They have glass doors, so I can see it easily, unless it is stored in the drawers.

I sew in the dining room and that often looks like my cutting table and the dining room table both 'threw up', too.

Love that phrase...it made me laugh!

bobbiesboutique

I saw a really good, idea one time where the fabric was basically folded and put on a hanger closet style you can see it move it easily but that may take alot of hanging up clothesline or getting creative

CoventryUK

Having got to the age of 70 3/4, I have come to the conclusion I am a FABRIC COLLECTOR who occasionally QUILTS!!!!!! Scraps breed in the night and mess your space up when you're not around!!!! Just a fact of life!!!! Just enjoy it.....life's too short to stress!!!!

Eliebelle

I have EXACTLY the same problem!!! Last year I sent my husband off to "play" for a month thinking I would spend the entire month sewing. Instead, I spent the entire time sorting fabric and putting planned projects together in large plastic bags. My beauty salon has asked me to make some bags to display in their window to sell, so I'm ONLY shopping in my stash!!!! Maybe that will cause it to go down a bit.... Oh yeah, I also have a few UFO's that need to get finished and off to the LA'er

quilttiger

Gosh, it is easy to build up a stash of fabrics because there are really nice fabrics out there! With the rising prices of fabrics, I have slowed down but still have more then enough. It helps to go "shopping" in your stash before buying more fabrics for specific projects. Recently, I had 48 string blocks ready to be sewn into a quilttop when I decided a blender for sashings was needed to calm down the quilt (it looked very busy). I was about to buy more material when I remembered to shop in my stash first. Surprise! I did find four possibilities to audition on the design wall, and sure enough, there was a perfect fabric for the sashings. What a liberating moment!

cherrio

wow! that's not a problem for me. I have 1 whole tub o fabric. and a plastic bag o scraps. I put together what I have or can afford and make a quilt or smaller project then in a few more months I can afford to buy nuff for my next project. Maybe get a friend to come sew with you! It's more fun some days to sew and chat and shop your stash and compare progress and projects. yea, get a sewing buddy!!

Julie in NM

I too am overwhelmed w/my stash BUT now I look at a pattern, shop my stash and sew it up! NOTE::: did not say I get it quilted! I sew for Quilts of Valor and that helped me to get back on track. Have a gal who quilts for free for this charity so I don't have to FINISH it..just provide top, backing and binding. QoV helped me get back on the quilting wagon.

quiltmom04

Yes, I feel exactly that way. I've had both father and father in law pass away in the last several months, and now my mother in law is in nursing care. I haven't usually been freaked about age, but now, I'm thinking I may NOT live long enough to use all my stash. Which strangely has not inspired me, but sort of stopped me in my tracks, so I understand!

romanojg

First of all, I put in bookcases that I had bought at Office Max and then I took one of the removable shelves to Home Depot and had them to cut me extra shelves so that I could separate the colors and not have them stacked so high. This worked great. I also have 4 of the 9cube book cases that you can get from Walmarts. Some have the canvas totes and other do not. My projects go into the totes with pictures on the outside to show what is in there. They now have stackable drawers for these cubes so I want to get some for my FQ. I have tons of fleece that I have in storage containers under my bed since I know that I need them unless I'm making something with fleece. Having all of my fabric out to see easily has made a world of difference. I had forgotten that I had a lot of it.

Towards the end of last yr I decided that I wouldn't buy any more fabric until I got caught up with my WIP. I started with the ones that could be finished the fastest so the pile would go down faster. The only exception was if I had a quilt or embroidery project that was meant for a gift then it went to the top of the pile. I finished my DGD 3D pinwheel quilt for her birthday and found I had extra squares withe 3D pinwheels so that'll be pillows for her bed. This weekend I'm going to finish her pillows and then start on finishing my son's quilt for his birthday in April. I haven't bought any fabric since last yr execpt for what I need for my monthly embroidery club. That is learning so I do that but if I don't finish it in class I finish it the same week so that they don't pile up on me.

If having so much out it the problem, then pack away alot of the fabric that you won't use to finish your WIP or don't have a plan for yet. As you work thru your projects and reduce the pile you can slowly start unpacking your fabric or other projects. I also have projects for kits that I bought and haven't started on but those won't get touched until I finish what I started so those are packed away. For you I think you have to go with the out of sight out of mind thing so that your mind doesn't wonder to much from what needs to be done to what you want to be done. I think most of us get overwhelmed at times over something but you just have to figure out what works for you. Good luck and let us know if you find a system that works for you.

By the way, I just made it thru the Hampton Quilt show and bought no fabric. There was some that I wanted for a jacket but knew that I had bought two patterns and a fabric at the Raleigh NC sewing expo and hadn't used it so I told myself no until I make what I bought. I went home and looked for the pattern and one of the fabrics that I wanted to buy was the same one I bought last yr for a jacket.

BertieD

I bought a lot of fabric before I retired because, like you, I thought I wouldn't have the money for fabric after I retired. I retired in 1998 and I'm still buying fabric; believe it or not, there is always money for fabric somehow! LOL! I'm also stuck at the moment because my stash is terribly unorganized but I love going through "my store" when I start a new project. And I, too, have lots of UFO's, and a few quilt kits. I'm just glad I'm not the only quilter who has these 'problems.' I am semi organized and hate that word, but I can see where the quilters who get a lot of quilts made are much more organized than I could ever be! In the meantime, I enjoy buying, having, fondling my fabric! It keeps me sane and gives me much pleasure to give away the quilts I do finish every now and then. Give yourself permission to enjoy what you have.