59 comments:

We had a pipe break in our basement and I changed all the fabric from cardboard boxes to plastic bins and it is an eye opener as to how much fabric a person can have. I've tried to keep from buying more, but it is so hard. Love that your quilts are scrap quilts and my old,old fabric looks great in one of your designs. Thanks!

In mid August I started cutting up my scraps and getting them better organized. I've emptied one clothes hamper (yeah there were scraps in there not clothes)and one tote. I have two more totes to go and one huge tote (about three times the size of the smaller ones). I've also cut up some FQ's that I'm CERTAIN will never go into anything (except a scrap quilt). I have vowed not to buy anymore fabric at least until I get this under control. I went fabric shopping the other day with a friend and she commented on how I wasn't buying much (I think I bought 3/4 of a yard the whole day). I told her when I'm tempted to buy new fabric, I think really hard about what all I've got at home.

My fabric has it's own bedroom, lol. I would never stop you from buying more, I am a fabric hoarder too!!! I still have to unpack it from when I moved last year, now that I am in a permanent house not renting I want to get it set up just right!!I am a fabric hoarder honestly, I learned from my mom, and I inherited her stash this year when she passed, including the paisley that I told her not to leave me when she would buy it as I hate paisley.

Crikey Bonnie, that's a lot of green fabric! But then, I know you'll use it. And as quilters we need to have a full range of colours available to use when the project dictates it, unless you're going to try to die or paint the colour you need.Don't worry, the fabric costs less now than it will in future with the rising cost of cotton!

It's not a matter of you want; it's a matter of you NEED! You're an artist & fabric is your medium so you can never have too much! (This line of reasoning always works for me when I'm about to increase my stash.)

I only buy special projects and to finish up something. just left fab. store. will it ever end??? LOL I moved my fabric from house to new shop. DH said label it all so I did....Misc Fab... He nearly laughed himself silly.. I did what he ask but couldn't organize until it was in the new shop. It kept him guessing..

I have stash stashed away that I don't even remember when, where, or what a I was thinking when I bought it. The totes...... aaarrrrgggghhhh the totes. Must use from stash, must use from stash. Now where did I put that just the right piece of brown. I know I have it, somewhere, in some tote or other.

I moved mine twice in one year. The first time, I had to put it on a UHAU that I rented, drove, barged down dirt roads, got people to help over by boat,et.c,etc. and the barged back and the proceeded to do the "normal" moving process. Now, I still have MORE to move this year or next year or whenever the park sees fit... lolAll around tides and other natural barriers. So, yes, I know. I also realize how every time I go to town I bring things home with me more now. It's EASY. So, trying to give here. Have made a ton of dog beds. I think the reason we don't "Use it up" is because it takes a lot of WORK!!!!~IT's easy to "talk about it", put it in a bin at the end o the driveway, etc. DONG IT is another thing. You would nto believe the dust bunnies when you start moving things. My husband had been in this house a LONG TIME when we FIRST moved. I had to open drawers, empty, sort, wipe out, under, air out, etc. ughIt's as if your great grandparents had died. That was the only way I could explain it. OF course, his daughter still has no idea how it all came to be... lolI asked for help, she was not there... so be it.Oh yeah... happy times!~You are doing the right thing. Don't leave it to your kids.

See, I am on the other end of the spectrum and need to buy fabric. I've only been quilting a few years, and having been unemployed almost 13 months, I have quilting my stash to bits. I just bought a nice set of blenders to add to the scraps of the other fabrics so I can make Christmas gifts and such. I am going to make several of your patterns - right now i'm working on a blue and green crayon box for my brother.

It's okay, Bonnie, you can have all you want. I have more than I can ever use, BUT on Oct. 11th, I went to Keepsake Quilting in N.H., spent more than I should, THEN on Oct. 19th I finally made it to Mary Jo's luckily because of traffic, I only had an hour to shop. Phew, didn't even make a dent in that store but had lots of fun. My grandson was my runner, taking bolt after bolt to the cutting counter. I really enjoyed it. Prices were much better at Mary Jo's. I have decided that she who has the most fabric wins, is not my slogan. I decided that I cannot die til I use all my fabric. Ramona from Maine

Nanette - I'm sure you're right about the trait being genetically linked, usually inherited through the female line; however, I think there might also be a contagion component - this might just act as a trigger though.

Welcome to the club Bonnie. I found the same thing out last year when I cleaned closets and put all my fabrics in the same place. All sorted by color and I sure do love blues and greens. No more buying unless it is something needed to finish a project. A second exception is if it's neutral as most of my fabrics would be considered medium to dark. I've done pretty good at keeping to that with the only exception is if I find fabric for a backing at a great price.SueUpstate NY

That is exactly what I am doing today and I feel exactly the same. I don't have a ton but I do have enough to do a fair amount of quilts. I need to STOP buying for awhile!! I have been floding for 2 hours!!

Hi Bonnie,Of course you had lots of green and brown - its a reflection of the trees you look at every day your home! OK - I know that's not helping. I decided a long time ago the reason there is no Fabric Anonymous is because they couldn't find any sponsors!!Hello, my name is Dianne....

Bonnie, you are right! And it is very humbling to watch your husband and friends move your stash three times in four years. Very humbling. Right after Christmas it will be moved once again so we can install a floor in our basement, too, then, I'm done! Never moving the stash again!

I Recently did a makeover in my sewing room. I decided to fold all my fabric by color. Oh boy Oh boy I put it in old apple crates that I had varnished and stacked about 15 of them against a wall in my closet....it looks so great but I can't hide it. Plus that doesn't count all the kits and wool that I have in a couple of old cupboards in the main part of my room. I told my adult children that they were looking at their inheritance!!!! Or I better get busy. Just love your blog Bonnie and your willingness to share all your knowledge. When I use to do craft shows I was always of the mind that if you shared and gave help to others it would come back to you in tenfolds. Thanks!!! The quilt cam rocks, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm hooked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last time we moved, I used a lot of my stash as packing material. If you don't mind a few wrinkles, it's great for wrapping fragile things, stuffing into odd corners of boxes, pretty much anything you'd use bubble wrap or newspaper for. And when you unpack, you get to pet all of your fabulous fabric, and you don't have mountains of crumpled newspaper to get rid of.

In August I had to move my sewing "rooms" to my bedroom. I had to condense 3 rooms of fabric into about a 10 x12space. After taking class with Bonnie at Oaks, PA in Sept, I sorted all my fabric by size. It was already arranged by color. This time, if it was less than a FQ, I cut it into strips. The difference was I now have 3 bins of uncut fabric, the finished strip "product", and my larger color-sorted clear bins. I have a large quantity of 2.5 inch squares that I have been using as L&Es. I am at a quilt weekend this weekend, and didn't bring my L&Es. I was getting anxious trying to find something to avoid the use of the "bunny tail".

FYI; even with too much stash stacked so visibly in my bedroom, I was at goodwill buying 3XL shirts for fabric. THEY are earmarked for my Smith Mt Morning quilt. At least they have been deboned and pressed. Lol.

We look forward to the haloween quilts you just might start as an answer to the brown and green! =^}Part of my stash is still in the deboning stage, and I don't mind. And all the not-to-be-used-ever-for-quilts just sits there in case I feel like making pillow covers to sell some day. And if there is still something left that I realy don't want, I'll think about the pretty cat beds they make LOL!The insulation is a good thing, it saved me - the growing stash that is! - $12 a month that I pay less for heating 8^} this year...Keep on hoarding, from Amsterdam with love,Irene

OUr last child has moved out of hte house a few yrs ago, I hve taken over one of the bedrooms for sewing and one is an guest bedroom. I have a shelf in there. (6 foot) and more than 1/2 of the closet in my sewing room is full of fabric. I do need a better storage system though. Last yr I decided I needed to hang some of my yardage. I felt that the guest bedroom would be a good place, NO DH has been Hoarding old stereo equipment in there!!! Here I thought it was just suitcases!

I hear you! My husband put pantry cupboards in my sewing room just for my fabric. I couldn't believe how much I have! That being said, it looks like nothing compared to yours!!! Ha haFabric makes us feel safe. Just in case we get stuck in our house there is always something to choose from.Deb

I hear you! My husband put pantry cupboards in my sewing room just for my fabric. I couldn't believe how much I have! That being said, it looks like nothing compared to yours!!! Ha haFabric makes us feel safe. Just in case we get stuck in our house there is always something to choose from.Deb

Don't even think about it for another second. Go get the foam insulation and put up that design wall! You will never regret it! My design wall is 8" high x 10" wide and I have no idea what I did before I had it. I hang things on it to see if I like them and then I can sit in my chair at the sewing machine and look at them. A vertical perspective is way better than putting them on the floor.

Insulation!? WOWOW good though there. Buying before the prices rise!? Absolutely? Always ready to save money. Do you EVER have too much fabric?! welllllll, kinda lol

We quilters like fabrics for quilting, but to touch and look at and design quilts from them in our heads also. Heck now, we all could be sitting on bar stools gulping down quarts of booze instead! Which is worse I say. BRING ON THE FABRIC!

The other day someone I barely known from church brought over a HUGE trash bag filled with 100% cotton quilting fabrics she didn't want!!! Imagine my shock 1/2 of the bag was filled with very new Autumn prints lolol --- I explained I would love to give her scraps a place to live and 'work'. She told me she is bring MORE! And our LQS === well now ummmmmm === it is getting be sale time. Mercy! How we love it.

I feel your pain. I have been there not too long ago. I had to remove everything! It is not pretty when it is all in one pile. Sort of feels like you are running through the streets naked (not that I have ever done that).

All I can say is Dear God, please do not make me move.......When I moved just over a year ago there were about 100 boxes to go in my 2 quilt studio rooms.....I really couldn't do it again! Stash rocks!

My name is Paule-Marie and I am a fabric hoarder, no addict, wait I am a fabric connoisseur. When we moved from California to Arizona, I took 30 leaf size bags to the craft thrift shop. They weighed about 20 pounds each. I sold and gave away some of my fabric to good homes. I still have a boatload of fabric in storage since we we only supposed to rent for a year. It's been longer than that and I have accumulated more fabric that I have to move this year to the new house. After that I am not moving. They can carry me out feet first.

The good news is that I will have a design wall 8 x 10 feet and a big (for me) sewing studio - about 11 x 23 feet. I heard an interview with Nancy Zieman today, her studio at home is 17 x 23. So it's all good.

This is so funny!! A few months ago, I couldn't find a fabric for a project so I decided to reorganize my fabrics on a couple of "messy" shelves in the closet of my sewing room. As you can guess, one thing led to another and what started as a simple task turned into a 2 day "huge" job of reorganizing all my fabric collection!

I discovered I have a lot more UFO's and WISP's than I thought! I don't have as much in my stash as many other quilters, but my husband thinks I shouldn't ever need to buy any more fabric.

I need more shelves added in the closet to hold the rest of the fabric and projects in bags! one of these days!!