Anniedeb

I love fat quarters, and have been known to buy them by the dozens! When Mill End Textiles went out of business I bought a ton. S.R Harris Warehouse is a favorite, and I usually can find several that seem to call my name as I walk by. I've also experienced the "it jumped into my cart" issue. My quilting friend, whose stash is the size of a small store is downsizing, and has been giving me fabric. I used to buy 1/2 - 1 yard cuts, but found I always needed more, so now I've been buying 2 -3 yard cuts. I try to stick to FQ when I travel, but sometimes that doesn't work. I've told DH to just bury it with me.... I believe you can take it with you!!

Wanabee Quiltin

I’ve stopped buying from quilt stores but will pick up fabric from a thrift store - if it’s really good fabric that I know I will use. I use to buy fat quarters all the time but no more. Recently I cleaned out my sewing room and found about 20 jelly rolls to add to the 7 I had on another shelf. I also discovered a bin full of excellent charm squares and I had too many on another shelf. I have a way too large stash but I’m going to get it organized, visit it often just to pet it and be certain to remember it when I get tempted. I’ve never bought much yardage except black and white fabrics, but I still have quite a bit of everything. My Stash is lovely but it’s too much.

TexasTillie

When I first started making quilts, about 10 years ago, I was gifted a pickup truck load of fabric and a car load of fabric. I gave a lot away. Still have way too much. More recently, a friend's mom passed away and I was given a lot of the fabric she had. At this point, I seldom, if ever, buy fabric. I am slowly but surely whittling away at what I have. About the only thing I have bought since acquiring all that fabric, for which I am extremely grateful, is white fabric. More recently, I have been discarding some, passing it on to the thrift store or giving to friends. It can be very overwhelming.

SusieQOH

Before fat quarters and pre-cuts arrived on the scene I bought mostly yardage. These days I buy mostly backing fabrics and not much other yardage. I'm a sucker for pre-cuts.
I gifted a lot of fabric that I've had a long time. My tastes have changed over the years. My stash is now manageable for me. If I have too much I get overwhelmed.

ptquilts

I think after quilting a while, giant arrows develop over your head and follow you around, letting people know you are a quilter and will take any fabric off their hands. Same thing happens with yarn if you are a knitter.

We were lucky enough, when we started quilting, to meet 3 ladies (separately) who had cottage industries making quilts and buntings, and they gave us tons of scraps. All we ever had to buy was yardage for backings. And I mean they considered "scraps" anything up to about 2 yards.

I still have some of it left.

luvstoquilt

I have a large “textile collection” and I love it! I adore scrappy quilts so I have many fat 1/4s. I run to the sale fabric when I go to the LQS and I buy enough yardage to back a quilt. I don’t like the wide backings as a rule. I find they don’t seem to be as tightly woven. (Just my silliness probably). I have found a great store in Bloomington called Bolines where fabric is $6.99 a yard. It is name brand fabrics and there is a huge selection. I love ‘30s and civil war fabrics and can sew from my stash for many years. I clean my scraps every month for the first couple of days. I cut them in strips, squares, etc. and I use them for donation quilts. I also sometimes use larger leftovers on the back of my quilts.

Fabric prices are probably going to continue to rise since China has bought up the cotton futures. HAving a large stash doesn’t bother me a bit. I love having it.

Ellen 1

Haha. I loved this. My husband has started telling me I need to “start putting a price on everything” so he will know what it is worth “if I go first”. Now I will tell him that I plan to take it with me. Haha

Ellen 1

The least amount of fabric I buy at a time is 2 yards. Most of the time 3 yards or more. I have found if I only buy 1 yard, it is never enough for any of the patterns I want it for. I have become enthralled with mystery quilts and it is easier to pull together the fabrics if you don’t have to replace what you want with something else because you only have a yard (or less) of the fabric you want. (Hope that makes sense).

SallyS

What a delightful topic DJ, thanks for introducing it. And I love SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy). You have all made me feel less guilty about my lovely stash. I was a professor, teaching fashion design and interior design, so you can imagine my stash. I gave away my wearable art "collection" because now I love making art quilts. My fabrics are ruler folded (around a 6" X 18" ruler), then stacked by color on shelves so I can see everything I have and enjoy my SABLE. My husband used to say an artist needs a palette and I've done my best to live up to that!

feline fanatic

Like QuiltingVagabond, I am a sucker for a good deal. I also tend to buy in 2 yard or more increments. If I think it will make a good border print I buy 3 1/2 to 4 so I can cut LOF. I also save scraps at ridiculously small increments. I like offset log cabins made with 1 1/2" and 1" strips so will save a piece as small as 1" x 1 1/2". I have baggies with premade HST as small as 1 1/2" square with plans for them in a scrappy quilt. (they are my leaders and enders ala Bonnie Hunter method). I also have baggies with other sizes. 2" strips are set aside in varying lengths for a one day strip quilt or possibly some other project. I refuse to buy precuts. But I have won fat quarter assortments and the one time I ordered from Missouri Star I got a charm square package for free. These are always problematic for me because I usually love the assortment but they are not what I would usually purchase for myself (in terms of colors and prints) so I have nothing in my stash to go with them so I end up buying yardage to go with them and end up with..... more scraps! But they do get me to step outside my color/print comfort zone which is always good.
I try not to binge shop too often. And right now I have enough yardage that I don't feel compelled to go on a FART (Fabric Acquisition Retail Therapy) trip any time in the near future and I have plans for a lot of what I have. My fabric tastes haven't changed too drastically, thank goodness. So I still love almost every piece in my stash and want to use it. There are a few yards of that "sale too good to pass up" that I do like the fabric but am not totally in love with it. Right now my stash is sorely lacking in solids. I need to beef that area up a bit. I can always use neutrals and background blenders in all the varying shades of white, cream, ecru, eggshell, etc, they just aren't as exciting to buy. But a necessary addition to anyone's stash.