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My WHOLE LIFE!!!! LoL

Had to Edit this: about lets see I'm 57 - 16 = 41 so not my Whole life just the last 41 years of It! I'm sure some of you have done better than that. And I DON'T mean that AS an insult But as a COMPLEMENT!

MimiBug123

Probably 20 years. I've been through the mauve, peach, burgandy, forest green, williamsburg blue stages, and still going. I like applique and scrappy, so I don't have a problem throwing a few "outdated" colors in there. I figured I couldn't go wrong with Christmas fabric. I was right! I had to have blenders, so I do. I also figured that I'd need solids, so I built a pretty good stash of those. With the prices of fabric now, I'm glad I have it!

SunlitenSmiles

yes...and it is great fun to shop in the stash

bottle of wine from Callaway in the cooler now, memory of the winery visit, tour and luncheon, priceless.

jitkaau

If you use it, it eventually has to be replaced...I haven't finished "stocking up", even in retirement.

rainagade

i don't think I will every run out of fabric. Nor am I done collecting fabric.

I do find it necessary to purchase the new fabrics while I try to use at least one fabric from my stash for my projects.
If I am doing smaller projects it is easy to find something from my stash for backing.

linkd

I just bought what I wanted and thought I had a use for, and then didn't get around to actually sewing much of anything... hence the stash! After I decided not to be embarrassed about it, I did more recreational shopping without guilt and referred to increasing fabric collection as my 401s (S for 'stash') everyone has to save for retirement after all. Now I have a new grandson and need to shop some more since my 401s is sadly -) lacking in cute fabric, let alone cute little boy fabric. If I were to advise anyone I'd say buy basics first - use your coupons for rulers, etc and a whole roll of batting if you have space and fabric you love. Get a good sewing machine while you have money coming in that you can spare. When you do retire try to put some of that stash into everything you make - but you may have to supplement buy a trip to the fabric store.

As for the mistakes - my local senior center runs a crafts/fabric thrift store. Some of my old calicos are going to take a ride as soon as I can find them (luckily I wasn't buying during the mauve trend)

My 401s is healthy and thriving.

lbc

I agree with bearisgrey that you should stock up on money and not fabric. If you stock up now it seems like you are doing it as a "job". Wait until you have time to leisurely shop and really enjoy the task. Also, taste changes. I have things I bought five years ago that are not what I want to be making today.

Pat G

I don't understand why people do this yrs. ahead & planning to use it in retirement. Our tastes chg. so much. Fabrics become out of style. Newer & better things come along.
Unless you're retiring in the next yr. or two, I don't understand the need to stock up for the future.
I used to make my kids clothes so when I come across fabric I didn't use, it's is the type that requires heavy ironing. The new stuff is so much nicer & I don't use any of the old stuff. Just something to think about.

JudyTheSewer

I spent about 6 years stocking up. I was lucky to have a Mill End on my way home from work and their prices were great (usually $4-$5 a yard). I used the 60% off coupon and stopped in often. I was buying great brand fabric at $2.12 or so a yard. I tend to not follow trendy styles in anything and the same goes with fabric. I buy what I like and I still like it 20-30 years later! I also like scrappy quilts so I don't need large amounts of any single print. I am very glad I have a selection of fabrics to choose from. My last two quilts were done totally out of my stash; fabric, thread,backing, and batting. I have TONS of white-on-white and beige-on-beige which is a big help.

Friday1961

I didn't start quiltmaking until after I retired but I used to make all my clothes so always had a lot of fabric. I winnowed much of that out over the years by not allowing myself to buy fabric just because I loved it. I now have a reasonably small quilting stash, which includes yardage of neutrals (black, white) which I like to have handy. I don't really want a huge stash. For one thing, I don't have a place to store it and for another, it makes me anxious to have all that fabric "leaning" on me, demanding that I make something with it!