I shopped only my stash for 3 or 4 years after watching a lady in her 80s with 2 teen grandchildren buy a whole table full of fabric. These kids spent 2 weeks organizing her fabrics for her the previous month so she could find things easily in her 2 fabric rooms. My husband took 2 years to notice I wasn't buying fabric. My friend opened a quilt shop so got back in. Life is complicated. Great video.
I just redesigned my sewing room and had to handle all my fabric. You are right about the need to know what you have. When I saw all the beautiful precuts I own, I have no desire to shop for more.
My husband says I have enough fabric to quilt for 10 years. Then you said, "Know your limit" and he said "I know blasphemy when I hear it." I just smile.
Hilarious. I made 55 quilts for family with assistance of my 11 and 13 year old sons in 1992...They paired up.fabrics and decided how big each person needed by height and which fabrics for each person. Each gave up their favorites several times aa so and so would like better.... Recently realized how many family members need a quilt as added since 92.. So going to do by luck at family reunion. I give away about 30 a year to strangers so just need add family to that list.
My first quilt project (all by hand including the piecing) was to make twin bed quilts for my 2 boys. Years later the part I'd gotten done was made into a baby quilt for my 3rd child.
wow!! thanks for the prequilt info!! what a terrific site! im a buy fabric first, design later type quilter. stash control is unknown territory for me.
I quilt to learn new techniques and patterns. But I also keep them soft and cuddly so they can go on beds! Then they go to a charity, displaced little children is my favourite charity, they just love them
Thanks for the tips!! I shop from my quilting friend's stash and she gets stuff from mine. I recently pulled all my quilting fabric out and sorted and refolded it to fit in a narrow shelf unit I have. I figured if I could see it I would be inspired by all the pretty colours!! It also gave me a chance to see what is lacking(plainer fabrics and larger prints). Now I can easily shop from my stash and shop from my friend's place or the charity shops and the store when I have to. I also watched your scrap prep video and I spent a good chunk of today, sorting and cutting some Christmas fabric. I narrowed down what I want to make as per your suggestion and cut my fabric accordingly. Thanks and Happy Quilting!!
Do you live in my sewing room? Sure sounds like it. The fabric I have is divided into fat quarters, etc., the only difference is how much yardage I have on hand. I a so happy that you have your RU-vid Channel.
I am enjoying your ideas so much. You are sensible, polite, and easy to understand. You don't talk down to us, and give us ideas to try now. I love that you are wanting us to use what we have. Too many are working for some company and keep wanting us to buy kits or expensive tools. I hope you keep making new videos, you are a refreshing change.
It's been that kind of week, from snowstorms to my internet connections going down. So finally, here is 5 Strategies to keep your fabric stash in balance with your quilting speed. We all have our own comfort level. Know your limit, quilt within it.
I learned to quilt from my grandmother 62 years ago. After inheriting my mother’s quilting fabric, I can probably quilt for another 62 years! For the past few years I have only purchased fabric when I didn’t have enough for the backing. I am making a good dent in my stash. I also let my quilt group shop my stash.
If I started quilting today I could quilt for 30.25 years, the problem is I’m 70 years old. I’d have to live to be 100 and pray my eyesight doesn’t quit. Lol I guess it will be sold in an estate sale.
My mom died last year. She was an avid quilter and sewer for over 60 years. I inherited the contents of her sewing room. (Yeah, new expensive sewing machines and equipment). But I also got her whole stash and UFOs. I found a girl's sewing club who gladly took a lot of the stash and excess equipment. But I still have a few years of quilts to make.
2020 or "The Great Pause" as I call it gave me the uninterrupted time I needed to go through my stash, scraps, and notions. I make/donate small 36"square quilts to a local hospital for their NICU/PICU in memory of a family member. Last year I made 99 quilts, 50 small Christmas stockings, several taggies, and over a hundred masks "shopping" from my stash and minimal purchases. Your tips, tricks, and strategies were invaluable as we're your videos of encouragement and inspiration. It was an AHA moment when you said don't keep the fabrics you don't like anymore. It was like you waved a magic wand releasing the guilt because I hadn't used it yet. . However, the tip I struggle with the most is not over buying. The bargain hunter in me has a really tough time saying no to that end of bolt discount. . . hehehe!!! Like my projects, I'm a work in progress too!!! Thanks again Karen for your wisdom and generosity!!!
In addition to the abundance of fabric, I have enough yarn to last a couple lifetimes. This is a great video with some good guidance that can be applied across different craft stashes.
COVID-19 is a great stash buster for the fabrics you don't like/don't know what to do with! So far I've made 23 masks with the random pieces I have from other projects, and with the left overs I plan on making bias tape ties for them!
OMG I needed to hear you this morning, before I started ordering MORE beautiful fabrics just because I am on everyone's email! How do they find us? Started counting, just mentally, not even stepping into my sewing living room! Yes busted out of a sewing bedroom, now took over the never used living room! Clear boxes of all mentioned fabric sizes! In beautiful colors. If I sewed a quilt every week for the rest of my life, I would be the oldest living sewing woman alive in the world! And the rate I am going I won't even remember where my sewing room is very soon... Not funny just fact. Thank you for opening my eyes and closing my shopping. I am sure that my family thanks you too. Have a great day.
Several years ago I decided to flesh out projects rather than just buy fabrics with no specific project in mind. That worked, to a point, but it wasn't truly effective since I'd still buy bargain-priced pretties. This year, no more purchases unless it is for a project already in the works that my stash just won't satisfy. I know logically that means de-stashing (it's own reward, I'm sure) but I'm not quite emotionally ready for that. I foresee more Community Service projects.
I just love your style. You're fun, sensible, informative and creative. Great advice! I challenged myself the beginning of 2017 to craft and sew with only what I had on hand . . . and I had plenty! . . . unless I absolutely couldn't finish the project without purchasing something. i.e. thread, more glue sticks, etc. I stuck to it and, imagine that, I had plenty to make plenty! 😂 At 65, the road ahead is getting shorter; I don't want my 4 daughters to have to deal with all my stash 'n trash when I'm gone! Have a fab time next weekend!! ♡
You are very smart. I received a call at least three times a year from friends with a fabric stash of an recently departed relative. So much ends up in a dumpster.
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts my friend thought of me when she had 3 boxes of her grandmother's fabric (1980s) to clear out of her storage. After washing & refolding polyblends, plaids, corduroys, etc. in neutrals, my church received large totes for the girls' orphanage we sponsor. Jumpers & overalls help preserve their school uniforms just for classes. 🤗
That's what I'm doing! Use what I have. For the last year I've only purchased interfacing, batting and one piece of fabric for a special request present.
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts Many of the thrift (charity) shops will take fabrics, etc. A friend runs a charity shop and has a few of us that will show up to help out by cutting blocks, roll fabric remnants, sort notions, wool & needles, etc. That sort of stuff sells pretty good & fast for the shops that take the items.
Thank You very much for your advice. I will share this video with my daughter my baby 38 years old. S he started quilting at 12. We passed a quilt store she saw a quilt in the window and said I want to do that. We went inside to get more info and signed her up. I took notes for her. I saw her do her first flying geese, then mama signed up and we both have been buying fabric ever since.😲😊 thanks again
My grandmother would ditto your advice on fabric budgeting and buying just the right amount. She actually very rarely bought as much as the pattern called for. When we went shopping for patterns and fabric together we would take a few extra minutes to sit at the table in the fabric store while she analyzed the pattern cutting layout to see what she could move to have less waste. She almost always bought a little less and always had enough. She also always bought good fabric. It's easier to afford nice things if you only buy as much as you need.
I worked at a quilt shop for 10 years!! Enough said. Lol. I have more than I can ever use up. I went through my fabric and pulled for pillow cases and got started on them. That helped some. I just trying to make up fabric into usable items before I can no longer do it. No purchasing for me. Great video.
My town recently passed a plastic bag ban that goes into effect in January so market bags will be getting a chunk of my stash. They will also make great all occasion gifts for a while.
Thanks for the reminder that even very simple quilts are beautiful. Not every quilt needs to be complicated, and if the notion of complication is what stops me from using what I have, I need to shake it off.
A friend of mine has gone to buying nothing but kits so she isn’t tempted to over buy and is slowing down the growth of her stash. In our 60s that’s a good thing.
I use tubs only for scraps I have cut from leftovers. A bin for 2.5, 4 inch strips, another for 5 inch squares, 10 in squares. Fat quarters and larger I keep in hanging shoe or sweater organizers, then i can see the fabric I have. 2 yard and larger are hanging so I can see potential backs. I am only buying what I have to buy to finish projects.
WOWZA! What a great video! Thank you! (Yesterday a friend from my guild confessed that she had 12 plastic bins full of fabric, so I'm sharing this with my guild's fb page). Hope to run into you at QuiltCon!
I did the calculations. I have three years of fabric. I do t need to buy more. What I do buy is bedding, like new, from charity shops. I quilt with that for sashing and backing.
I met a woman on our neighborhood "Buy Nothing" group on FB. She makes purses for African girls to carry and conceal their tampons, etc.... She makes the purses, and a charity group fills them and mails them off. I was thrilled to have someone to help me destash fabrics I've acquired that no longer make my heart sing or ones that just don't work that well for quilts, but are perfect for purses.
I started my first quilt in high school, and that's the time I started collecting fabric. Well, I'm in my 70's now and have enough yardage that I started selling fat quarters at a music festival I go to yearly and donating quilts for their raffle. This leaves me with enough yardage that I have closets full of my favorite colors and plastic bins full, and shoe boxes full, and plastic drawers full. Well, you get the idea. I've started working on my Mt. Scrapmore by cutting fabric down to usable sizes. For me that's 3" squares, 2" wide strips, 2" squares. These seem to be the sizes I use most often. I've got 3 quilts in the works that use those sizes and 1 quilt that is being made from the strings that are left over from all the cutting. And from all the cutting I've been doing recently, I have one small trash can of pieces to toss. I'm fortunate in having a very large room dedicated to my sewing. I've learned through the years what types of patterns I like to use and about how much fabric I'll need to make them. When I go fabric shopping now, I know to buy only 1/8th of a yard. 4.5 inches of fabric cut from each of 8 colors makes several of my favorite blocks. Therefore I only get a yard of fabric total.
I love it! You've got some great nuggets about creativity and staying motivated. I have learned so much from your videos I am STILL clicking my heels about pressing correctly. Thank you. Tha k you. Thank you.
I am a new quilter and have been studying for about 6 months reading books, watching videos, talking with other Quilters. I have been doing this pre and post two surgeries on my eyes for cataracts. Now I have beautiful new eyes and can see perfectly clear conscience lines and color. However, while I have been studying I have also been purchasing fabric, tools, and references. I probably have ten years worth of projects. Not lying it has become an addiction. Thank you for this video it has helped me to be aware of my situation. I am retiring in a few months and have plans to take on these projects. Several are put together with patterns but there is still a mountain of fabric with no project assigned. I look forward to more of your videos.
Oh dear! I have tub upon tub of vintage auction fabrics my hubby supplied me with. I share with 2 other women. I think as long as we happily pull out of them, not to mention the scrap from the scrap bin, we will just not worry about calculating. I appreciate your videos and sound advice. You are a joy in my life! Thank you!!
I missed this video when it came out. I recently donated a lot of my stash to a new quilter and while doing it found a lot of fabric that I had forgotten, buried under more recent purchases. I like your new covid hair better!!
Ive always loved sewing since i was a kid, i can't afford the pricy fabrics, but i cut up anything i can find even scrubs lol, love all your videos, i love scrappy quilts hope you make more videos on scraps
Hi Jenny- you are so clever to see creativity in in older fabrics! well done!..keep enjoying yourself! hugs from Australia...where I live is quite tropical, hence not many quilts are needed, but I can offer them to chairty..cheers!
I have been putting off watching this video. First off, thank you for no judgement. Secondly, I LOVE knowing how many fat quarter's or how many cakes make a simple quilt. The idea of knowing how much fabric I have has always scared me. But, now I can view that information as how many quilts I will have. I feel so much such more productive with that information. This feels liberating from a hoarder to a producer.
I'm curious about this prequilt program. What are the odds of finding my fabric in it assuming major brands of quilting cotton bought at quilt shops? If I have the selvage with the details, is there a way to look it up in the program?
I have a very tiny fabric stash at this point. Right now, I can only buy the fabric I need for my next project. Everything must have a specific purpose and my next 4 quilts are already planned. If I get them done in time, I might enter 2 of them in our local and state fairs this summer. The other 2 are for a couple of babies who are both due to be born in August. I also have garments that need to be made.
I have a gazillion meters of fabric... not even kidding. People were clearing out during lockdown and I chose to save the fabric from landfill. It's a complete mix of cotton, dress fabric (knits), denim, upholstery, curtaining... I could sew for 10 years and NOT see the end of it. I've only just started quilting (I've made most of my own clothing), but the choices I have are overwhelming. It started as a good deed, but now I can't see the wood for the trees (even after a full day of 3 people sorting through it all).
Usually, I would bug my husband if I had to calculate ratios since he "likes" math. In this case I would give him a pass. I want to stay married an additional 30 years (at least). Lol 😂.
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts Mine is just out there in a walk in closet, but he usually leaves things he brings up for me on the cutting table in the main room. He golfs, I quilt -- fair trade.
@@JustGetitDoneQuilts , my fabric sometimes has lived in my trunk for a week until I could bring it into my sewing area of the basement. Hubby has looked at my fabrics and has said "You can't possibly use all of this fabric, in your lifetime." I said "True! I am okay with that."
Fortunately and unfortunately I inherited a LOT of fabric from my aunt though I got rid of most of it as the styles of a 30 year old man and a 60 year old woman differed a bit (a bizarre amount of fabric with fruit and vegetables on it).
If you are looking to destash, think about giving the fabric to new quilters. Fabric costs can be a real barrier to entry for quilting, and they will probably appreciate it.
Years ago added up fabric and quilt kits. I need to make 11 quilts a year for 14 years. I might get one done a year. I have lots of quilt tops finished and even after quilts. But I don’t like the finishing process.
I often post, and can't find my post, so if I'm repeating myself... sorry. lol. I find it hard to spend money on fabric if I don't have a project in mind, so I really don't have scraps, or a stash. Fabric is really expensive, in my area, so I try not to buy anything I don't use. I heard you talk about people selling their stashes or giving them away. Might not be exactly my taste, but I'd be interested to hear more about this possibility.
Thank you or being the new friend that you have become. I found your site by accident, but fell in love with it. I am a white knuckle quilter, always wondering if what I do is acceptable Because you have no criticism of simple projects, I feel 100% better.
I just love your videos! This one really hit home for me. It is time to destash and use up what I have. I feel so motivated right now!! Thanks so much!
I don't want to know how much fabric I have, it would stress me out. I am not calling it paid for therapy and I can live with that. I love my fabric and love going through it
Absolutely LOVED all your ideas here. I know for myself personally it can be hard not to buy the latest fabric, but I am really trying to be very intentional, and you are 100% correct, we CAN’T take it with us!!! Keep your videos coming, love them!!!
Love your utube videos . You are so funny and so informative. . Got up this morning and dived into my stash . Have now about 10 projects cut and put together for some serious sewing this week. Am going to commit to not buying any more quilting fabric till I clear a few of my plastic boxes. Thanks for the push.
I was happy to learn that I do almost all of the things you suggest. I do buy a fabric on the fly once in a while but within my budget and with a purpose for it in mind. :) I inherited all my mother in-laws quilting supplies & equipment. I went to a junk store and bought a chest of drawers for the fabric. I have used all but just a few "projects" worth, having to buy very little. Most of what I make is for her great-grand children. She left me projects half done but taught me how to finish. She quilted up to one month before she left us... In her late 80's! I feel so close to her when I sew and my grand children love knowing that they have a part of her in what I make. What a gift she has left us!
Signed up for PreQuilt. But. Question. HOW do I create the pattern from the quilt that I now have created? I see download, and that is great, but it does not give fabric requirements. I see only the number of each block. Is there a place here to create the cutting instructions, fabric requirements etc. Thanks
Thank you for signing up. You are correct, there are no instructions or fabric requirement. We are working on the fabric requirements at the moment and will have this feature complete by next week in mid Sept, 2019. Feel free to join our YT channel to find out when this feature arrives. ru-vid.com
Ready to truly tackle this year. How much is too much? Thought I would start with sorting by hue and value and at the same time what do I just not like.
I have a lot of fabric ...my mother passed away and I’d want to make for my sisters and brother quilts from some of my fabric and I also want to institute some pieces of my moms clothes int the center as a remembrance of her
I just moved my fat quarters from big containers to a slender cart with drawers. It was horrific. I have so many fat quarters... and then, I have also many other full big containers gfilled with yardage...I'm 68 years old. I think I have to live to my 100th birthday to sew all that, but I am already figuring out what 18 fat quarters bundle I am going to buy next month!!
A friend gave me a large box of fat quarters recently saying I am not sure if I am helping you or putting you to work......as our friends destash then ours grow too.
I finished 36 quilt tops Dec to last week. Sounds good but I got t-boned car accident yesterday.... so not sure when body will be ready again. Life can get in the way when you make plans.
I am getting better with deep muscle massage, chiropractor, rest, and red therapy light for healing soft tissue issues. Doing a lot at first makes a huge difference. I gave the quilts to my quilt group to share with foster kids, hospital needy kids and nursing homes and veterans. My local hospital needs 100 a year so added them to my list. I don't want a fabric museum so need to keep going. I plan to do several for family reunion for different age bands. Tell them after those are ready.
When you said "You need to know how much fabric you have" it made my chest tighten. Just last week one of my daughters (brat that she is) said "when you die all your cloth is going in the fire with you because I'M not dealing with that mess!". I guess I better step up the number of quilts I make :-p
Choose a charity recipient for your remaining stash now and make sure your children know who it is. Also, leave written instructions on who/where/how to handle your stash. The recipient could be a guild, church sewing group, or a new quilter. In our town, there is a group that collects fabric donations and then gives them free to people or groups sewing or quilting for charity.
Question: When you say 4.5 yards (or other measurement) to make a twin quilt, are you talking about just the front of the quilt, or the front and back? I always make reversible quilts.
Love your ideas. I had a major destash last year. I made bed quilts for my 3 grandkids and their parents for Christmas all from my stash. The only fabric I purchased was background fabric but that was limited. I just completed a queen + size quilt for my nephew using up my extra blocks from very partial quilts. I only needed to make 3 blocks for this one. I set it on point for a really nice scrappy look using up similar blue strips for sashinh and random reds for cornerstones. I even pieced the binding from a couple fat quarters. I am now down to 1 box of 1 yard and up fabrics, 1 box of fat quarters and 1 box of scraps. Moving into a very small house dictated something had to be done with all the excess. Forgot to mention, all the quilt backs were pieced together too, mostly from fat quarters which made them all reversible. Now I am on a very limited budget from a forced early retirement so I am concentrating on completing ufo and wip quilts. Once done, I am going to make miniatures!
Thanks for so many great tips! I don't quilt, but I sew garments. My fabric stash is getting a bit out of control, so you gave me some great things to think about. Ultimately - they aren't going to stop making fabric, and there will always be something beautiful out there to buy.
I got many, (over time) 3or4 drawer units that are clear plastic and stackable (if you don't put the roller ball wheels on the bottoms!) . I have all my yarns, heritage family linens , embroidery projects, and fabrics roughly sorted by type (cotton, wool, stretchable, silks and nylon-ish .....) and all the cottons by colours - pretty much, lol. love them because i can see at a glance what there is and where, and very importantly, I can easily access all by simply pulling open a drawer!. no more un-pile-ing towers of crates and boxes to get at something that MIGHT be in that bottom one!!! Highly recommend. I got them fairly inexpensively years ago at walmart and staples in their 'office' storage solutions sections. (use them for all my clothes and sheets and shoes too)
My daughter tells me Mom you best get using up all that fabric and make something with it. I don't want to have to haul it all out after you are no longer here.
If you make them enough quilts they start suggesting other people to share them with too. There are lots of places where people feel forgotten..hospice, hospitals for needy kids, comfort for victims police and firefighters see, foster kids, mentally ill, nursing homes. 45x60 is a nice size for a lot of kids and still easy to do on home machine.
Thank you - great video! I really appreciate the info and the humor. On my way to a "handwerk" event (hand-work: quilting, etc) here in Holland this Sunday and I am definitely go with a budget. Have a great time at the Big event this weekend. I hope you have fun!
Thank you for reminding me that I need to add quilting back into my budget! I could probably quilt/sew for at least 5 years except that I share my stash with my friend who set up a sewing room in her house for us to share. I also have to buy batting and thread occasionally. I have found that simple flannel baby blankets or shopping bags make great "pallet cleansers" or warm up projects when I don't have time or inspiration for more complex patterns. I just discovered your channel yesterday and you are inspiring me already. Thank you!
😂😂😂😂😂 ok...at least I'm not crying😌you're right. I believe I have enough for a thousand or so. Ohh but I am going to do this. I love the way you think.
Another great inspirational video. I think I would have to live two lifetimes to use all my stash. Am almost done cutting up 3 bags of scraps to usable sizes like squares and strips. Last year I measured and organized yardage. Making progress. But there is so much fabric eye candy on the internet when it comes to fabric. I limit most fabric purchases to local quilt shops and shows to help resist temptation. Have fun at Quilt Con.
I’m sitting here sewing a string quilt to use a large collection of strings as I’m listening to your informative video. I have been avidly quilting for 30+ years. Two years ago, I designated a storage area that want to Finally want to end up for fabric storage. Lol, I’m no where near that goal yet. Therefore, I’m intrigued learning about PreQuilt. I just added it to my home screen. Now, I have just finished two community quilts. One of your ideas for tackling my stash and goal of adding one per month. I already have enforced for just short of a year to “NO NEW FABRIc” rule. Every tine I think that I have to to buy “one” fabric that I “really” need to keep going with my quilt, I keep searching and low and behold, I have come up with “just the right fabric”. Two years I have also followed with your tip of Shop with a Budget!! It is very helpful and reassuring to me that I have a visual goal of the exact space and storage units for my end goal for my fabric. I can mentally see that I am moving forward toward that goal. Another thing for me is that I have scoured Pinterest for a specific purpose! Most of us will admit that the new fabrics are mush more alluring than what we purchased 10-20+ years ago (and less). For me, making this an important task, I have been to identify quilts that I can make with my old, and older fabrics that will be just as stunning as my new quilts. And God bless Kona white and snow. Lol. I just finished a wonderful Evening Star quilt done in plaids..... from eons ago with a few newish ones for a special daughter in law. She loves it and was absolutely overjoyed to receive it. I even used good size pieces of older fabric for the backing. Yes, it did take me an extra day to piece it but it turned out to be perfect for the quilt. A few country prints featuring snowmen that had lost their appeal a long time ago were the perfect accents for the plaid pieces I used on the back. Best of all is the satisfaction and happiness I had and still have resulting from taking another large step toward my goal of reaching a Specific, Limited amount of fabric that I will allow myself to have on hand. And believe me, I have allowed myself Plenty of room to have a fabric collection. As I challenged myself I’m learning that using my old, and I do mean old fabric doesn’t mean that I’m limited to making blah, dreary, unappealing quilts. The one exception to my plan is that I can always have a reasonable amount of Kona white and snow on hand. Other exception is that for 2 specific quilts I have planned I will need a specific amount of a background fabric that will have to be purchased. LOL, I even calculated exactly how much I need and that is what the purchase will be..exactly and no more. I really found your video to be encouraging and I know I will carry it in my head and it will pop up if/when I have any weak moments.
Thank you! I love your videos and how informative they are! I love the way you film, teach, show, explain everything. The way you talk/teach is VERY soothing. Now, it's time for me to go get reacquainted with my stash...and display them, instead of keeping them out of sight in various bins! 💖
My mantra for this year was not to buy any more fabric but to make as many quilts as I can out of them. So far I have made 6 or so and then put them on my longarm. Man have I not only saved money but my stash is sooo much smaller. Love your videos. Thank you for taking the time to share them to us.
