How to organize and store fabric.

Isn't it crazy? What did yours look like? Mine was Moda 3 Sisters Faded Memories line. I swear I'm going to use it someday still. I have a real problem with stash. Partly from having family members who are bonafide hoarders, and it makes me want to come home and give away things. Partly from growing up frugally, I can't stand waste of any sort. Fabric just sitting there for years seems wasteful, like I should give it to someone who will actually use it. And part from having a rather small house. But I'm working on it. I know I can't call myself a real quilter unless I have a decent stash. Sherry

Isn't it crazy? What did yours look like? Mine was Moda 3 Sisters Faded Memories line. I swear I'm going to use it someday still. I have a real problem with stash. Partly from having family members who are bonafide hoarders, and it makes me want to come home and give away things. Partly from growing up frugally, I can't stand waste of any sort. Fabric just sitting there for years seems wasteful, like I should give it to someone who will actually use it. And part from having a rather small house. But I'm working on it. I know I can't call myself a real quilter unless I have a decent stash. Sherry

It was a tone on tone fabric with a darker shade of the main color as a paislyish floral design scattered over it. In fact, I still have a small piece of the peachy pink colorway. I had it in green, purple, magenta and light blue in addition to the pink! I remember that it was featured in at least one quilting magazine. I loooved it!

Iris

Sherry, "real quilter" equals stash is an urban legend. There are many fine quilters who buy fabric for each quilt and don't buy to "Feed The Stash".

But, I have to admit, it seems the majority seem accumulate a stash of various sizes. Mine is very much based on the lack of a LQS for the past 22 years. (sigh) But you ARE a quilter whether you have stash or not- and the size doesn't matter. If you made one quilt you are An Official Quilter. I, also, know of quilters who buy stash fabric all the time and seldom make a quilt...... It takes all kinds! VBG

Sherry- Official RCTQ REAL Quilter. There. Now you have the title of "QUILTER"! And you have our permission to stash or not- as you choose. ;-)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

Isn't it crazy? What did yours look like? Mine was Moda 3 Sisters Faded Memories line. I swear I'm going to use it someday still. I have a real problem with stash. Partly from having family members who are bonafide hoarders, and it makes me want to come home and give away things. Partly from growing up frugally, I can't stand waste of any sort. Fabric just sitting there for years seems wasteful, like I should give it to someone who will actually use it. And part from having a rather small house. But I'm working on it. I know I can't call myself a real quilter unless I have a decent stash. Sherry

Hi She,

This is the latest addition to my sewing room. I used to have my fabric in a cupboard, but it was hard to find anything. This way I can see at a glance what's in each drawer. I sort them into colours and also novelties, teddies etc. It seems to be working so far. :-) I got the idea from a Simply Quilts episode that I saw again a few months ago.

I want one.

Sunny

I once loved, loved, loved a Debbie Mumm print faric. It had a denim blue background with (I think) tan squares of garden implements inside and the squares had a bit of green edging. I bought a couple yards, and that was something because at the time I bought all my fabric in the UK with prices 2 or 3 times that of the US and usually just bought half a yard here and there, or a FQ.

The problem is, if I cut it into patches for quilt blocks, the little squares get hacked up. If I fussy cut it so that the squares don't get cut up, it's a funny size to work with and can't really go into a quilt block - it would have to simply work it's own fabric magic as a cushion cover or something, to showcase the print.

And this is why I no longer buy fabric that has little rows of little boxes of cute things. Much better, I think, to get a scatter print of cute things that is not direction and can be cut up into various shapes and sizes. Much more versatile that way I think!

-- Jo in Scotland

Howdy!

Great beg, Roberta: subtle but direct. ;-D

R/Sandy- Queen of Beggars

p.s. if I say "This is organized", then it is...

Yes, I get what you are saying here - and there's also the factor that with most fabrics of this type, when you fussy cut it you always end up losing some of the boxes due to seam allowances, etc. Some of the scatter prints can be problematic too. I'm thinking in particular of a Halloween print I have. There was no good way to use it in a quilt because no matter how you would fussy-cut it, it would look wrong (to me, anyway.) So I decided to make a rectangular piece of it into a simple window topper for the holiday. When I was deciding which side to put the rod pocket on, I discovered that no matter which way I hung it, a major noticeable part of the design would be upside down! It was either the biggest witch figure that would be on her head -- or the large book with the "magic spell" written in it, along with the dancing skeletons that would be dancing upside down! And right now I can't remember which way I chose either!

Iris (nobody mentioned it at the Halloween party, so maybe it wasn't as noticeable as I thought)

I solved that problem by using Susan Teegarden Dissmore's book 'Clever Quilts' book on my 2008 quilt for Kia. There are lots of patterns/suggestions for using 'pictures in boxes' in quilts. I have some Debbie Mumm Christmas Noah fabric that, one day, I will get round to using. Its pictures are very uneven in size so I will probably do a similar layout to Kia's. Its got lots of inspiring children's quilts in too.

I have actually pieced the background for Stairway to Cats Heaven after about 4 years, have got the cats ready to applique, and the backing arrived today, so your nudge as to why it was still just in a cutout strip stage got me moving!

Perhaps I will start the Christmas Noah soon!! (or perhaps I should actually finish something completely first!)

I'm feeling very lucky today - someone at WI was selling off a load of her stash and I came away with a lovely big bag of bits and pieces. Some were about 1/2 a yard and some small bits. I was especially pleased because I got more of the sashing to use with the Noah fabric - I got a fair size piece last time she had a clear out, so now I have enough to do more than just sashing. Its another Debbie Munn print with lots of litle boxes tied up with ribbon on - just right for a Christmas quilt. I got a gorgeous cat print too - the cats are lovely gentle looking ones - very pleased with that too. It took me the whole evening to wash and press them all though.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

Jo Gibs> I once loved, loved, loved a Debbie Mumm print faric. It had a denim

Leigh, That work station is fantastic! I like the entire room. The closed cubbies next to the SM table intrigue me. Is that a Post Office reject, some old mail boxes? Pat, admiring your lovely space, in Virginia

Thanks Pat. My DH made everything up for me, except the cubbies. That he bought from work when they were getting rid of it. It used to hold actual typewriter parts, so you can tell that it's a few years old. :-) Each space is just big enough to get a few bits and bobs in and not so big that you can't find anything once it's in there.

Oh, I'm always interested in why UFOs are still UFOs.

That cat quilt is just perfect for my brother, the more I think about it. And I know that Mark will be jealous that his brother Giles is getting one so.... I'm going to make 3 of them. I'm using a Van Gogh dark blue swirly print for the sky, which they will all love - and they are all great cat lovers. I figure it'll be not that much more cutting time, and I'll get 3 Christmas presents underway very soon.

Hope I don't regret this decision.

-- Jo in Scotland