tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post6342778496396497736..comments2023-04-13T07:44:25.969-04:00Comments on It's the cat's house, I just live here.: To stash or not to stash?The Calico Quilterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01772374749065425388noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-24593339994430103572008-08-23T20:09:00.000-04:002008-08-23T20:09:00.000-04:00Thanks for all the responses - you gave me much to...Thanks for all the responses - you gave me much to think about. I love hearing other quilters' opinions.The Calico Quilterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01772374749065425388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-35407297006215013812008-08-18T15:17:00.000-04:002008-08-18T15:17:00.000-04:00I tend to do scrap quilts, so a stash is really im...I tend to do scrap quilts, so a stash is really important for me. I tend to grab FQ's or half yards of prints/colours I like and then just shop my stash when starting a new project. <BR/>I think having a stash of fabric is also really important when thinking about a quilt -- sometimes a fabric design or colour will really spark a new idea for a project.Cathihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02531639422553980153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-35383863772663708932008-08-17T22:01:00.000-04:002008-08-17T22:01:00.000-04:00i'm new to this whole stash thing and as budget al...i'm new to this whole stash thing and as budget allows i'm building. i think i would spend most of my life in the quilt shop if i didn't have a stash...i am forever auditioning fabrics, pulling combos i like, putting them away, pulling one and becoming inspired and then finding others. I add and change fabric as i work on a quilt...again i'd need to be in a quilt store all the time.jacquiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07362229673390519468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-75935624001935536662008-08-17T07:42:00.000-04:002008-08-17T07:42:00.000-04:00One more comment in favor of stashes...If you like...One more comment in favor of stashes...<BR/><BR/>If you like "peach" "teal" "Dusty Rose" or "Wedgwood blue" to name a few - you have to buy them when they are available, because not unlike clothing, fabric colors follow trends...The Calico Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319271181930512880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-68657144808861339902008-08-16T18:14:00.000-04:002008-08-16T18:14:00.000-04:00I have a stash. . . mainly because I bought fabric...I have a stash. . . mainly because I bought fabrics to make projects & then got sidetracked on other projects (which required fabric to be purchased). . oh & then there was the time that I didn't buy enough fabric to make the project I had decided on & when I went back to the store not even a week later it was as if the fabric had never existed! So that caused me to start buying fabric that I liked just because it might not be there when I wanted it.<BR/><BR/>Now I'm inundated with a stash of fabrics that I love. . . but no time to work on projects because I got married & he likes to do things outside the home!!!<BR/><BR/>In peace & pieces,<BR/><BR/>SherrySherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11615766893549743938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-57875850102776417482008-08-16T12:03:00.000-04:002008-08-16T12:03:00.000-04:00You know I have a large stash and honestly, there ...You know I have a large stash and honestly, there are times I wish I didn't! I get so tied up in trying to find "just the right fabric" in my stash, and it's never there! I hate buying more fabric when I have such a large stash, yet what I have is never what I need! If I had a "do over" I'd be stash free and buying fabric one quilt at a time!Joan Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11068492574250515332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-42765727602085062932008-08-16T07:48:00.000-04:002008-08-16T07:48:00.000-04:00I have a pretty large stash and yes, I pull from i...I have a pretty large stash and yes, I pull from it all the time. In fact I rarely *have to* buy a fabric to finish a quilt, although I do buy when I see something I think I may need later. I have found that the colors I gravitate toward are often not in the shops when I want to use them in a quilt.Mama Sparkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03124372688717255658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-9993107662463787862008-08-15T16:07:00.000-04:002008-08-15T16:07:00.000-04:00I seldom use a pattern as such, so I don't exactly...I seldom use a pattern as such, so I don't exactly know what I need in advance. I start with an idea about color (usually) or design, and then pick from my stash. I often have to buy something too, but I don't see anything wrong with that. I haven't bought much recently, because my stash is big enough. And since I don't like trendy anyway, this is fine with me.Kayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05669924514599648160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-73546575048116315112008-08-15T12:44:00.000-04:002008-08-15T12:44:00.000-04:00Interesting discussion. I love fabric and I love ...Interesting discussion. I love fabric and I love scrappy quilts, so I can't imagine not having a large stash. I like the flexibility of being able to use something I already have, and my stash is pretty well-rounded enough that I can usually find what I am looking for within it.Lisa D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/16851919832389590616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-56298063104837406942008-08-15T09:26:00.000-04:002008-08-15T09:26:00.000-04:00I'm one that likes to start quilts after the shops...I'm one that likes to start quilts after the shops have closed for the day/weekend. I *love* my stash because if I have a theme/color, then I can pull out a dozen or so pieces of that theme/color. I also pre-cut pieces for I-Spy quilts and have been known to assemble a twin-sized top in one afternoon, with simple sashing. I like easy, fast quilts so I can enjoy the process. That's why I have an XL stash in my tiny house.Betty J in OKChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09300663370644537108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-74079402549077482042008-08-15T08:48:00.000-04:002008-08-15T08:48:00.000-04:00Even if you don't buy for the stash, you will stil...Even if you don't buy for the stash, you will still end up with stash because there are always left-overs. That's where a lot of my stash comes from. I like doing scrappy so I love having a stash. When I sew a quilt from a pattern, I buy new fabric.Joycehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17083924435653058457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-64855284835190434422008-08-15T06:16:00.000-04:002008-08-15T06:16:00.000-04:00One more thought from someone who has already hija...One more thought from someone who has already hijacked this poast...<BR/><BR/>I would not necessarily be able to afford shopping for one quilt at a time. Especially when you need 2 yards of this, 3 yards of that, etc. Especially right now while I am saving for baby... & because I still want to have my quilts professionally finished by a long armer...<BR/><BR/>a 1/2 yard here & there on the other hand - I can somehow manage most of the time.The Calico Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319271181930512880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-68098465676131227912008-08-15T06:11:00.000-04:002008-08-15T06:11:00.000-04:00I think it completely depends on the type of quilt...I think it completely depends on the type of quilter that you are...<BR/><BR/>But I prefer super scrappy - so I am drawn to patterns that work that way like charm quilts. Or blocks where you can have a large variety of fabrics - like card tricks - if you make a card tricks quilt that has 12 blocks - each of those blocks has the potential of using at least 4 different prints - 5 if you go scrappy with the background too - 48 to 60 different small pieces of fabric can go into that quilt - imagine if you made it big enough to fit a queen sized bed... if you want that to be all blues - then you might need a stash... (Going to the store to buy 48 different blues is daunting to say the least.)<BR/><BR/>Also I am into Japanese Taupes, they are not available everwhere & they are the kind of thing where if you want "X" you need to get it when you see it. (Last year "X" was light, this year very dark - I also grab up reds, purples, greens, & blues - taupes tend to be brown, cream or gray - so the others are only out for brief moments in time...)<BR/><BR/>I also like cats - I used to buy a piece of every cat print that I saw... (I have made 2 cat charm quilts that each have more that 2000 different cat prints & I plan to make another when my jumbo charm template comes in.) If that is not for you, then a stash is not a good idea. (I also like I SPY quilts & sometimes novelties are abundant - other times, not so much, or at times food prints are available, other times you can only find sports stuff.)<BR/><BR/>If you on the other hand are drawn to quilts that use a focus fabric & several go-withs, then a stash might not be wise for you...The Calico Cathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06319271181930512880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-67226338168977554162008-08-15T04:30:00.000-04:002008-08-15T04:30:00.000-04:00I will admit to a having a stash "problem". I can...I will admit to a having a stash "problem". I can usually find the basics in my stash to make a quilt but nearly always end up purchasing additional fabric to make a quilt. I think fabric stash is really more about loving fabric. I often buy with a project in mind but I also buy when I see something that simply "speaks" to me. When I have guilt feelings about the stash, I make a quilt using a chunk of my reserve and feel pretty good about it. Usually good enough to go buy more!Three Birds Inspiredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10462935193167668508noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7467165355495178226.post-13050832811990496282008-08-15T00:02:00.000-04:002008-08-15T00:02:00.000-04:00I've never had a stash - for just the reasons you ...I've never had a stash - for just the reasons you mention - plus I am probably just too cheap to buy something and just have it sitting around not doing anything. I have some fabrics left over from projects, but none are very big and I'd probably not have enough for even a scrappy quilt. I know many quilters that have stashes and use from them - but I know just as many who have stashes and declare they can't find what they need - or can't bear to cut into a fabric in their stash - so I don't see that as being too useful.<BR/><BR/>I buy fabric for a project - make the project from start to finish and then buy more fabric. Just my quirky way of quilting I guess. <BR/><BR/>Enjoyed your blog a lot.JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes)https://www.blogger.com/profile/12621061028973446378noreply@blogger.com