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Your fabric stash is an integral part of successful quilting. If you were to quantify how much fabric you have stashed in inches, as well as the dollar value of that fabric you’d be amazed at the investment you’ve made. Having spent so much time and money on fabrics, how can you best manage it? How can you best use your stash, keeping it up-to-date and relevant to the quilts you wish to make?

I’ve been fabric stashing for just on 31 years. My stash has been growing steadily since those early days, when I soon realized that I needed a rationale and method for accumulating stocks of fabric in order to get the most out of it. I believe there are two types of fabric reserves that quilters gather.

Fabric Collection
Many quilters simply collect fabric. They will see a lovely fabric and simply have to have it! It’s so beautiful they must own a piece. Often they don’t have a patchwork pattern in mind when it’s bought, it’s simply gorgeous and they can’t leave the shop without it! I started collecting this way but soon realized that I was never going to cut into my Fabric Collection. I often take these beautiful pieces from my stash, unfold them, touch and stroke them and sometimes even iron them.....