Stash Questions

So, here are my responses from Sew, Mama, Sew's stash questionnaire...warning, not too interesting if you're not a sewer...and probably not interesting if you are, either:

What do you usually sew? Bags, children's clothing, baby slings, nursing covers.

When you shop for fabric, what size cuts do you usually buy? (i.e. If you see something beautiful, but you don’t have a use for it right away, how much do you buy?) A yard and a half.

Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need? A little bit of both. If it's on sale, I'll buy on impulse, but if I see something I really like, I'll wait and come back when it goes on sale. Most of my stash is from Christmas/birthday gift cards, or leftovers from stuff I sell. I do purchase new fabric without something in mind for it if it's ridiculously cheap and I know it won't be there next time.

Are you a pre-washer? If you are, do you wash your fabric before you need it, or only when you’re ready to use it? No, no, no! Esp for bags, prewashing ruins the grain.

Do you iron it? Not unless it's wrinkled.

How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.) By future use: one stack for scraps, one for nursing covers, one for bags, clothes, etc. Since I've been refashioning more, the bottom shelf is for old T-shirts and clothes I might get future scrap use out of.

Do you have any special folding techniques? Nah, I just don't like the cut edges to hang over the edge of the shelf.

How do you store your fabric? On an open shelf.

What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash? Go slow! It builds fast, especially if you're a conserver and careful about how you cut when you're making something. I can usually make something from a pattern using almost half as much fabric as the pattern calls for just by placement. Also, I've seen some stashes with baskets of the tiniest shreds of scraps from previous projects...a little OCD. Unless you make doll clothes, if it's smaller than, say, 3"x3" throw it away!

When do you say enough is enough? C'mon, now.

What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects? I have a Flickr Group I started called Fabric Destashers for people who want to swap fabric they're not using for others they might. I also plan on making more blankets and quilts to get rid of my scrap pile.

Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? Let’s see it! I got a couple of polka dot linen blends as Valentine's Day gifts from JoAnn:


What’s your definition of the perfect stash? (Consider sharing a picture or two of your stash & storage, or direct us to a pic on Flickr!) That's a misnomer, like "a perfect mess" or "perfect chaos," don't ya think? Half the fun is picking through and making something nice with what you have, mixing two fabrics that you wouldn't normally put together, it's such an art. If you're planning out your stash, you ain't livin'! hee hee. Here's a photo of mine: