Thursday, October 17, 2013

What Does Your Stash Say About You?

Have you really looked at the colors of your stash recently?  Neither have I until I started looking at craft organization and studios on Pinterest.  I noticed my stash is not light and airy looking like some. In fact, mine looks rather old and dreary. I am trying to change my stash especially with the "Short Stack" of fabrics I am getting from Pink Castle Fabrics.   

My stash. The third section from the right has solids and kid fabric on the top shelf; light and dark print fabrics on the second shelf and who knows what on the bottom shelf. The rest are color-ordered.  
Hum, this is where I go to when I start a new quilt or need to add to an ongoing project.  It seems really dark and old fashion to me.  I like bright colors and there are some hiding in these neatly folded piles but for the most part I have saturated colors that won't be washed out in a quilt.  Compare my stash, which seems large to me but probably isn't all that large, to what I found browsing through the Internet and Pinterest.

Very neat, nicely displayed, color coordinated.  And it seems like a good mix of light and dark fabrics.  A nice collection of fabrics that look like they will go with each other.  And, I'm swooning for the reds. (I'm sorry I can't figured out where I found this stash.  If it is yours please let me know and I'll give you credit for it.  It is beautiful!) 
I buy red fabrics frequently but I always seem to be out of them.  I'm making 9 patches now to go with my red, white and blue X-Block quilt and I'm having a hard time finding fabric that I can use without cutting into a 2 yard piece. Even my fat quarter collection has been decimated. 
Ooh, I like the shallower shelves, no problem getting the center fabric out.  I think this stash looks the most like mine.  A good variety of fabrics but a lot of darker colors.  Look at those greens and blues. Source: mayangel_46/flickrphotostream. July 2009)
Now, here's a wall of fabric.  And, it is well organized and easy to see and get to. 

You can see more of this sewing space at http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/sassy_sweet_notes/fabric-or-felt/.  Anna Wight is sharing her mother's studio at the above location. 

Do you have a stash purchasing plan?  I really don't but when I am in the mood to buy for the stash (which, honestly, I'm trying NOT to be) I do take a look at my shelves to see what is low.  And, frequently it is red and purple.  Heck, I don't even use all that much purple, or at least I don't think I do! Mostly I try to buy only for specific projects.  I recently bought borders and backing for the shaded 9 patch which is now a top center.  The borders need to be figured out soon. 

Share your ideas of what your stash tells about you.  Are you a bright, light kind of quilter or are you using a lot of dark fabrics?  Modern fabrics or more old fashion? 

Happy Quilting All! 

8 comments:

  1. I discovered several months ago that my stash looks like "old lady" stash. I am slowly trying to bring it into the 21st century but it is an expensive transition!

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  2. Since I an hour away from the closest quilt shop, I've tried to build my stash so I can start a project without having to wait until my schedule is clear enough to make the trek to a shop. I finally figured out that my stash was full of focus fabrics, but no blenders and tone on tones to use with them. I've been trying to fix that the last couple of years.

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  3. My stash is very small, not that it was ever large but I have deliberately tried to use it up over the last few years-realizing that my taste in fabric was changing. AndI really don't have the room to be storing large amounts of fabric. I have used up a lot by piecing backing out of FQ and larger pieces that I no longer found either appealing or there was newer fabric that I really wanted to use. Now I'm trying to buy for specific projects. I'm definitely being influenced by the modern quilt movement--patterns and fabrics too.

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  4. I really need to use up my stash as my preferences have changed but in order to do that I, like Kate need more blenders and tone on tones.

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  5. Great topic, Bonnie! Your new studio looks so serene. Long may it stay that way. :) I think that my stash says, "The more the merrier!" It's sort of cluttered but in an inspiring/creative way. At least, it inspires me.

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  6. My stash says I'm don't have enough florals and my fabrics are mostly 3years or older. I don't buy often because I feel guilty about not using what I have. I use to love calicoes but now I'm loving the bright modern quilts I see.

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  7. My stash is mosly brights sorted by color. I have a batik shelf and a couple of shelves of florals and a couple of shelves of novelty (or things-I-can't-categorize!). Solids are in a closet. The Kaffe shelf is still small but I'm working on it. Oh, and a shelf of "neutrals", which I should like to have more of. Actually none of my stash pieces are very large, mostly fat quarter or half yard size. Probably most of it should be cut up for my strip bins! :-)

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  8. My stash is mostly red, white, and blue for Quilts of Valor. I do have some black and yellow/gold, but very little else.

    I do like Civil War fabrics as well as Kansas Troubles.

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