[Tamara]

I just had this burning question to put to you all. Do you purchase fabric as you make things or do you buy fabric because it’s there, on sale, pretty etc?

I can’t help it but buy fabric and I have stacks of it already. The main aim of making the kids’ clothes this winter was to minimise this stash but it seems I just can’t help myself. I see, I like, I buy, the urge is too strong!

Does anyone feel this way or am I the only one?

[JohannaO]

No, you’re in good company here. I sometimes fall in love with the “dream” of what the fabric has the potential to turn into, and by the time I’m ready to use it, my dream has marched on or has been shattered to bits. Just search flickr for “fabric stash” and you’ll be amazed what people have in their houses.

[savingbananas]

You are not alone! I literally had to stop driving by our local fabric store. I knew it was to big of a temptation. Internet does prove a bit tricky, but I’ve found I much prefer walking around and mix and matching my fabric. Something I can’t do on the computer screen. My biggest problem now is that I’ve gone through most of my yardage and only have bits and pieces. You should know bits and pieces are not enough to make a shirt, dress, pjs. So I’m back to buying per project.

[Nicole]

Fashion houses closing down are my weakness,I have soooooo much fabric,I really should never ever but anymore!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/motherof5/4868197261/ oh yes,apart from a few tubs up the top its all fabric!!!!

There,don’t you feel better now?

[Justine J]

LOL!!! ‘Does anyone else feel this way’ – YES!!!!

Even when I try to avoid buying anything I just can’t help myself – went to buy a measly 1.5m of cord on Friday and ended up with 16m of the new DS as well as 1.5m of some broadcloth – + my 1.5m of cord, of course! And then when I came home I discovered that the new AMH has been released!

My stash is out of control!

[Tamara]

Oh my Lord!!! Well at least I know now that I’m not alone. Motherof5 I have been begging for an extension for some 5 years so I can tell you you are one lucky woman to get a fabric stash room!! I have to share the office with hubby and even then I take up most of it.

So if you buy fabric for a specific purpose and you take it home and it doesn’t turn out to be right or you just don’t get to that project, do you let it just sit there and wait until it is hidden under all the newer purchases and wait to be found 20 years later or do you pinpoint it for another project soon after?

And where do you mostly go to get your fabric? Motherof5 has a clearance sale weakness but what about everyone else? Do you have your favourite haunts or do you just go anywhere there is fabric?

I have just bought a whole heap of stretch knit fabric this morning online because the boy needs t-shirts and I bought more corduroy the other day whilst in Perth. I am just soooooo tempted to get more my fingers are itchy!

Maybe we need to start our own fabric addiction support group?

[Nicole]

Ebay is very good/bad for vintage fabrics at silly prices. Silks,wools,linens and the like!

I do a lot of bulk buying from there,40 m rolls,job lots of zippers etc.

[Tamara]

I’m feeling inspired and have decided to curb the temptation by tidying up my current stash and then I can work out what is actually there.

So another question, how do you know how much of a particular fabric you have if it is stored or stacked in however you have your fabrics? Do you label each piece in some way for quick reference or do you do like I have (but will no more) pull all the fabric out and find what fits?

[suse]

I think that the only reason I learned to sew was to justify my fabric stash LOL. I first bought some Kristen Doran prints for a baby-carrier I was having made, and then started collecting. I tend to stock up when a favourite designer releases a new range that I like, as I know it can be impossible to get limited runs again later. There are a lot of amazing Australian designers that I like to collect, and most of their designs are quite timeless.

But as both space and finances can’t support an ongoing fabric addiction, I’m now using as much as I can from the stash, and only buying if I need something for a specific project to match something in my stash.

[Anonymous]

It’s a dream of mine to be buying per project. Not sure if I’ll ever get there! I thought I was doing really well, but then have overbought for the past 2 seasons. I’m going to try not to buy any more until it’s all used up!! We’ll see. At least I’m very very limited on space so that does help me keep it somewhat under control.

Meanwhile, I just bought some fabric yesterday that I have NO plan for at all. Frankly, I don’t even like it that much, but it’s for hubby. It’s a very unique toile with images from Colorado. Limited availability so I thought I’d better snap it up for him. He loves it 🙂

[Tamara]

Ok so another question, what do you do with the little bits left over? I have a great big box of different sized scraps that are big enough for trims etc that I have intended to use but haven’t so I’m wondering what do you do with your leftovers?

I envy those who sew for their men. I haven’t yet (and we’ve been together for 12 years and married for 10 this September). I think he gets a bit jealous to see me sewing for the children all the time but since they came along not even I get a look in. You can imagine two beautifully dressed children with their parents in rags LOL.

[ML]

You can imagine two beautifully dressed children with their parents in rags LOL.

haha! This is totally me! I have hoarded a ton of beautiful fabrics with a long list of plans of things to make for my daughter (who’s only a year old!), while I go to work in suits I bought in 2005. After the last fabric order, I told myself I wasn’t going to buy anymore for another six months, but um, I’ve already broken that self-imposed limitation.

[TriMama]

I’m guilty of this too. I had to unsubscribe myself from the Fabric.com email list last month because apparently I’m far too susceptible to their “deals” emails. My weakness is obviously online fabric sales.

I have a limited amount of storage space for fabric and intend to keep it that way. If I have nowhere else to store my stash then hopefully it won’t get out of control. I’ve also joined an online stash buster contest this month, which has helped more than I thought it would. I’ve mostly been sewing things for me, which uses up fabric more quickly than sewing for my girls.

Motherof5 – I looove your fabric room. It must be fun to go “shopping” in there!

[daisygirl78]

My problem is that I’ve collected waaaaay too many patterns for my time available to sew. So when I see a “must have” fabric, I always justify it by saying, “that would look fantastic made up as X or Y pattern”, and I get it. Voila, a purchase with a plan! Then I never find the time to work on it, and my project pile (and stash) grows. You know that saying “your eyes are bigger than your belly” when it comes to filling up your plate with food? Well my eyes are bigger than my free time schedule!

[Robin]

When buying fabric because it “speaks to you”, how much do you buy? I’ve been buying 1 metre at a time, but that’s not always enough for a project.