What make us quilters buy and stash so much material?

[LynnS]

Hi qltsbme, the video is in the 25 anniversary series of episodes, the one with the rail fence pattern. I watched it again today. Funny!

[Cynluvs2quilt]

It's called Obsessive Compulsive, I believe....Once the bug bites the only way to ease the itch is to buy buy buy!!!!

[CindyB]

I know that after I left DEX, I hoarded a lot of things.... fabric takes up less space than a lot of other things I could have stashed!

Now DH doesn't mind, and we are starting to look a house plans, and I picked one out with a room for my quilting, just off the family room, and it has french doors so I can close it off and the fur-babies don't get fur all over my fabric, but I'm close to him watching TV...

What a wonder he is! LOL!

[cindyg]

CindyB - is that room with the french doors big enough for a long arm and your sewing machine(s), cutting table, and fabric shelves - LOL LOL

[sandyw7388]

My husband asks this same question! LOL And I tell him the same reason he needs 16 fishing poles to go on 1 fishing trip and why he needs 10 different guns, etc, etc,. He shuts up pretty quick. But seriously, I am a new quilter. I haven't even actually made a full size quilt yet. The largest I have made is a lap quilt from the Turning Twenty book (EASY). But I have bought fat quarters off of ebay, material when I go to the quilt shop, etc. You just never know. My sister told me once I got started I would be hooked, I seriously doubted this because I've never been much at crafts, but this is definitely an addiction. My problem is that with all the material I have stashed, I have a hard time putting colors together. I still need alot of help on this one. Anyone out there have any pointers?

[Cathy32078]

Hi there Sandy. I have no pointers other than most say you need a light, a medium & a dark value of color. I see you're from Thackerville, is that in Oklahoma? We used to live in S Okla. and there was a Thackerville not far from us. I hope you will enjoy this site as much as most of us do. Be sure and look around at the Swap & BOM section. We are doing an Autograph Block Swap #2 if are interested, we would love to have you. The block can be found here on the site under free blocks to download. Called Crackerbox. Go over to the Swap section and read about it. It is a really easy & fast block.

[cindyg]

Hi Sandyw. Welcome to this great site. When choosing colors read your instructions first. They should tell you if you how many lights, mediums, and darks or they will just give color references. Next is what colors go together. A good way is to go to Home Depot and Lowes paint dept. and pick up the free brochures by the paint sample swatches. They show room colors that go well together, or blend and the same stands true for quilts. Another way is to pick out your main print and on the selvage of the fabric there will be color circles to incidate the colors in that fabric and you can choose other fabrics from those.

[happymrs]

I have always had a stash of fabric & whatever else I may be into at any given time. I have always said sewing is my sanity, & in recent years, quilting has become my sanity. I am more of homebody & we aren't out socializing alot, so quilting works for me. I have been buying too much fabric lately, once again. Last weekend was the area quilt show, so there I go again. Now, I am really going to try & be good for a while & just try to work on what I have & only buy if I need to go with that. Like you say, we could have a worse bad habit, or addiction, so I am glad I have this one. At least it keeps me busy & when the fabric is gone, I have a lovely quilt to show for it!

[qltsbme]

Even my husband has caught onto the fact that I am a much more pleasant person if I can have some time alone with my fabric. He just doesn't seem to understand HOW MUCH time I WANT alone with my fabric.

[TheKid]

Dottikins, welcome to this wonderful sharing site where we all learn together. I have sorted my fabric by seasons. The Christmas fabrics that I would call Christmas related are in one box. Then, the satins, baby prints, are in one. I have placed fat quarters in another box. The batiks are in still another. The pastels, unusual prints(novelty is what I call them,)are in still another. The cottons that are just for regular quilts are in another. The backing that goes with a specific quilt-I keep it with the quilt.
I also place a measurement on the corner of each piece of fabric. This saves me from guessing or remeasuring many times. Then, in still another box, I place possible fabrics that go for a specific quilt that I have in mind to sew. I put on the corner and bag it together the name of the quilt, the book I will use, and what I need to do to finish the pieces to purchase before I can start sewing that quilt. Once I have started a quilt, I will get a three ring folder, include the plastic sheet where I slip in the pattern, instructions, left over materials, and what has to be done. If I am doing a block of the month with a Local Quilt Store, all of this goes into this booklet. Snips after I have cut each square go into the plastic for that block. It really helps me to keep organized.
Now, this does not happen all in an instant, it took me some time to finally come to these habits of organization. But, it certainly has helped me to cover the organization to help me keep a methodical approach to it and keep most of my sanity and enjoyment of sewing all together. Happy sewing and it needs to be fun and helpful to the sewer. The hot month of August does not get much sewing done, due to the fact that my sewing room is on the west side of the house, and it is warm in there. So, if I wake up or get up early, it is cool and I can sew then. Have fun.