Yes I have lots of fabric. We live quite a ways from a city where the sell fabric, so when a fabric catches my eye I buy it. I have a small dresser in my sewing room and some of it is in there. I have a box sewing bench that holds some more and a couple of smallish totes in my sewing room closet with more.

If you are putting it in several places, I would suggest you sort your material into what their intended use will be. Not the exact use but like materials. Light weight fabrics could be one, cottons, materials for dress slacks and skirts etc. etc. That way when you go looking for some piece of material, you are not sifting through a lot that are unsuitable for your project.

If you are using totes in a closet, unless they sit with easy access on the floor, I suggest using smaller ones and label them. A big one filled with material is heavy and unwieldy.

I have tons of fabric. It is roughly divided into cottons, fashion, lycra, fleece, deco, slacks solids, etc. Deco is on tubes on a shelving unit, the rest is in rubbermaid totes, in cabinets, and wherever else I can fit it. Clear totes are best if you can get them, but any rubbermiad type will work.

Keeping it folded neatly is really helpful, I can see what it is at a glance and it doesn't get crushed, wrinkles will set over time and can ruin fabric.

Having it in fiber groups makes it easier, when I want to make a blouse, I look thru the fashion bins, etc. I think I have 12 totes, 4 cupboards, and a shelving unit full.

I used to work with a lady who had a shed full of fabric, she was a fanatic but she did sew every day, so it was getting used and added to all the time.

Now who wants to discuss notions organization, lol?

I have a wonderful fabric stash. I call it my retirement fund. I purchase the best fabric I can find from a local fabric outlet at great prices. One wall of my spare room is filled by six shelf units. These are the white units sold in Lowe's and Home Depot for the base of closet organizing systems. Each unit is 45" tall by 22" wide by 14" deep. Full of fabric sorted, loosely, by color. The room is generally dark when I am not in there, so I haven't had a problem with fading, but I have considered putting a fabric "drape" over the front of each unit to protect from dust and light.

I consider my stash my retirement. I'm stocking up now while I can, and I am careful about prices and quality, so when I'm on my "slimmer" retirement income I can still quilt. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Here's part of mine,this is just a small portion.I have the master bedroom closet(now my sewing room) filled also.I worked in a fabric store for 10 years and never took home a paycheck.
Kathi

I was hoping for some photos. Very nice. I love looking at fabrics. How much of any one fabric do you stashers buy at one time (approximately)(ie. a yard or two? Canadian: a metre or two?) (more?).

I'm starting to build a little stash. So far I'm putting my fabrics in dresser drawers. And the closet.

dee:

It depends on the material I'm buying and what I think the use is I may have for it or the price. I can't speak for a quilter like kathi, but I imagine she must have a formula she goes by.

I mostly buy on sale unless I have an immediate use for it. Our big fabric store is Fabricland and they often have buy 1 get 2 free sales. Then it would be useless to buy any less than 3 meters. You can make almost anything with 3 meters, especially if it is 45" wide or wider. I also buy 2 spools of matching thread because it is usually on sale then too. I always have a few weights of interfacing on hand too. If I do get the urge to sew, I then have the basics to start.

I may also buy slack or short or skirt lengths at other sales or flannelette for making baby recieving blankets. I buy 1 meter for a recieving blanket. If I had any little girls to sew for I would have childs dress lengths, but alas boys tend to run in our family.

To find out generally how much you need to sew almost anything you have to go through like patterns. Then you will have an idea of how much to buy. EG. A pair of slacks usually takes roughly the same amount of material no matter which pattern you use.

Oilpainter is correct.If you know the basics,then you have a very good idea of how much you'll need,like say for a blouse,pants etc.Once i find a basic blouse pattern i like,then i use it over and over,same with pants,guess i should say especialy pants,since for me those seem to be where i have the most trouble finding a pattern i like for them and that fits well with minimum alterations.

I also buy flannel for PJ's and baby blankets etc when it was on sale.I havn't bought any fabric in over a year except this past halloween when i made my GGD a princess dress.Those kinds of fabric i don't keep on hand.

I keep everything organized by type,my clothing,kids clothing,quilting,etc,etc.

I keep my books organized the same way,sure saves a lot of time when you need something,you know right where to go for it.

Kathi

Thanks op and Kathi. I hate to ask too many questions in someone else's 'thread' (no pun intended) - but I was curious how much you guys buy.

I usually buy at least 3 yards of a fabric I like. Sometimes I just buy it because I like it with no idea what I am going to make with it. Does anyone else ever do that?

Sue

Hi -- never posted over here before, but I thought I'd chime in on this topic. I used to sew quite a bit and have recently gotten interested in it again. I just ordered some fabric online to build up a stash. I wasn't sure what I wanted to make, so I looked through all the lower priced stuff on one site for inspiration and ordered 5-yard lengths of several that I thought would make good longer dresses, and 3 yards of possible blouse, shirt, or shorter dress material. Also ordered 10 yards of cotton/poly broadcloth because I thought it would be good for linings, pockets, facings, and such -- or maybe test garments. (Average cost was about $3/yard for all of it.) This will either get this out of my system or I'll end up with some wearable stuff -- we'll see!

My name is Marion and I an a recovering fabricholic! I refuse to sell or give away my stash. I worked in fabric stores at night for many years to receive the discount. My rule of thumb was to buy at least three yards depending on the fabric. Muslin and broad cloth and interfacing I purchsed by the bolt when it was on sale.
My fabric is currently wrapped in acid free tissue and packed in banana boxes. I'm looking at 10 boxes stacked to the ceiling. Not how I want it but it's what I have at the moment.

You are funny MsMarion.

Sue

I'm the Jaybird and I SHOULD be a recovering fabriholic, but it's toooooo hard!!!!
I am a home dec seamstress, so I usually start with 6 yard pieces and go up to entire bolts :^0...yikes! I HAD a great sewing room set up, but DH retired and had to move his desk, chair and file cabinet in there....THEN we got a cat who thinks she needs a chair in there to sleep in whilst I sew!! THEN there is my stash, along with a stash of various trims and ribbons...whew, makes me tired just thinking about it!

Don't think I can claim that I am a recovering fabricholic, but I managed to give away quite a bit when we moved to our new home. Found a group that sews for a ladies and childrens shelter that was happy to have the fabrics. In my early years I was very organized. When I bought fabric , would buy just a bit extra and kept a swatch of each piece , labeled with the yardage. When I was ready to sew, would take my swatches and go through to see what I liked. Even had the boxes numbered so I could find the fabric. When the ladies came to pick up the material, told them they could have all the fabrics they wanted, there were so cute selecting their fabrics and finding them in the boxes. Thought I was going to be sad watching them select the material, but just the opposite, they were having so much fun, it was a delight to watch them. Before we moved, I met with them several mornings and enjoy sewing some of my fabrics for the childrens clothes. Of course, I am still buying, but don't have all the organization of swatches now.

I have a large amount of fabrics, they are folded according to color and fabric types, made bags put the fabric and add dryer sheets and put in cabinets in the basement rec room also have some in what we call our backroom, they are in the the plastic storage totes and labeled.
I inherited several lovely fabrics from aunts who have retired their businesses and have only 2 cousins who sew.. Now I also have been given some fabric that the homeless would not wear, but gave many of them to a quilting group they used them instead of batting and donate to the needy.
I do a lot of chairty sewing, help family members with sewing projects & sew for the grandkids.
Like "hallngarden" I always seem to buy more....