Here are my stash answers...
What do you usually sew? I almost always sew quilts, but occasionally I will also sew clothing for my daughters.
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?) I used to buy a lot of fat quarters, but now the smallest I will buy is 1/2 yard cuts of prints, and 1-2 yards of solids. With fat quarters, I often find that I run out of a favorite print much too quickly.
Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need? Both. I build my stash on impulse, then fill in the holes with desperately needed solids, tonal fabrics, or monochromatic prints.
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? I always pre-wash red prints and solids. I have had solid fabric bleed on me more than once, and it just isn't worth the risk to me. With prints, I think there is a little more leeway, but I still try to prewash.
Do you iron it? Yes. How can people not iron???
How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.) Color, but also by size. I keep larger cuts of prints in a separate stack. I also separate out non-cotton fabrics, such as linen cotton blends and upholstery weight fabrics.
Do you have any special folding techniques? No, I prefer not to have raw edges sticking out.
How do you store your fabric? On a shelf.
What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash? Buy the colors that you aren't drawn too. Keeping my stash sorted by color allows me to instantly know what colors I need. Also, don't buy fabric that you aren't in love with. Because of my impatience I have spent way too much money on fabric from JoAnns that I don't even really like. I wish I had bought quality fabric online, and just waited for it to come in.
When do you say enough is enough? When my paypal is empty :-(
What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects? Scrappy quilts.
Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? I am really obsessed with early Amy Butler right now, especially Belle and Lotus lines.
What’s your definition of the perfect stash? Bigger!!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Show Your Sewing Space and Stash
A few weeks ago, when my sewing room was actually clean, I took a few pictures of my sewing room. This coincided with Sew Mama Sew's Show Your Stash, so I figured I would post my answers to the questions along with the pictures of my room.
Here is my sewing room (the pics on flickr are annotated):
Here are my stash answers...
What do you usually sew? I almost always sew quilts, but occasionally I will also sew clothing for my daughters.
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?) I used to buy a lot of fat quarters, but now the smallest I will buy is 1/2 yard cuts of prints, and 1-2 yards of solids. With fat quarters, I often find that I run out of a favorite print much too quickly.
Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need? Both. I build my stash on impulse, then fill in the holes with desperately needed solids, tonal fabrics, or monochromatic prints.
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? I always pre-wash red prints and solids. I have had solid fabric bleed on me more than once, and it just isn't worth the risk to me. With prints, I think there is a little more leeway, but I still try to prewash.
Do you iron it? Yes. How can people not iron???
How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.) Color, but also by size. I keep larger cuts of prints in a separate stack. I also separate out non-cotton fabrics, such as linen cotton blends and upholstery weight fabrics.
Do you have any special folding techniques? No, I prefer not to have raw edges sticking out.
How do you store your fabric? On a shelf.
What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash? Buy the colors that you aren't drawn too. Keeping my stash sorted by color allows me to instantly know what colors I need. Also, don't buy fabric that you aren't in love with. Because of my impatience I have spent way too much money on fabric from JoAnns that I don't even really like. I wish I had bought quality fabric online, and just waited for it to come in.
When do you say enough is enough? When my paypal is empty :-(
What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects? Scrappy quilts.
Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? I am really obsessed with early Amy Butler right now, especially Belle and Lotus lines.
What’s your definition of the perfect stash? Bigger!!!
Here are my stash answers...
What do you usually sew? I almost always sew quilts, but occasionally I will also sew clothing for my daughters.
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?) I used to buy a lot of fat quarters, but now the smallest I will buy is 1/2 yard cuts of prints, and 1-2 yards of solids. With fat quarters, I often find that I run out of a favorite print much too quickly.
Do you buy on impulse or do you go out looking for something you need? Both. I build my stash on impulse, then fill in the holes with desperately needed solids, tonal fabrics, or monochromatic prints.
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? I always pre-wash red prints and solids. I have had solid fabric bleed on me more than once, and it just isn't worth the risk to me. With prints, I think there is a little more leeway, but I still try to prewash.
Do you iron it? Yes. How can people not iron???
How do you sort it? (color, print size, collection, etc.) Color, but also by size. I keep larger cuts of prints in a separate stack. I also separate out non-cotton fabrics, such as linen cotton blends and upholstery weight fabrics.
Do you have any special folding techniques? No, I prefer not to have raw edges sticking out.
How do you store your fabric? On a shelf.
What tips do you have for building up a well-rounded stash? Buy the colors that you aren't drawn too. Keeping my stash sorted by color allows me to instantly know what colors I need. Also, don't buy fabric that you aren't in love with. Because of my impatience I have spent way too much money on fabric from JoAnns that I don't even really like. I wish I had bought quality fabric online, and just waited for it to come in.
When do you say enough is enough? When my paypal is empty :-(
What are some of your favorite stash-busting projects? Scrappy quilts.
Do you have a current favorite print in your stash? I am really obsessed with early Amy Butler right now, especially Belle and Lotus lines.
What’s your definition of the perfect stash? Bigger!!!
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7 comments:
Such a nice sewing room & stash!!
Kristen, I would give my left leg for those windows! Well, okay, maybe a couple of toes...
Lovely room and so tidy! I received your fat quarters the other day--LOVE 'EM! The large floral is the same print as my toll bag that I take to retreats, etc...I've never seen it anywhere but on my bag!
That was supposed to read "tote" bag. I do not know what a toll bag is.
This is wonderful and what a lovely room. I'm going to do this on my blog.
If you ever want to do a scrap exchange I have lots of Amy Butler, especially early.
Hey, Kristen, did you get the scraps I sent to you? Drop me an email when you can eileen0313(at)comcast(dot)net.
Oh my goodness I am drooling over your sewing room! Lucky girl! :)
Look at all that natural light, I love it! I have just a corner of our 2nd bedroom as my "sewing room."
And I agree! The only way to improve a fabric stash - make it BIGGER :-)
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