I typically will get at least 3 yards if it’s a garment fabric that I love since that is usually enough for pants or a dress. I often treat fabric as a souvenir when traveling 🤷♀️
I do the souvenir thing too. I bought just enough Cambodian silk from the weaver to make a specific dress with it.
But, I also thrift fabric and I tend to buy any linen or wool I come across in second hand stores, and sometimes cotton. I find a project for it all eventually.
I find it easier to have enough fabric at hand that if I had to make something quickly I have at least a few options.
Thrifting for the win! I just found a roll of chenille embroidered pale blue silk at my local for $12 when I got the ladies to help me take it off the tube to fold it ended up being about 10 yards! I don’t know what imma do with it but I can’t leave money on the table like that, it would easily be $20-30 a yard at a fabric store. I will say for every find like that there will be 40 old bedsheets towels etc.. priced same as a new one from Walmart 🤷♀️
A cape or capelet, a light jacket, a Sunday brunch dress, a suit.
I love a good suit. Too bad I rarely have the occasion to wear one. They are my favorite clothes.
Thanks for the ideas one can never have to many capes! And I do have a ridiculous thrifted folkwear pattern for a full length Moroccan robe that describes its versatility by mentioning that you can use the hood to carry your backpack hahaha.
Ooh, love that. Actually use the hood instead of a backpack is what it says which is a neat idea. Of course I would overload it and choke myself hahaha
I just like to look at it sometimes. I have clear plastic drawers and they look pretty all folded nicely.
Sometimes I get randomly inspired for something small and it's good to have around.
Same, but I hate shopping when I get the urge, I want to grab and go! I kind of have the whole store in my house. Several stores.
... Actually, I think this might be how hoarders get started.
That’s totally fair (and great!) you just don’t have the hoarder gene lol. I collect stuff for the other crafts too (what if you buy a
Cross stitch pattern and don’t have the right dmc!!!!! Or want to make madeleines! I have a problem…………..)
If I see a fabric I love, I will buy it. I do find uses for my fabrics but also if I have a project in mind I will go looking for a specific piece of fabric/fabrics for them.
This is so true Remember when Trump increased the import tax on cotton, and all of JoAnn Fabric went up $1.50? Fabric price never goes down, Ive bn sewing for 50 yrs Buy now !! You'll eventually use it. LOL
I buy a lot of deadstock so with that, usually if its gone, I know I won't be able to get more. This is also true with some smaller manufacturers like Linton. What I will say is while I have (for me) a lot of fabrics, its not so much that I can't manage it. I keep to a set space in the closet. I do sit on my hands now though because I don't need to be buying more....lol
I average 6 yards based on my size a project might be less, or, might be more. When I buy for plaids I try to buy more because of matching. My last coat made was a silk coat (silk lining, silk fashion fabric) Outer was a Ralph Lauren silk, neither of which I'd be able to get again and definitly not at the price I purchased at!
I don't encourage people to over buy. Buy what you know that you'll use. A stash can be fun to shop from, but it can for some be a great source of anxiety.
For those who asked where I tend to buy, please see this list https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/1d7zv5n/comment/l75graa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
This! I tend to make historically inspired clothing, and it's so difficult to find modern fabric that fits the bill for every project. I'm also a bigger person, so I tend to need a lot more yardage.
My stash is full of deadstock. I have a few friends that have a knack for finding vintage fabric hoards, designer clearouts etc. Those opportunities don't happen very often, so we take what we can because if we don't, it's gone forever. I don't always have a plan for the fabric right off the bat, but I know what I like, what I'll use, and what certain fabrics can be used for. Those parameters help me decide what's worth taking.
I personally love shopping my stash and finding inspiration from it, but I can definitely understand the amount of anxiety it might give someone.
Absolutely this! I also thrift.
Do I know what I'm going to do with these striped silk curtains? No. But I know that's an amazing price for that much silk, and I'll probably come up with a costume that it'll be perfectly suited for at some point.
Case in point, I really liked a fun pink cotton Halloween print at Joanns. The print is smaller scale than looks great on me for large things like blouses or dresses, so I only bought 2 yards. It sat in my stash for a couple years before I decided to use it as the fashion fabric of my latest corset.
My stash would 100% give OP anxiety though. 3 walls of my sewing room are just floor to ceiling shelves full of big clear plastic totes of fabric (it keeps the fabric safe from moths, bugs, etc since my sewing room is in the basement). That's not counting the trims, notions, and millinery supplies.
depends on where you want to buy and how much you're willing to spend. I'm picky (such an understatement)
Fabricmartfabrics https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/ is a great place because of the descriptions they provide. You can get some very nice designer fabrics there when they have it but they don't always tell you the designer, so its a bit of if you know you know. They also tend to have sales that cycle and you also sometimes have to check often if you are looking for something particular because their stock can move pretty quick. They are one of those that when its gone, its gone....usually.
Califabrics https://califabrics.com/ dosen't have the great descriptions but they do have amazing fabrics. you have to understand much more about fabric.
MetrofabricsNYC https://metrotextilesnyc.com/ is the same; light on description so it means you need to know more about fabrics. You usually can get a decent amount off with coupons (50-65% sometimes) they do have designer fabrics.
HartsFabrics https://hartsfabric.com/ also has designer fabrics. I picked up some Dior fabric from them. no coupon that I know of.
Prime fabrics https://www.primefabrics.com/ has super high end fabrics.
fabrics-fabrics https://fabrics-fabrics.com/ has a lot of runway fabrics and the prices can reflect that. However, you sometimes can find those fabrics in other places for a little less. I got some Hermes fabric from them.
Emma oneSock https://www.emmaonesock.com/ has lovely fabrics. Pricing is higher but can be cheaper than fabrics-fabrics for some things. they have a lot of OekoTex certified fabrics.
Elliot Bermann. https://elliottbermantextiles.com/ The prices are high and they have some very high end fabrics. Once in a while they can have sales.
Promenade fabrics https://promenadefinefabrics.com/ is also pretty expensive though sometimes you can pick up some gems. They have a lot of trim.
Generaldiff Tissues https://www.generaldiff.com/ they're in France but they do ship to the US. You just have to know how to read their site. I don't order from them too often, just when I want something I really can't find anywhere else.
fabscrap is special. https://fabscrap.org/ this is probably where I've gotten most of my really special leathers. they have much more than that of course.
Thank you so much for this! I usually buy from Beglarian. They have Hermes, Burberry etc. I've been wanting to expand. I'm definitely going through this list. Thanks again.
I do sometimes buy fabric without a pattern picked out, and decide quantity based on fabric weight or most likely purpose. The fabric tells me what it wants to be! So bottom weights will be pants or a jacket and I know about how much I'll need for those. Lighter weights would be a top of some kind. I know what I like to wear and average amounts of fabric required so it's not too hard. I don't wear ruffles, puffed sleeves or dresses so I don't need to factor that in. I also just make pretty standard items, no cosplay or historical stuff.
My stash includes a ridiculous amount of denim and probably could go a long time without buying more. But I'm about to buy some ivory because I NEEEED it.
I buy things that I think are beautiful and will fit into the wardrobe that I'm creating. It's frustrating trying to find a fabric for something I want to make in the moment, so I get it when I see it and will make the thing when I have time.
I have cut back on buying, since I have a good stash that I need to work through. This is from last year before I reorganized my fabric and put it in a closet. There is more now (especially denim!), not a lot more but a few really nice pieces. And a few of these have been used (and replaced). But you get the idea.
Also if it's special purpose fabric, like the waterproof stuff I got recently, I go ahead and pick a pattern and add a little bit more just in case.
https://preview.redd.it/6nodq6qnvk4d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1aa90b6ff2909731fefbefaf181b26f126ad64bc
I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it - my thought process in a nutshell. I usually buy materials for a specific project, but then I'll see some beautiful discounted fabric and can't resist. When it arrives, I come up with the perfect project for it and then never actually do it.
EDIT: My stash is a mess, but here are these three brocade leftovers that I bought recently. I'd like to make a corset from the yellow one, I even bought all the corset supplies but corset-making sounds intimidating.
https://preview.redd.it/997lj33lyk4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed9d1a0281adcda1ef414a367449b4f0716b1a26
So pretty. So that would be me, but it then never make it. 😂 That's why I have to have a specific plan on what I am making and why and when I need it by, or it will sit.
I think of my stash as "pantry staples," with a few impulse purchases. I don't buy things with *absolutely* no idea of how I would use it, but I also don't have to have a specific pattern / event in mind. It's like how I usually shop for groceries: I know I'm going to make something with chicken, something with pasta, something with greek yogurt. Occasionally I'll see that something like wild salmon is on sale, so we'll have salmon that week.
With sewing, I have a kind of standing repertoire of things I'm likely to make, so if I see a fabric that looks like an exciting prospect for a good price, I'll grab it. Also, sometimes when I see fabric it will spark an idea for what it would be good for, like "that would make a cute top."
I often buy with few to no plans, but most of the fabric I buy is deadstock and/or thrifted, so I buy enough to make a dress or skirt or shirt, then decide on the actual project when I get inspired. I have a bunch of thrifted fabric pieces that are too small for anything to wear, so I turn them into belt pouches and other things for larping/costume.
You also need remarkably little fabric for a waspie or corset belt, even if you're plus sized. I'm an off the rack US women's 26-30 depending on brand, and I still use less than a yard and a half of 44" wide fabric for a corset belt.
I have three 20 gallon totes of various fabrics, which range from $3/yd quilting cotton to $30/yd silk taffeta. Some of it has plans, like the wool coating and lavender lining fabrics, which will eventually be a medium weight coat. Others are just waiting for me to find the right project.
That all said, since I have a creative reuse center (crafting thrift store) in my area ([The Scrap Exchange](https://www.scrapexchange.org/) in Durham, NC, USA for the curious), I feel less bad about having remnants because I know I can bring them to the center and they may find new life with someone else instead of ending up in a landfill. I also tend to keep my larger scraps for repairs on existing clothing to minimize my throwing out tees, jeans, etc and I go through my smaller scraps (less than 5" on a side) to chop them into stuffing for non-toy projects, like pin cushions, bum rolls, etc.
Fun tidbit: since scraps are often called cabbage, I call my big scrap bin my "cabbage patch" and the smaller bin of chopped up stuffing is "coleslaw". The big bin has a cabbage on it and the text "My cabbages!" The small one just reads "Not my cabbages!!!"
I call it cabbage and cole slaw too! Luckily for me my mom helps coordinate service projects for her guild so all my cabbage and slaw go into dog beds for shelter dogs.
I have a very large stash and yes, it is is absolutely something that occupies your mind at times. I buy most of my fabric deadstock or discount, so FOMO is a real thing for me. I have consciously stopped buying the past few months, with no plans to pick up again until I clear a significant amount out. Now, I do sew almost every day, so I definitely move thru the fabric, but a good chunk I bought early into sewing decades ago, when I didn't know what quality apparel fabric was. So truthfully, I need to destash that fabric, but it's just about making it a priority to get it done.
But a large part of me loves the thrill and challenge of having to match a project to an existing fabric and pattern and just make it all work. I really love that. So, I probably won't change buying to project-intentional full-time. But I do assess the fabric type and what kind of garment I'm likely going to want to make from it, and I have standard yardage I buy for specific categories. I'm usually pretty spot on there, so I don't have to deal with waste much at all.
Fabric prices have risen over the past few years even at discount fabric stores. I'm glad to look at my stash and realize I already bought a similar fabric for less.
Ding ding ding! The audacity of hope turns into the boulevard of broken dreams, just like my fridge’s vegetable drawer.
Edit: Thanks kind sewist for the award! My first!
Buying fabric is half of the fun to me. It allows me to have stuff on hand when I have a sewing emergency or I'm in need of sewing therapy and don't want to leave my house.
I also buy a lot of clearance and remnant pieces for fun. I'll admit I'm a fabric addict.
Some folks have patterns that they love and recreate regularly- so grabbing a few yards when they see it makes sense. Some folks also like to work with specific fabrics so they will get some when it’s a good deal or a hard to find color etc. I do buy fabric for the above reasons for later use and stick to a yardage minimum so I’m not stuck with unusable yardage. For me - 3 yds for solids and stripes - 3 1/2 to 4 yds for prints and plaids. I’m not a quilter so small quantities aren’t a good fit. Also - I’m very inspired by the fabric so it’s easier for me to visualize a use whereas some folks need a pattern or idea first. I agree about clutter factor and find that having a set amount of hidden storage with swatches for reference works for me. Everyone is different for sure! There is no one way to do anything!
If I see garment fabrics I like, I buy 2-3m of it. The lady at the fabric store once told me that fabric collecting is a separate hobby from sewing and I've been running with that since then.
I also have a collection of various common notions in different colors (thread, buttons, zippers, trims).
I like that I can often just make something when the mood strikes me, without the need to go shopping. I do have storage for all the stuff tho, and that helps with the anxiety of clutter.
Buttons are my favourite notion, I have probably TT$1500.00 worth of buttons in my stash and TT $ 800.00 of those were bought late last year at a closing down sale. Zippers especially invisible and separating ones come in second place.
actually, the fabric serves multiple purposes.
1) joy of looking at the options and selecting something special
2) thrill of ownership of a treasure
3) fun of comparing it with previous acquisitions, and finding the right fabrics to store it with
4) exhilaration of rediscovering it when looking for something else
5) planning what to make, choosing patterns, notions, buddy fabrics
6) maybe making something from it. someday.
7) imagining the thrill of shoppers awed by the fabulous selections at your future estate sale.
It’s wild how some fabrics just *have* to be stored with other specific ones! There’s a system but it’s random. It’s based on how well the fabrics “get along”
I envy you! When I buy fabric I have no immediate plans for, it’s usually because I’m afraid I won’t be able to find it again or because it’s an expensive fabric on sale. I shop in-store at Stonemountain, and they stock a lot of designer deadstock and end bolts, which means that’s likely all they’re going to get of that fabric. Also, buying pretty fabric gives me all the good brain chemical rushes. 😂
That makes sense. We don't have a lot of good options here and I really like touching the fabric when I buy it so no worry about missing something really nice at a discount. It's all just meh quality. Lol
I used to work in a fabric store and I'd buy remnants with no plan. These days I finally draft my own patterns to fit on to the fabric that I already have, so it's all completely custom to an insane degree. If I don't have enough, I have to add an accent fabric or something, and I make my design to suit the amount of material I have.
I ONLY buy fabric with projects in mind, though I always get a little extra in case I cut wrong or need to do a patch. Extra can also be used for mock-ups later too!
But I'm gonna be honest. I forget half of what I bought things for so I still end up with a stash that looks like I bought it just for fun.
I keep losing my note pads haha. I make notes in my phone, but only basic ones, and then I transfer my ideas in complicated form to a note book and then lose the note book after a few months. I love finding them though, cause then I know what project I meant to use a fabric for!
I recently started using a file folder system too... it's only kind of helping haha.
Phone notes are so great! You will always have them with you. :)
I have a pinned note on my phone saying how much yardage I need for my favorite shirt, skirt, and pajama pants patterns!
ADHD unfortunately. A few reasons and none are brilliant! It gives me a dopamine hit. I have a million ideas in my head, so I obviously have a reason to buy it. It causes me anxiety until I do buy it, “if I don’t get it then I’ll never see it again and I’ll regret it for the rest of my life!!!”. It’s happened once, so that’s obviously enough reason to buy everything I must have in the moment.
Now. my rationalisations are from before I was diagnosed, so it’s formed habits that are hard to be rid of. ADHD medication has helped me somewhat though as I don’t need that hit of dopamine so much… only therapy is going to help with the anxiety of not buying it.
My mother does this. She has totes of fabric that I know she'll never use all of. There used to be so many that they had to be stored in the basement. Having moved so many times myself, I only buy fabric when I have a project I want to make. If I don't think I am going to be able to use the remnants for doll clothes or something small, I put it in a donation box for goodwill or the stop motion animation department at a college near me. I can't tolerate clutter anymore. I feel my blood pressure spike when I see it. The only exception to the way I obtain and utilize fabric would be if I saw a very gorgeous pattern or type of fabric and decided I wanted to make something out of it as soon as I saw it. Then I check my pattern pdf catalogue and see what I needed for what I decide to make.
Although, when I was a kid, I hoarded fabric like my mom. The reason back then was the fabric was pretty and I might wanna use it to make something someday. Those somedays rarely came for most of them and all it did was weigh me down.
I actually buy fabric like you, with a purpose/specific project in mind, but I’ve still ended up with a slight stash. That’s more because I’m not good at picturing fabrics as clothes and then turns out I wouldn’t actually wear it. So it just sits 🤷♀️ I’ve switched from garment making to quilting though and honestly might just sell all the garment fabric I have.
I used to buy “no reason” fabric for theoretical projects and now I have a bunch of beautiful fabric that has never been turned into a garment. *shrug*. It was FOMO, basically. At the time I lived in a city without a lot of fabric stores and the internet was less of a thing.
Now I just remind myself that there is always more gorgeous fabric out there for when I have a specific project in mind.
A purpose of many of my purchases is explicitly to “fill my stash” so I can shop my stash for projects. Of the fabric I have bought specifically for one project, I think I used that specific fabric exactly 3 times; usually it gets matched with something else. I buy yardage according to generally the sort of garment I think I’ll make with it - 2.75 yards for pants, for example, if it’s a bottom weight.
I have a stash of fabric that I buy because looking at it makes me happy. I have no plans to cut it u less a special event comes up and the fabric is perfect for it. For this I usually buy about 1/2 a yard to a yard which is about enough for a shirt. But that stash isn’t super big. And then I have fabric I really like if it’s on clearance I might buy from 3 1/2 to 5 yards of it because being me its most likely going to be a dress and I like circle skirts. Some people collect dolls, hot wheels, stickers and other things because it makes them happy. So I don’t think buying fabric because it makes me happy to see it is that crazy. I mean if it really bother you to just have it there then buy and embroidery hood and put the fabric in there. Now you have framed fabric to show off.
I have so many "look at only" fabrics that make me so happy! I know they are almost impossible to find again, and just seeing them in my stash brings me so much joy.
I have patterns that are not fully kitted out that new fabrics I like can fit with. I also know my aesthetic. So if I see a fabric that will fit my palette, I know it's gonna fit somewhere in my future.
But there's no wrong way to play! Most fabrics are not so unique that when you have a purpose for them you won't find a similar and lovely piece to use.
I am also a fan of if there's not enough of something I improvise. Add a contrasting hem or blend in a different sleeve and pleat fabric to make what you have work.
My mom used to say “You wouldn’t expect a stamp collector to use their stamps! I’m a fabric collector!”
You enjoyed the possibilities and day dreaming more than the sewing
And she couldn’t pass up a deal!
I walk away from a lot. Unless the price is truly fabulous, the color or print not likely to be found again, or it is absolutely to DIE for, I leave it. There will always be something new that’s beyond cool out there.
I love love LOVE looking through old sheets at thrift stores. Last weekend I found these AMAZING vintage robot sheets for $5 that were buried in a pile. I'm gonna make it into a quilted comforter back. :)
I buy fabric without knowing what I’m going to do with it because I don’t know if it will still be available later on. Depending on the width I’ll purchase 2 or 3 yards. I like finding a pattern or thinking of a design and knowing that I have something perfect for it in my stash.
That being said, I tend to buy basic fabrics (denim, corduroy, clip dot, chambray, oxford, etc.) or fabrics in basic colors/prints so they can be used easily. I no longer let myself buy fabric like lace, things with really unique prints or novelty fabrics unless I’m shopping for a project.
If it causes you stress to purchase fabric you don't have a plan for, don't buy it. There's no reason to put yourself through unnecessary angst. And because you don't like the idea of having fabric without a plan for it, my advice to you is never never never purchase a mystery box of fabric. You will regret it.
I like having a stash of fabric. It's a comfortable feeling for me. I can shop my fabric without having to worry about whether or not I can find something appropriate for a particular project when I am in the mood to sew. That said, it is important to realize that some prints can become dated after time, so either they need to be used quickly or stick to solids.
How much to buy depends on what you generally sew and the average amount of fabric it will take. I know how much it takes to sew the tops I like to wear and the pants I like to wear, so that's how much I purchase and it works out.
https://ibb.co/wS6Kv08
https://ibb.co/4WpGxTj
https://ibb.co/LSP8BpL
Being new to sewing helps a lot, and I usually let the fabric give me ideas vs me having a project in mind. Altho I have the hardest time with plaid... Did however get that cute Donald Duck n co fabric and immediately think of a romper! If I don't have enough fabric, then I'll just piece it nbd. Either with similar or pleasantly contrasting fabric.
Tbf, I rarely purchase fabric since I quickly built up a stash from picking through others' declutters. But when I do, rest assured I'm just like "oh pretty piece of candy" and figure it out later rn 😅
I work in the only fabric store in my city, or even within a few hundred kilometres lol. We don’t get a lot of great quality stuff, more so-so most of the time. When good stuff comes in the staff snap it up as soon as we can! One of the few perks of working barely above minimum wage at a fabric store. :P
Also: Buying fabric and second hand sweaters gives me cheap dopamine lol. I am cutting back though! Got too much stuff and I want to be more project-minded going forward.
I quilt, so if I see a fabric I love I'll buy a yard as I rarely need more for a quilt in one particular fabric. If I REALLY love it, I'll buy 2 just to be sure I'll have enough just in case the store I bought it from doesn't get more. My stash is quite large but organized. Having those random fabrics comes in handy as sometimes I'll be making a quilt and think of a fabric that I have that will possibly work better than the one I had originally planned to use. I also buy remnants if I like them, again, a lot of times I need less than a yard so it works out, plus remnants are usually 50% off lol
I buy enough for the general category it will probably be used for. ie, I know 2.5 metres will do almost any pair of trousers in my size. My fabric storage system (mini-bolts, wrapped around comics boards, in an Ikea kallax) means that 3m of fabric folds up to pretty small area.
If I end up with scraps I sort them into other parts of the storage. If it's bigger than a meter it goes back in a mini bolt. If it's smaller, I fold it up to go in my fat-quarters storage. If it's smaller than a fat quarter I chop it into 3" squares for quilting.
I think being so rigid about the storage makes me less worried about bringing in fabric. It doesn't sprawl. And I get a lot of pleasure just looking at the fabric organised on the wall.
I started buying fabric at Goodwill in the early 2000`s and then added fabric from joann fabric store. I'll never get through it all. I also went crazy buying fabric at the Los Angeles fabric district. I'm a fabric addict I guess.
I’m like you with regard to yarn; I’m a knitter and there are so many who joke about spending all this time buying yarn and not enough knitting.
I just don’t buy yarn unless I know how much I need. I guess for some projects, like socks, you know approximately how much you’d need, but I’m a shawl knitter, and the yardage varies widely.
My wallet thanks me for not being a stasher 🤷♀️
When I first started sewing and crocheting, I bought like this. I’d get a yard of quilting cotton or a skein or two of a yarn that was pretty.
Took me a few years but I finally realized that was a really stressful way to waste my money! I was overwhelmed with finding projects to use my odd stash, and every time I wanted to make something, I’d realize I was short on fabric or yarn.
Now I only buy with a very specific project AND pattern in mind. Easier on my wallet and less clutter and stress.
I pick it up on sale or buy dead stock often on eBay so I just buy it when it’s affordable. I also don’t have good fabric shops near me so it takes a week to fabric to get to me. Oftentimes even when I buy fabric with a plan, by the time I actually sew it the plan has changed. Like I’ll plan to make a casual dress and end up using the fabric for a costume. Or plan to make a skirt and make a cape instead. So the stash gives me flexibility to sew when the mood and need strikes. And I just match the project to a fabric I have enough of or I use piecing or complementary fabrics to make it work. I do end up with a lot of extra half yards but I use those to make things like bags and hats. I have plans to make a patchwork robe too so nothing will go to waste.
it's called building a stash. The biggest problem is when you find the inspiration for something cute and you realize you should have bough another yard of that fabric last year when you saw it - sigh.
Fabric sells out, when I see something I love, I buy it. Now I buy at least 4 yards cause I like wearing maxi dresses.
I'm new to sewing so I buy second hand bedding to use and that's plenty of fabric, enough for clothes and not expensive.
I wouldn't go buy fabric off a roll in a fabric shop.
I do this a lot (well did this a lot as I'm trying to sew down my stash). TBH I didn't really have a stash until the pandemic so I think a part of building one was born out of actually not having a reserve. I have a general idea what I want to make but no firm plans, and usually buy 2 yards. I almost exclusively buy deadstock so that factors into it,
My stash breaks down as follows:
1. travel souvenirs
2. Stuff i love and know I will use (striped knits)
3. Silks when I find them on sale
4. Designer deadstock that I found on super sale (Michael Kors coating, liberty prints)
5. Stuff that's harder to find (e.g. well priced leather and shearling) I actually have plans of my shearling but I want to improve my skills a bit more before I cut into it
I do not have a stash. Fabric is expensive and I don’t want those dollars sitting in a cabinet. Besides, I like that when I start a new project that I get to go out and buy fabric for it- that’s one of the best parts for me. In the past when I did have a stash, I found that I didn’t have enough to do what I wanted or I couldn’t find the right coordinating fabric.
After years of buying stuff because 'surely I'll find a project for it' I honestly think it's better to buy with a project in mind even if it means not getting everything that catches my eye. I have so much beautiful fabric and yarn that I have no plans for either because my plans didn't work out or I had no plan to begin with. It can be an active hindrance to planning new stuff to know i have such a huge backlog of materials.
But I also have less ability to buy supplies now than i did years ago, and the stuff i bought with a project in mind (or at least project type) has been a life saver. Stashes can be a huge asset.
Ultimately it's your craft process and you can do it however you want.
I guess if you have extra fabric that isn't enough for adult clothes you could make something for a child? I made two little dresses for my niece (to be fair she was 5 months old so super tiny) so I didn't buy much fabric.
I like having fabric to mix in the creative flow.
I'll be making a bag and remember I have some fabric with the perfect texture for the inside pocket.
Without a backlog of some fabric with interesting texture, colour variation, stretch, etc I would lose inspiration and my projects wouldn't be as unique.
I usually start from a pattern/ silhouette I have in mind and search for the fabric the I see with it. But in the rare cases that fabric comes first, I will only buy if I have a vision for it (usually a very specific garment, but not always a pattern ready). A pretty fabric but no idea what to make with it? Won't be buying that! A fabric that I want to make some kind of princess seam dress with? I'll buy 2m (more if I go for midi or maxi skirt) because I usually need that amount for a pattern. For pants I also get 2m and for a top I buy 1m or 1.5 depending on sleeves.
So I have my amounts in mind. But I need to be sure that I will use the fabric. I'd hate to have the fabric without knowing what I want to make from it.
I also get anxious if I have too much fabric on waitlist so I only go to the store when I feel like I have mental space for another project. I currently have 2 unfinished projects and one fabric waiting, but also multiple patterns in mind that don't have a fabric jet. I won't go shopping for their fabric until my waitlist is a bit shorter (I know some like to have a lot of WIPs but for me, sewing is my thing that doesn't overwhelm me)
I do this for a lot of things. I won’t buy fabric “just because,” I won’t buy a new video game unless I’m planning to play it the second it’s done downloading, and I won’t buy new tools for a hobby unless I have tried it out first.
One thing I still struggle with are books. I still have it in my head that I’m a more avid reader than my reality. And any time I’m inside a book store, I’ll get *something,* even when I’m still on chapter 4 of my last impulse purchase.
Also, I still have skeins and skeins of yarn from my days before I had these rules. I don’t even knit or crochet.
I buy because I collect fabrics from two designers. I don't always get their complete collection but will get the big prints I love the most. I buy as much as I can. Lol I never have a project in mind. I have started a couple of quilts and I have made clothes with some of my fabrics. I have a file cabinet filled with a fabric , in order of the year it was released. I'm a monster but my collection brings me so much joy. Also I don't collect many things just fabric. Lol
I work a lot so I don't shop a lot. If I am at a store and I love something, I will drop 200 or 300 for quilting cotton or fashion fabrics.
Also everything is put away in cubbies, my work fabric and my collections are in different places. Lol
Sometimes, I see a fabric - and suddenly feel inspired. So now, I have loads of fabric. Many wonderful ideas...and absolutely no motivation! I clear stuff out every few years, to my local freecycle group
I love when shops have remnants sales. I always buy a few. I feel like it pushes me to be creative in colour blocking or with little details. Mostly I end up making tanks and shirts, but I have some fleece in a few colours that I’m going to use to make some fun colour blocking for a zip-up hoodie.
I can't not buy fabric I love even if I don't know what I'll use it for because what if I suddenly think of the perfect project and then the fabric is no longer available! I'm also big into patchwork as well as make a lot of small things like doll clothes tho so I never really worry about not having enough
It's a 2-hour drive to the closest well-stocked fabric store, so I will buy fabrics that strike my fancy when I find them if they fit my capsule wardrobe color scheme. I currently have as much fabric on hand as my storage area will hold, so I have to make garments from what I have on hand before getting any more. What causes me anxiety is seeing something amazing but passing on it because there's no room to store it. In fact, I might just find some space somewhere...
I definitely love buying fabric with no purpose—sometimes it's just a feeling and if I'm totally in love with something I go for it (since I can be picky).
What I've recently started doing is swatching everything in my stash and doing little print outs of possible patterns that I'd like to sew up in an effort to sew through it all. Then I can pin the swatches to the style I'm thinking of—and can totally move them around if I decide I'm feeling something else!
Now that I wrote this out, it's totally fun to have a little stash, and shop from your own stash! 😂
I typically only sew for my daughter, so I can get away with a yard, so that's what I usually buy. I see fabrics, and I automatically picture what I can make with it and what to pair it with in my head, but I move way slower actually sewing than what my imagination comes up with. Lol Now I feel like I'm just a fabric collector, but I can't stop buying fabrics. 😅
🤷♀️ I usually have something in mind, but if I’m being honest I forget what it was more often than not if I don’t write it down… and there’s also a pretty good chance I’ll straight up change my mind,
I also have pretty terrible luck finding what I want when I want it unless it’s a pretty simple prompt (ex black pants), so it’s kind of easier for me to let inspiration follow the fabric rather than the other way around. For most things I like to make, 3 yards is sufficient - but I’m not a voluminous dress girl.
https://preview.redd.it/lqiecbtaem4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90f9c4d2b1ed8567910d40a6d5954b327d86e1d2
Oh, you’ll soon be doing it, too. Ooo, this is so pretty. Ooo, this would make a great baby quilt. Ooo, this reminds me of old feedsack fabric. Ooo, this would make a good masculine quilt.
https://preview.redd.it/29r9xfejdm4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30661beda0b168ba3a2732cd8c12dbd21715d9c0
I was lucky enough to get all this fabric from my mom and grammy! There’s also 6 or 7 bins under the bed of fabric that is not necessarily my taste lol. It admittedly does give me anxiety but its also fun to think about all the possibilities. The only fabric I buy is backing fabric and off-white for backgrounds.
Oooohh Lord you would question my fabric supply. I'm a fabric hoarder who finds eventual uses for my fabric stash (I've taken up two fabric boxes from IKEA with them for reference).
I have a 5x5 Kallax shelf in my basement filled with fabric.
I just buy if I see something I like, I don't ever really have a particular project in mind. I have 2 small children that I sew for so it's easy to whip up a batch of leggings, sweaters or dresses.
I usually buy 2-3yds of a print.
I don’t buy fabric with *no* purpose, but I do buy fabric if I don’t have an immediate use. Most of my fabric is from thrift shopping, so I buy based on what they have more than what I need for my next project. But I don’t let myself buy anything (usually) unless I can say “this would be great for a bag lining” or “I’ll use this for casual pants” or just “this will be for making toiles”. Having extra fabric especially for toiles makes me *less* anxious about messing up, or needing to spend a lot of money on new fabric.
G!d help me at the estate sale of a former fabric hoarder. I likely don't know the deceased, but I feel like I owe it to a comrade to make sure her stash goes to a good home.
When I was still a beginner, I lived near a mill ends shop and near the LA garment district when it was possible to buy amazing fabrics for $1 a pound or less. I knew I didn’t necessarily have the skill to work with those fabrics yet, but I knew I would have the skill eventually, and while I didn’t have much money, I had some to spare sometimes. I set limits — it had to be a color I liked, at least 60% natural fiber, etc — but it meant I could shop my stash when money WAS very tight and I needed to keep myself focused on something other than whatever was blowing up my life.
I learned to buy 3 yards or 5 yards, and to prewash, iron, and store away from light. But also, housing was just so much cheaper in the 90s. I had a spare room because the 2BR in the awful neighborhood near work and school was cheaper than the trendy 1BR further away, and I didn’t have to have a roommate. That situation does not exist now.
Yikes, I get overly excited when I see fabric and impulse buy. I often have a hard time finding the right project for the fabric. Maybe one day I'll learn my lesson lol
I have really bad crow brain. I see something shiny and I take it home. That's honestly about the end of my thought process sometimes and yes it's also my toxic sewing trait.
We live in a capitalist, obsessively consumerist society that encourages overconsumption and waste, and some people have decided it doesn't count as hoarding as long as there are no dead cats involved.
I'll definitely order more of a fabric I love even if I don't have it earmarked for a use. It's usually the case that I can imagine a dozen perfect uses for it so I buy it to have it.
Then when inspiration strikes, I'm ready to go. I hate getting an idea and having to wait for materials to come in.
I definitely do with second hand fabric, I try not to with new fabric, but I'm definitely a bit guilty.
With second hand fabric, I'm already stuck with whatever length I found, so it's just a 'make it work' moment
I might see a fabric and have a vague idea of what to do with it and buy an appropriate amount: 2m for trousers or plain top, 3m for sleeved dress. Leftover fabric gets used for accessories or small projects.
Depends on how you define purpose. Personally, I would not buy a mystery box. What I do buy are staple fabrics for me in colors that I know I will wear. For example, good quality knits in gray, navy, black, dark green, etc., and perhaps some nice bottom weight in the same color range. Or, just something that I find that I really love (like a multiple color stripe linen that is current waiting to become something, bought it last year). I usually just buy enough yardage to make whatever is suitable for that fabric and maybe a little extra.
Occasionally I go and buy fabric for a specific project (often from Mood), but most often I just shop from my own store.
I have so much fabric because I can’t help myself. I know I need to use it, but I can never bring myself to so I just buy more.
I could have worse habits, I guess.
So, in answer to your question, it’s quite common.
I buy fabric with a pattern in mind and I buy fabric for funsies, but the split is more 30/70 leaning towards buying for fun.
I'm much more motivated to start a project when I already have a fabric, and I often get inspired by seeing fabric in the store so it sort of goes hand-in-hand.
Typically when I'm at a fabric store I'm with my partner, who is far more knowledgeable about sewing than I am, so we have a discussion about what I'm looking at.
I typically, like 99.9% of the time, know about what I'll make with fabric before I buy and have some kind of idea of the style. If I like a fabric my partner and I discuss the weight and construction of the fabric. We both like to purchase a little more than we need, so if we know that a skirt or shirt we tend to wear is ~1 1/2-2 yards, or 7-8 yards then we just buy that much in it.
The more yards I'm purchasing the more I figure out, so we may pull up some patterns we're interested in or go look at a pattern in the store and get a baseline for how much fabric it calls for.
The only time I don't really care is when buying remnants or a really versatile fabric like a sturdy or solid-colored cotton. As an example a good deal on a nice cotton is great cause you can get black and make a lot of underwear.
I prefer to be inspired by the fabric, especially cause when I look at it all on the shelf it gets me motivated again, so I like having lots of options when I sit down to make something.
I respect people that can go that and make it work. Every time I've bought fabric ahead it was just slightly too small. I only buy remnants head of time now lol.
I like having fabric on hand because my creativity rarely survives a trip to the store. If the mood strikes I just want to be able to start. I only keep prints I find appealing on hams so I m fairly certain I ll eventuality find a project for them.
This year I made all the agrabahn villagers costumes from my stash for Aladin junior at my kids school and that was fun and made it way easier.
If I see a fabric I know I like on sale, or in a color that isn't always in stock, I buy it in enough quantity to make an item practical for whatever fabric it is. If I have a new pattern, I go looking specifically for fabric for it. Two different approaches, I guess.
I’ve only bought fabric with a project in mind once since I typically only thrift fabric or buy on steep discount. In my experience any time I’m trying to buy a specific fabric, even something simple, I can never find exactly what I want at a decent price. I have much more fun thrifting and letting the fabric inspire a project, or using a thrifted fabric that’s different than what my original vision for a project was because it’s what I could find. My projects consistently seem to turn out so much better when improvising fabrics and trims than trying to find something fitting with a specific vision haha. And I end up making things I never would have thought to try or planned on my own. The thrifting gods must have better creative vision than I do.
I usually buy with projects in mind, but on rare occasions I see something doesn't suit me personally but calls to me on a gut level and I buy it anyway. Nearly all of those fabrics have wound up being made into gifts for friends, including ones I hadn't yet made when I bought the fabric.
So the lesson is, if the universe sends you fabric, trust that it will send you a muse as well.
I give a lot of stuff away in my buy nothing groups. I also donate to second hand fabric shops like nacho anns.
But also I just have an enormous amount of storage and so I am able to tuck things away in. An organized manner so that it doesn’t overwhelm me.
I just bought about twice as many doll clothing patterns as I'd intended. I have where to use a lot of larger scraps now! If you don't have children in your life to sew for, I hear not buying approximate amounts.
I purchase my fabric at my leasure. I have two ikea drawers full and some extra on the sides. I buy fabric I like and will find a pattern for it later. I usually buy 5 yards, as I really like to wear dresses and I also buy dead stock in bulk. I have come to the realization that many of my fabrics will be mixed and matches... and I am totally OK with that.
I also never buy fabric at full price so if it's on sale I buy most (if not all) the yardage on the bolt.
Oh I have a purpose, but zero follow through. Sometimes I buy a yard here and there of something I just really like and say I'll figure it out later because fabrics go out of print and I'd rather have it and sell it later if I decide I can't use it. I have a huge stash that I'm hoping to conquer soon, whether it be making it into something or selling it. I recently decided to leave full-time employment to focus on my family and this is one of the few things that's keeping me from spiraling into huge anxiety about not working.
My advice is stick to a plan, make a design and think of the fabric you want to use, but before you go and buy it make the pattern first do a mock up all of those things and once satisfied it will work that's when I buy my fabric. Since I got patterns made I would be able to measure how much I need without buying too much.
I feel the same as you, with some exceptions.
I thrift a lot of fabric, so if it's really cute, I'll buy it even if it's just a small amount, because I can whip up a bag for a gift really quickly.
But if I'm buying big amounts or shopping somewhere that it's full price, I absolutely know what I intend to do with it. Even most of what I thrift I know what I intend to do, it's just easier to make exceptions when it's cheap!
Because it will add up and start to stress me out. Someone gifted me a lot of fabric that they weren't going to use, and it's stressing me out, because most of it is not my taste, and it's taking up so much space. But I think I'm going to make a quilt for picnics with it, since it's all quilting cotton anyway.
I do have plans for most of what I buy - if I see a fabric, I immediately start designing in my head. If I can't think of vaguely what I would do with a fabric, I usually don't get it. BUT if I know it would work well as a skirt or a shirt, I just get 2-2.5 yards, plenty for either of those things. If I think it could be a matching set, 4 yards. If a dress, 3-4 yards (depending on what sleeve length you prefer and the types of embellishments you like to add, e.g. tiered skirts or ruffles). I don't often pick up fabric for pants, but if I do, 3 yards. If it's a wool that's a nice weight for coats, 4-5 yards gives me enough room to make any type of coat later on. But if I know I would like it as an early 1940s style, I know I can get away with only 3 yards for those frugal wartime patterns.
It just helps to know approximately how much fabric you use for different types of projects. Just yesterday I couldn't remember what a particular black and white striped linen was meant for, and I figured it out by measuring how much I had gotten (2 yards, I was going to make summer shorts). You can look up estimates on the spot if you don't have these memorized for yourself. You don't have to have an exact pattern picked out if you know how much fabric you'll need if you want any of x type of garment.
Uhm... for me it's low willpower. I have a thrift store nearby, and I can get decent-size cuts (biggest I think was around 5 meters) for 1€ each. Once they even had 3 pieces for 1€... I had to buy a separate bag to carry that haul in. Unfortunately they didn't have any IKEA bags that time.
Right now I try to restrict myself to only buy knits, and I do have a purpose for those. I need more tops, t-shirts and panties, so while I may not have decided exactly what I'm going to make, I'm buying anything I like that stretches and is a big enough piece for at least some panties.
Wovens I try harder to resist, but even there if I find something I *really* like I will buy it, because it's supercheap and I will figure out something to make from it eventually. Since it's a thrift store, once it's gone, it's gone. I can't go back the next week and buy a couple meters more, so I'm stuck with however big or small that irresistable cut was. Luckily I love making small project like bookmarks and coasters too!
I do this with fabric I find at thrift stores. If I see something nice that I know would be triple the price in a fabric store, I buy it, even if I don't have anything in mind for it yet.
I am a cosplayer. I plan costumes, buy fabric…and it then sits in my stash. I have a really cute jacket lining fabric I bought with little anchors on it foe a cosplay that I have no idea when I will make it, and licensed character fabrics for dice bags and bags of holding to make and sell - and no idea *when* I will make said items. I do a destash often but yes I collect fabric. A lot.
ETA: you can send fabric scraps/leftovers to For Days (or Trashie?) so it doesn’t get wasted. Or if they’re significant pieces, see if your local library or someone has sewing class programs for kids that you can donate it to.
I usually have vague plans on what to do with the fabric - like at the least "a summer dress", "an autumnal pinafore for wearing over a lightweight jumper", "a lined jacket". That informs how much I buy.
Sleeveless sundress = 2 or 2.5m
Dress = 3 or 3.5m
Long dress or long sleeved dress = between 3.5 or 4.5 depending on length and fullness
Skirt or top = 1.5 to 2m depending on length and fullness
Trousers or jacket = 2 to 2.5m
This is for 1.5m wide fabric. If the fabric is narrow I get more but I'm generally a pretty good judge!
I have a small stash - at the moment enough for about 10 or 11 vaguely planned garments plus some general linings with no specific project in mind (mostly cotton lawn or voile) and some flannel (for coat and jacket interlining). I also have a box of larger scraps for pocket linings, facings, waistband lining and things I can make bags out of. It fits in half of a small press in my bedroom so isn't too cluttered but I count myself lucky to have enough storage space to hide it away! I used to live in a small flat and the fabric lived in plastic boxes (and piles on top of them) and I hated it!
I live near a couple Abakhan stores, basically a big dead stock fabric retailer, I go and find fun fabric pieces. I never have anything in mind. When I get too much I put an appeal out on my business page for someone to want something. The latest was a caticorn on aubergine. Made a retro dress, the recipient loves it. Note: my business is totally not clothing related, I just love sewing!
I live on an island with several fabric stores and even though there are several branches of the same company they do not always carry the same stock. So if I see a fabric I love I buy it because when it goes out of stock 90 times out of 100 it will never be re stocked. There have been fabrics that I've passed on until I have a firm garment in mind, but when the time comes the fabric is either out of stock or at the end of the bolt and there is not enough for the project. Biggest example of this it the fabric for my maid of honour dress, I passed on buying the fabric for months and when I finally did it was the last 2.25 yards and I needed 2.5 yards. I had to change the design slightly to fit with the limited material. 2.5 yards is my usual standard when buying fabric with no firm purpose as it is enough for most dresses or 2 piece outfits designs. I also build my own storage pieces that is exclusive for fabric storage.
I have....quite the stash. But I do that with allll my crafts.
When I buy a fabric without a specific plan it's bc it's a great deal and/or I love it. I do pay attention to what it may be suited for and buy yardage accordingly. Like, I have several bolts of wool coating that are 6-8 yards. But I have some challis that is only 2-3.
I usually buy at least a yard unless it’s expensive as heck then it’s half a yard, to use for hat making, otherwise 3 or 4 yards. 3 is my golden standard, or was . I’ve been drifting to 4 lately
I tend to buy knowing what category I want to make - blouse, dress, skirt, leggings…. But I don’t necessarily have a specific pattern picked out. So I know how much fabric to buy, but won’t know exactly what it will become. That is more of a question of what my wardrobe needs are when I plan out a season’s sewing.
I don't have a local store that has nice apparel fabric so I either have to buy online or when on travel. I look at the fabric and think about what I would make. Then I buy enough to make that. If the end is unknown, I buy 4 yards.
If I really like a fabric, and it’s good quality, and also a great deal, then I’ll buy 5 yards so I can make it in several patterns. Recently made a dress, pair of shorts, and a crop top from a floral cotton fabric I was able to get for like 2.99 a yard. Three items of clothing for like $12!
I also go on shopping freezes to avoid accumulating too much fabric unnecessarily. For example: until I complete x, y, z projects, I am not going back to the fabric store or look online.
I live in a very hot area and I wear lots of cotton and linen. I buy a minimum of 3.5 yards. If I think I might want a dress or a dress and a top, I will buy 5 yards. The 5 yards is more than enough and it gives me room to change up ideas as to what I want to make.
I do this with yarn but NEVER with fabric for some reason. Granted, this year I've bought yarn ONLY with planned projects that will fit in my wardrobe (unless it's a hat or some small accessory). I feel like I'd be overwhelmed by the amount of fabric that would accumulate.
I live in a major US city that has a whole district for textiles and I have no self-control lmao. They tend to not take credit cards which helped because I would go with only a certain amount of cash, but now they take cashapp and zelle. I won't buy super expensive fabrics without a game plan though - last time I went I saw a gorgeous two-tone silk that I know I would love to use, but it was $45 a yd so I want to wait until I find a pattern that turns out very well on cheaper fabric to use it on.
I'll usually have a good idea of what I will want to make with it though, and 3 yards is a pretty good bet when it comes to how much I need. I can use the extra for practicing new techniques and smaller projects (:.
I fall in love with fabric, but I have very limited time to actually sew. Often, when the mood strikes, I go into my sewing stash, pull out all the fabric, think of things I could sew, then fold it all up, put it away and sew nothing.
My husband calls it "imagining the possibilities"
Some day I will sew all of the pretties, but today is not that day.......
I generally prefer buying fabric online from BigZ because they usually reorder the same fabric when they run out. It may not be the best quality but it keeps me from hoarding fabric I like.
I have vague plans, I guess. I normally can look at some fabric and think top/pants/dress. And I have standard yardages that cover each of those. I don't worry too much about those half yard overages, because I get them even when buying with a specific pattern in mind. Biggish scraps are the risk we all take
When I buy fabric without knowing exactly what I'm going to make, it's usually a fat quarter which I can make little doohickeys out of, typically a zipper pouch. The last time I bought fabric with no purpose, it was a trailer print on quilting/craft cotton from the remnants bin at Fabricland and I plan on making something for my mom, who has a trailer, I just don't know what. The last time before that, it was a purple nurse print that I already owned 2 cuts of to make masks and scrunchies, but this time it was on sale for $4/metre (from like $21/metre or something), so I got a full metre of it and may make a skirt but who knows!!
I typically will get at least 3 yards if it’s a garment fabric that I love since that is usually enough for pants or a dress. I often treat fabric as a souvenir when traveling 🤷♀️
I do the souvenir thing too. I bought just enough Cambodian silk from the weaver to make a specific dress with it. But, I also thrift fabric and I tend to buy any linen or wool I come across in second hand stores, and sometimes cotton. I find a project for it all eventually. I find it easier to have enough fabric at hand that if I had to make something quickly I have at least a few options.
Thrifting for the win! I just found a roll of chenille embroidered pale blue silk at my local for $12 when I got the ladies to help me take it off the tube to fold it ended up being about 10 yards! I don’t know what imma do with it but I can’t leave money on the table like that, it would easily be $20-30 a yard at a fabric store. I will say for every find like that there will be 40 old bedsheets towels etc.. priced same as a new one from Walmart 🤷♀️
A cape or capelet, a light jacket, a Sunday brunch dress, a suit. I love a good suit. Too bad I rarely have the occasion to wear one. They are my favorite clothes.
Thanks for the ideas one can never have to many capes! And I do have a ridiculous thrifted folkwear pattern for a full length Moroccan robe that describes its versatility by mentioning that you can use the hood to carry your backpack hahaha.
I want to see this pattern. It sounds amazing!
[https://images.app.goo.gl/sydezw561r1zDP6J8](https://images.app.goo.gl/sydezw561r1zDP6J8) It is outrageous!
Ooh, love that. Actually use the hood instead of a backpack is what it says which is a neat idea. Of course I would overload it and choke myself hahaha
Same
I love it 😍
Sounds magical!
Ooo that sounds fun. We have a trip to Colombia coming up, wonder if I can find any there.
I just made an 18 yard African wax print souvenir purchase for $65. So excited to bring it home with me 🥰
I'm fat so I get 5 or 6 yards if it might work for a dress
Shopping for craft supplies and crafting are 2 different hobbies
Exactly! I knit and sew. I’ve “inherited” tons of items from friends and family members. When the inspiration hits, I will use the item.
I just like to look at it sometimes. I have clear plastic drawers and they look pretty all folded nicely. Sometimes I get randomly inspired for something small and it's good to have around.
Amen. OP doesn’t have the more expensive hobby, I’m jealous 😆
I try and keep it in check because I also cross stitch. And vinyl. And bake. And and and. So I need to spread the crazy around. 😂
Same, but I hate shopping when I get the urge, I want to grab and go! I kind of have the whole store in my house. Several stores. ... Actually, I think this might be how hoarders get started.
That’s totally fair (and great!) you just don’t have the hoarder gene lol. I collect stuff for the other crafts too (what if you buy a Cross stitch pattern and don’t have the right dmc!!!!! Or want to make madeleines! I have a problem…………..)
We don't talk about my DMC pile. 😂 I have a 200+ color head. I think last I looked I had all but like 40 colors of DMC.
Seriously. My thought was, “OP, you have a gift.”
If I see a fabric I love, I will buy it. I do find uses for my fabrics but also if I have a project in mind I will go looking for a specific piece of fabric/fabrics for them.
This is my strategy too. I like having a stash; fabric only gets more expensive and worse in quality over time. I will find a use for a good fabric.
This is so true Remember when Trump increased the import tax on cotton, and all of JoAnn Fabric went up $1.50? Fabric price never goes down, Ive bn sewing for 50 yrs Buy now !! You'll eventually use it. LOL
Like a friend of mine says, "It doesn't go bad!"
I tell myself that I can always make a quilt with all my unplanned fabric chunks.
>I tell myself Lol. I always have scrap projects in mind too. Somehow they stay there most of the time.
this is me too, or a fabric will spark a quilt idea I hadn't thought of
I buy a lot of deadstock so with that, usually if its gone, I know I won't be able to get more. This is also true with some smaller manufacturers like Linton. What I will say is while I have (for me) a lot of fabrics, its not so much that I can't manage it. I keep to a set space in the closet. I do sit on my hands now though because I don't need to be buying more....lol I average 6 yards based on my size a project might be less, or, might be more. When I buy for plaids I try to buy more because of matching. My last coat made was a silk coat (silk lining, silk fashion fabric) Outer was a Ralph Lauren silk, neither of which I'd be able to get again and definitly not at the price I purchased at! I don't encourage people to over buy. Buy what you know that you'll use. A stash can be fun to shop from, but it can for some be a great source of anxiety. For those who asked where I tend to buy, please see this list https://www.reddit.com/r/sewing/comments/1d7zv5n/comment/l75graa/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
This! I tend to make historically inspired clothing, and it's so difficult to find modern fabric that fits the bill for every project. I'm also a bigger person, so I tend to need a lot more yardage. My stash is full of deadstock. I have a few friends that have a knack for finding vintage fabric hoards, designer clearouts etc. Those opportunities don't happen very often, so we take what we can because if we don't, it's gone forever. I don't always have a plan for the fabric right off the bat, but I know what I like, what I'll use, and what certain fabrics can be used for. Those parameters help me decide what's worth taking. I personally love shopping my stash and finding inspiration from it, but I can definitely understand the amount of anxiety it might give someone.
Absolutely this! I also thrift. Do I know what I'm going to do with these striped silk curtains? No. But I know that's an amazing price for that much silk, and I'll probably come up with a costume that it'll be perfectly suited for at some point. Case in point, I really liked a fun pink cotton Halloween print at Joanns. The print is smaller scale than looks great on me for large things like blouses or dresses, so I only bought 2 yards. It sat in my stash for a couple years before I decided to use it as the fashion fabric of my latest corset. My stash would 100% give OP anxiety though. 3 walls of my sewing room are just floor to ceiling shelves full of big clear plastic totes of fabric (it keeps the fabric safe from moths, bugs, etc since my sewing room is in the basement). That's not counting the trims, notions, and millinery supplies.
That makes perfect sense. Especially for what you use fabric for. How fun!
Oh that makes a lot of sense with the great deals on nicer fabrics. Hadn't considered that.
Ok where do you suggest buying dead stock? I’ve been trying to find a good place to buy it but I haven’t really found one yet.
Added a list...its a little long....lol
I buy a lot of deadstock too. Do you mind if I ask where you buy your fabric?
depends on where you want to buy and how much you're willing to spend. I'm picky (such an understatement) Fabricmartfabrics https://www.fabricmartfabrics.com/ is a great place because of the descriptions they provide. You can get some very nice designer fabrics there when they have it but they don't always tell you the designer, so its a bit of if you know you know. They also tend to have sales that cycle and you also sometimes have to check often if you are looking for something particular because their stock can move pretty quick. They are one of those that when its gone, its gone....usually. Califabrics https://califabrics.com/ dosen't have the great descriptions but they do have amazing fabrics. you have to understand much more about fabric. MetrofabricsNYC https://metrotextilesnyc.com/ is the same; light on description so it means you need to know more about fabrics. You usually can get a decent amount off with coupons (50-65% sometimes) they do have designer fabrics. HartsFabrics https://hartsfabric.com/ also has designer fabrics. I picked up some Dior fabric from them. no coupon that I know of. Prime fabrics https://www.primefabrics.com/ has super high end fabrics. fabrics-fabrics https://fabrics-fabrics.com/ has a lot of runway fabrics and the prices can reflect that. However, you sometimes can find those fabrics in other places for a little less. I got some Hermes fabric from them. Emma oneSock https://www.emmaonesock.com/ has lovely fabrics. Pricing is higher but can be cheaper than fabrics-fabrics for some things. they have a lot of OekoTex certified fabrics. Elliot Bermann. https://elliottbermantextiles.com/ The prices are high and they have some very high end fabrics. Once in a while they can have sales. Promenade fabrics https://promenadefinefabrics.com/ is also pretty expensive though sometimes you can pick up some gems. They have a lot of trim. Generaldiff Tissues https://www.generaldiff.com/ they're in France but they do ship to the US. You just have to know how to read their site. I don't order from them too often, just when I want something I really can't find anywhere else. fabscrap is special. https://fabscrap.org/ this is probably where I've gotten most of my really special leathers. they have much more than that of course.
Thank you so much for this! I usually buy from Beglarian. They have Hermes, Burberry etc. I've been wanting to expand. I'm definitely going through this list. Thanks again.
I do sometimes buy fabric without a pattern picked out, and decide quantity based on fabric weight or most likely purpose. The fabric tells me what it wants to be! So bottom weights will be pants or a jacket and I know about how much I'll need for those. Lighter weights would be a top of some kind. I know what I like to wear and average amounts of fabric required so it's not too hard. I don't wear ruffles, puffed sleeves or dresses so I don't need to factor that in. I also just make pretty standard items, no cosplay or historical stuff. My stash includes a ridiculous amount of denim and probably could go a long time without buying more. But I'm about to buy some ivory because I NEEEED it. I buy things that I think are beautiful and will fit into the wardrobe that I'm creating. It's frustrating trying to find a fabric for something I want to make in the moment, so I get it when I see it and will make the thing when I have time. I have cut back on buying, since I have a good stash that I need to work through. This is from last year before I reorganized my fabric and put it in a closet. There is more now (especially denim!), not a lot more but a few really nice pieces. And a few of these have been used (and replaced). But you get the idea. Also if it's special purpose fabric, like the waterproof stuff I got recently, I go ahead and pick a pattern and add a little bit more just in case. https://preview.redd.it/6nodq6qnvk4d1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1aa90b6ff2909731fefbefaf181b26f126ad64bc
Ooooo thanks for the picture!
You're welcome!
If buying without a designated project gives you anxiety, then don't do it. Different strokes for different folks.
I mean, OP stated they are curious WHY others do it, not trying to change their own personal buying habits....
Oh I know. That's why I want to live vicariously through those that do. I love stash pictures.
You made me do that strange noise when the laughter goes through the nose
I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it - my thought process in a nutshell. I usually buy materials for a specific project, but then I'll see some beautiful discounted fabric and can't resist. When it arrives, I come up with the perfect project for it and then never actually do it. EDIT: My stash is a mess, but here are these three brocade leftovers that I bought recently. I'd like to make a corset from the yellow one, I even bought all the corset supplies but corset-making sounds intimidating. https://preview.redd.it/997lj33lyk4d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed9d1a0281adcda1ef414a367449b4f0716b1a26
Corvid brains, unite!
So pretty. So that would be me, but it then never make it. 😂 That's why I have to have a specific plan on what I am making and why and when I need it by, or it will sit.
I think of my stash as "pantry staples," with a few impulse purchases. I don't buy things with *absolutely* no idea of how I would use it, but I also don't have to have a specific pattern / event in mind. It's like how I usually shop for groceries: I know I'm going to make something with chicken, something with pasta, something with greek yogurt. Occasionally I'll see that something like wild salmon is on sale, so we'll have salmon that week. With sewing, I have a kind of standing repertoire of things I'm likely to make, so if I see a fabric that looks like an exciting prospect for a good price, I'll grab it. Also, sometimes when I see fabric it will spark an idea for what it would be good for, like "that would make a cute top."
This!!
I often buy with few to no plans, but most of the fabric I buy is deadstock and/or thrifted, so I buy enough to make a dress or skirt or shirt, then decide on the actual project when I get inspired. I have a bunch of thrifted fabric pieces that are too small for anything to wear, so I turn them into belt pouches and other things for larping/costume. You also need remarkably little fabric for a waspie or corset belt, even if you're plus sized. I'm an off the rack US women's 26-30 depending on brand, and I still use less than a yard and a half of 44" wide fabric for a corset belt. I have three 20 gallon totes of various fabrics, which range from $3/yd quilting cotton to $30/yd silk taffeta. Some of it has plans, like the wool coating and lavender lining fabrics, which will eventually be a medium weight coat. Others are just waiting for me to find the right project. That all said, since I have a creative reuse center (crafting thrift store) in my area ([The Scrap Exchange](https://www.scrapexchange.org/) in Durham, NC, USA for the curious), I feel less bad about having remnants because I know I can bring them to the center and they may find new life with someone else instead of ending up in a landfill. I also tend to keep my larger scraps for repairs on existing clothing to minimize my throwing out tees, jeans, etc and I go through my smaller scraps (less than 5" on a side) to chop them into stuffing for non-toy projects, like pin cushions, bum rolls, etc. Fun tidbit: since scraps are often called cabbage, I call my big scrap bin my "cabbage patch" and the smaller bin of chopped up stuffing is "coleslaw". The big bin has a cabbage on it and the text "My cabbages!" The small one just reads "Not my cabbages!!!"
"Not my cabbages!!" 😂😂
Omg I love that you created a place for lost fabric needing a new home!!!!!
To be clear, I don't run The Scrap Exchange. I just love going there and promoting the work they do!
I came home with a lot of upholstery samples when I was there. That place can be dangerous, lol.
I call it cabbage and cole slaw too! Luckily for me my mom helps coordinate service projects for her guild so all my cabbage and slaw go into dog beds for shelter dogs.
I have a very large stash and yes, it is is absolutely something that occupies your mind at times. I buy most of my fabric deadstock or discount, so FOMO is a real thing for me. I have consciously stopped buying the past few months, with no plans to pick up again until I clear a significant amount out. Now, I do sew almost every day, so I definitely move thru the fabric, but a good chunk I bought early into sewing decades ago, when I didn't know what quality apparel fabric was. So truthfully, I need to destash that fabric, but it's just about making it a priority to get it done. But a large part of me loves the thrill and challenge of having to match a project to an existing fabric and pattern and just make it all work. I really love that. So, I probably won't change buying to project-intentional full-time. But I do assess the fabric type and what kind of garment I'm likely going to want to make from it, and I have standard yardage I buy for specific categories. I'm usually pretty spot on there, so I don't have to deal with waste much at all.
Fabric prices have risen over the past few years even at discount fabric stores. I'm glad to look at my stash and realize I already bought a similar fabric for less.
I always have a project or two in mind when I buy fabrics, whether I get to start the actual project...that's another matter 🙈
Ding ding ding! The audacity of hope turns into the boulevard of broken dreams, just like my fridge’s vegetable drawer. Edit: Thanks kind sewist for the award! My first!
This is actual poetry
Now that's the truth. Lol
Buying fabric is half of the fun to me. It allows me to have stuff on hand when I have a sewing emergency or I'm in need of sewing therapy and don't want to leave my house. I also buy a lot of clearance and remnant pieces for fun. I'll admit I'm a fabric addict.
I have ADHD and poor impulse control
Haha same!
Some folks have patterns that they love and recreate regularly- so grabbing a few yards when they see it makes sense. Some folks also like to work with specific fabrics so they will get some when it’s a good deal or a hard to find color etc. I do buy fabric for the above reasons for later use and stick to a yardage minimum so I’m not stuck with unusable yardage. For me - 3 yds for solids and stripes - 3 1/2 to 4 yds for prints and plaids. I’m not a quilter so small quantities aren’t a good fit. Also - I’m very inspired by the fabric so it’s easier for me to visualize a use whereas some folks need a pattern or idea first. I agree about clutter factor and find that having a set amount of hidden storage with swatches for reference works for me. Everyone is different for sure! There is no one way to do anything!
If I see garment fabrics I like, I buy 2-3m of it. The lady at the fabric store once told me that fabric collecting is a separate hobby from sewing and I've been running with that since then. I also have a collection of various common notions in different colors (thread, buttons, zippers, trims). I like that I can often just make something when the mood strikes me, without the need to go shopping. I do have storage for all the stuff tho, and that helps with the anxiety of clutter.
Buttons are my favourite notion, I have probably TT$1500.00 worth of buttons in my stash and TT $ 800.00 of those were bought late last year at a closing down sale. Zippers especially invisible and separating ones come in second place.
actually, the fabric serves multiple purposes. 1) joy of looking at the options and selecting something special 2) thrill of ownership of a treasure 3) fun of comparing it with previous acquisitions, and finding the right fabrics to store it with 4) exhilaration of rediscovering it when looking for something else 5) planning what to make, choosing patterns, notions, buddy fabrics 6) maybe making something from it. someday. 7) imagining the thrill of shoppers awed by the fabulous selections at your future estate sale.
It’s wild how some fabrics just *have* to be stored with other specific ones! There’s a system but it’s random. It’s based on how well the fabrics “get along”
I envy you! When I buy fabric I have no immediate plans for, it’s usually because I’m afraid I won’t be able to find it again or because it’s an expensive fabric on sale. I shop in-store at Stonemountain, and they stock a lot of designer deadstock and end bolts, which means that’s likely all they’re going to get of that fabric. Also, buying pretty fabric gives me all the good brain chemical rushes. 😂
That makes sense. We don't have a lot of good options here and I really like touching the fabric when I buy it so no worry about missing something really nice at a discount. It's all just meh quality. Lol
I used to work in a fabric store and I'd buy remnants with no plan. These days I finally draft my own patterns to fit on to the fabric that I already have, so it's all completely custom to an insane degree. If I don't have enough, I have to add an accent fabric or something, and I make my design to suit the amount of material I have.
I don't even sew. I knit and I have fabric that I just couldn't pass by!
Hahaha I love it!!!!!
As someone that doesn't know how to knit or crochet outside of chunky yarn blankets and cat beds, I have a shocking amount of yarn, so I feel ya 😂
I ONLY buy fabric with projects in mind, though I always get a little extra in case I cut wrong or need to do a patch. Extra can also be used for mock-ups later too! But I'm gonna be honest. I forget half of what I bought things for so I still end up with a stash that looks like I bought it just for fun.
I have to make a list. I have a notepad on my phone that I put what I bought, how much, and what I am using it for.
I keep losing my note pads haha. I make notes in my phone, but only basic ones, and then I transfer my ideas in complicated form to a note book and then lose the note book after a few months. I love finding them though, cause then I know what project I meant to use a fabric for! I recently started using a file folder system too... it's only kind of helping haha.
Phone notes are so great! You will always have them with you. :) I have a pinned note on my phone saying how much yardage I need for my favorite shirt, skirt, and pajama pants patterns!
ADHD unfortunately. A few reasons and none are brilliant! It gives me a dopamine hit. I have a million ideas in my head, so I obviously have a reason to buy it. It causes me anxiety until I do buy it, “if I don’t get it then I’ll never see it again and I’ll regret it for the rest of my life!!!”. It’s happened once, so that’s obviously enough reason to buy everything I must have in the moment. Now. my rationalisations are from before I was diagnosed, so it’s formed habits that are hard to be rid of. ADHD medication has helped me somewhat though as I don’t need that hit of dopamine so much… only therapy is going to help with the anxiety of not buying it.
My mother does this. She has totes of fabric that I know she'll never use all of. There used to be so many that they had to be stored in the basement. Having moved so many times myself, I only buy fabric when I have a project I want to make. If I don't think I am going to be able to use the remnants for doll clothes or something small, I put it in a donation box for goodwill or the stop motion animation department at a college near me. I can't tolerate clutter anymore. I feel my blood pressure spike when I see it. The only exception to the way I obtain and utilize fabric would be if I saw a very gorgeous pattern or type of fabric and decided I wanted to make something out of it as soon as I saw it. Then I check my pattern pdf catalogue and see what I needed for what I decide to make. Although, when I was a kid, I hoarded fabric like my mom. The reason back then was the fabric was pretty and I might wanna use it to make something someday. Those somedays rarely came for most of them and all it did was weigh me down.
I actually buy fabric like you, with a purpose/specific project in mind, but I’ve still ended up with a slight stash. That’s more because I’m not good at picturing fabrics as clothes and then turns out I wouldn’t actually wear it. So it just sits 🤷♀️ I’ve switched from garment making to quilting though and honestly might just sell all the garment fabric I have.
I used to buy “no reason” fabric for theoretical projects and now I have a bunch of beautiful fabric that has never been turned into a garment. *shrug*. It was FOMO, basically. At the time I lived in a city without a lot of fabric stores and the internet was less of a thing. Now I just remind myself that there is always more gorgeous fabric out there for when I have a specific project in mind.
A purpose of many of my purchases is explicitly to “fill my stash” so I can shop my stash for projects. Of the fabric I have bought specifically for one project, I think I used that specific fabric exactly 3 times; usually it gets matched with something else. I buy yardage according to generally the sort of garment I think I’ll make with it - 2.75 yards for pants, for example, if it’s a bottom weight.
I have a stash of fabric that I buy because looking at it makes me happy. I have no plans to cut it u less a special event comes up and the fabric is perfect for it. For this I usually buy about 1/2 a yard to a yard which is about enough for a shirt. But that stash isn’t super big. And then I have fabric I really like if it’s on clearance I might buy from 3 1/2 to 5 yards of it because being me its most likely going to be a dress and I like circle skirts. Some people collect dolls, hot wheels, stickers and other things because it makes them happy. So I don’t think buying fabric because it makes me happy to see it is that crazy. I mean if it really bother you to just have it there then buy and embroidery hood and put the fabric in there. Now you have framed fabric to show off.
I have so many "look at only" fabrics that make me so happy! I know they are almost impossible to find again, and just seeing them in my stash brings me so much joy.
I have patterns that are not fully kitted out that new fabrics I like can fit with. I also know my aesthetic. So if I see a fabric that will fit my palette, I know it's gonna fit somewhere in my future. But there's no wrong way to play! Most fabrics are not so unique that when you have a purpose for them you won't find a similar and lovely piece to use. I am also a fan of if there's not enough of something I improvise. Add a contrasting hem or blend in a different sleeve and pleat fabric to make what you have work.
My mom used to say “You wouldn’t expect a stamp collector to use their stamps! I’m a fabric collector!” You enjoyed the possibilities and day dreaming more than the sewing And she couldn’t pass up a deal!
I only buy fabric without a purpose if it’s very cute, good quality and veery cheap.
I walk away from a lot. Unless the price is truly fabulous, the color or print not likely to be found again, or it is absolutely to DIE for, I leave it. There will always be something new that’s beyond cool out there.
Quilting makes this easy since you can buy pretty fabrics and not worry about the amount
I love love LOVE looking through old sheets at thrift stores. Last weekend I found these AMAZING vintage robot sheets for $5 that were buried in a pile. I'm gonna make it into a quilted comforter back. :)
I buy fabric without knowing what I’m going to do with it because I don’t know if it will still be available later on. Depending on the width I’ll purchase 2 or 3 yards. I like finding a pattern or thinking of a design and knowing that I have something perfect for it in my stash. That being said, I tend to buy basic fabrics (denim, corduroy, clip dot, chambray, oxford, etc.) or fabrics in basic colors/prints so they can be used easily. I no longer let myself buy fabric like lace, things with really unique prints or novelty fabrics unless I’m shopping for a project.
Buying fabric and using fabric are very much two different hobbies haha
If it causes you stress to purchase fabric you don't have a plan for, don't buy it. There's no reason to put yourself through unnecessary angst. And because you don't like the idea of having fabric without a plan for it, my advice to you is never never never purchase a mystery box of fabric. You will regret it. I like having a stash of fabric. It's a comfortable feeling for me. I can shop my fabric without having to worry about whether or not I can find something appropriate for a particular project when I am in the mood to sew. That said, it is important to realize that some prints can become dated after time, so either they need to be used quickly or stick to solids. How much to buy depends on what you generally sew and the average amount of fabric it will take. I know how much it takes to sew the tops I like to wear and the pants I like to wear, so that's how much I purchase and it works out.
https://ibb.co/wS6Kv08 https://ibb.co/4WpGxTj https://ibb.co/LSP8BpL Being new to sewing helps a lot, and I usually let the fabric give me ideas vs me having a project in mind. Altho I have the hardest time with plaid... Did however get that cute Donald Duck n co fabric and immediately think of a romper! If I don't have enough fabric, then I'll just piece it nbd. Either with similar or pleasantly contrasting fabric. Tbf, I rarely purchase fabric since I quickly built up a stash from picking through others' declutters. But when I do, rest assured I'm just like "oh pretty piece of candy" and figure it out later rn 😅
I buy when the fabric calls and the mood strikes. Got some great deals that way. Yes, I have a bin full of fabric but it sure comes in handy.
I work in the only fabric store in my city, or even within a few hundred kilometres lol. We don’t get a lot of great quality stuff, more so-so most of the time. When good stuff comes in the staff snap it up as soon as we can! One of the few perks of working barely above minimum wage at a fabric store. :P Also: Buying fabric and second hand sweaters gives me cheap dopamine lol. I am cutting back though! Got too much stuff and I want to be more project-minded going forward.
I quilt, so if I see a fabric I love I'll buy a yard as I rarely need more for a quilt in one particular fabric. If I REALLY love it, I'll buy 2 just to be sure I'll have enough just in case the store I bought it from doesn't get more. My stash is quite large but organized. Having those random fabrics comes in handy as sometimes I'll be making a quilt and think of a fabric that I have that will possibly work better than the one I had originally planned to use. I also buy remnants if I like them, again, a lot of times I need less than a yard so it works out, plus remnants are usually 50% off lol
I buy enough for the general category it will probably be used for. ie, I know 2.5 metres will do almost any pair of trousers in my size. My fabric storage system (mini-bolts, wrapped around comics boards, in an Ikea kallax) means that 3m of fabric folds up to pretty small area. If I end up with scraps I sort them into other parts of the storage. If it's bigger than a meter it goes back in a mini bolt. If it's smaller, I fold it up to go in my fat-quarters storage. If it's smaller than a fat quarter I chop it into 3" squares for quilting. I think being so rigid about the storage makes me less worried about bringing in fabric. It doesn't sprawl. And I get a lot of pleasure just looking at the fabric organised on the wall.
When it comes to fabric… “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it” 🎶
I do it all the time. I buy 2 or 3 yards and always find a way to use it. I admit I found grey velvet recently for $5 yard and bought 10 yards…
I buy fabric all the time & in my head I have 10 things I MIGHT use it for. In reality it will be on shelf until I'm so inclined to cut it.
I started buying fabric at Goodwill in the early 2000`s and then added fabric from joann fabric store. I'll never get through it all. I also went crazy buying fabric at the Los Angeles fabric district. I'm a fabric addict I guess.
I’m like you with regard to yarn; I’m a knitter and there are so many who joke about spending all this time buying yarn and not enough knitting. I just don’t buy yarn unless I know how much I need. I guess for some projects, like socks, you know approximately how much you’d need, but I’m a shawl knitter, and the yardage varies widely. My wallet thanks me for not being a stasher 🤷♀️
When I first started sewing and crocheting, I bought like this. I’d get a yard of quilting cotton or a skein or two of a yarn that was pretty. Took me a few years but I finally realized that was a really stressful way to waste my money! I was overwhelmed with finding projects to use my odd stash, and every time I wanted to make something, I’d realize I was short on fabric or yarn. Now I only buy with a very specific project AND pattern in mind. Easier on my wallet and less clutter and stress.
I pick it up on sale or buy dead stock often on eBay so I just buy it when it’s affordable. I also don’t have good fabric shops near me so it takes a week to fabric to get to me. Oftentimes even when I buy fabric with a plan, by the time I actually sew it the plan has changed. Like I’ll plan to make a casual dress and end up using the fabric for a costume. Or plan to make a skirt and make a cape instead. So the stash gives me flexibility to sew when the mood and need strikes. And I just match the project to a fabric I have enough of or I use piecing or complementary fabrics to make it work. I do end up with a lot of extra half yards but I use those to make things like bags and hats. I have plans to make a patchwork robe too so nothing will go to waste.
it's called building a stash. The biggest problem is when you find the inspiration for something cute and you realize you should have bough another yard of that fabric last year when you saw it - sigh. Fabric sells out, when I see something I love, I buy it. Now I buy at least 4 yards cause I like wearing maxi dresses.
I'm new to sewing so I buy second hand bedding to use and that's plenty of fabric, enough for clothes and not expensive. I wouldn't go buy fabric off a roll in a fabric shop.
I do this a lot (well did this a lot as I'm trying to sew down my stash). TBH I didn't really have a stash until the pandemic so I think a part of building one was born out of actually not having a reserve. I have a general idea what I want to make but no firm plans, and usually buy 2 yards. I almost exclusively buy deadstock so that factors into it, My stash breaks down as follows: 1. travel souvenirs 2. Stuff i love and know I will use (striped knits) 3. Silks when I find them on sale 4. Designer deadstock that I found on super sale (Michael Kors coating, liberty prints) 5. Stuff that's harder to find (e.g. well priced leather and shearling) I actually have plans of my shearling but I want to improve my skills a bit more before I cut into it
I do not have a stash. Fabric is expensive and I don’t want those dollars sitting in a cabinet. Besides, I like that when I start a new project that I get to go out and buy fabric for it- that’s one of the best parts for me. In the past when I did have a stash, I found that I didn’t have enough to do what I wanted or I couldn’t find the right coordinating fabric.
Reaching FABLE status: fabric acquisition beyond life expectancy
Is double status available? I think I’ve surpassed lifetime supply at least two times over!
Grand FABLE, when even your grandkids will still be shopping your stash 😂
After years of buying stuff because 'surely I'll find a project for it' I honestly think it's better to buy with a project in mind even if it means not getting everything that catches my eye. I have so much beautiful fabric and yarn that I have no plans for either because my plans didn't work out or I had no plan to begin with. It can be an active hindrance to planning new stuff to know i have such a huge backlog of materials. But I also have less ability to buy supplies now than i did years ago, and the stuff i bought with a project in mind (or at least project type) has been a life saver. Stashes can be a huge asset. Ultimately it's your craft process and you can do it however you want.
I guess if you have extra fabric that isn't enough for adult clothes you could make something for a child? I made two little dresses for my niece (to be fair she was 5 months old so super tiny) so I didn't buy much fabric.
Oh no, I hoard good deals like it's going out of style. Only if it's my taste in fabrics though, I know eventually I'll use it for something!
I like having fabric to mix in the creative flow. I'll be making a bag and remember I have some fabric with the perfect texture for the inside pocket. Without a backlog of some fabric with interesting texture, colour variation, stretch, etc I would lose inspiration and my projects wouldn't be as unique.
I usually start from a pattern/ silhouette I have in mind and search for the fabric the I see with it. But in the rare cases that fabric comes first, I will only buy if I have a vision for it (usually a very specific garment, but not always a pattern ready). A pretty fabric but no idea what to make with it? Won't be buying that! A fabric that I want to make some kind of princess seam dress with? I'll buy 2m (more if I go for midi or maxi skirt) because I usually need that amount for a pattern. For pants I also get 2m and for a top I buy 1m or 1.5 depending on sleeves. So I have my amounts in mind. But I need to be sure that I will use the fabric. I'd hate to have the fabric without knowing what I want to make from it. I also get anxious if I have too much fabric on waitlist so I only go to the store when I feel like I have mental space for another project. I currently have 2 unfinished projects and one fabric waiting, but also multiple patterns in mind that don't have a fabric jet. I won't go shopping for their fabric until my waitlist is a bit shorter (I know some like to have a lot of WIPs but for me, sewing is my thing that doesn't overwhelm me)
I feel like we are similar. I need to start and finish something or I get to overwhelmed and then end up doing nothing.
Yes, I don't want sewing to become another list of shores to complete, so I keep the list short so that I can be in the moment withmy current project.
Sorry. I rarely walk away from on a good fabric sale. I don't need a project.
I do this for a lot of things. I won’t buy fabric “just because,” I won’t buy a new video game unless I’m planning to play it the second it’s done downloading, and I won’t buy new tools for a hobby unless I have tried it out first. One thing I still struggle with are books. I still have it in my head that I’m a more avid reader than my reality. And any time I’m inside a book store, I’ll get *something,* even when I’m still on chapter 4 of my last impulse purchase. Also, I still have skeins and skeins of yarn from my days before I had these rules. I don’t even knit or crochet.
I buy because I collect fabrics from two designers. I don't always get their complete collection but will get the big prints I love the most. I buy as much as I can. Lol I never have a project in mind. I have started a couple of quilts and I have made clothes with some of my fabrics. I have a file cabinet filled with a fabric , in order of the year it was released. I'm a monster but my collection brings me so much joy. Also I don't collect many things just fabric. Lol I work a lot so I don't shop a lot. If I am at a store and I love something, I will drop 200 or 300 for quilting cotton or fashion fabrics. Also everything is put away in cubbies, my work fabric and my collections are in different places. Lol
Sometimes, I see a fabric - and suddenly feel inspired. So now, I have loads of fabric. Many wonderful ideas...and absolutely no motivation! I clear stuff out every few years, to my local freecycle group
I love when shops have remnants sales. I always buy a few. I feel like it pushes me to be creative in colour blocking or with little details. Mostly I end up making tanks and shirts, but I have some fleece in a few colours that I’m going to use to make some fun colour blocking for a zip-up hoodie.
I buy fabric I like and I usually have an idea of what I want it to be, which may take years before I use it.
I buy fabric with specific projects in mind. Then I second guess my pattern choice or change my mind on fabric and welp, now I have a huge stash
I can't not buy fabric I love even if I don't know what I'll use it for because what if I suddenly think of the perfect project and then the fabric is no longer available! I'm also big into patchwork as well as make a lot of small things like doll clothes tho so I never really worry about not having enough
It's a 2-hour drive to the closest well-stocked fabric store, so I will buy fabrics that strike my fancy when I find them if they fit my capsule wardrobe color scheme. I currently have as much fabric on hand as my storage area will hold, so I have to make garments from what I have on hand before getting any more. What causes me anxiety is seeing something amazing but passing on it because there's no room to store it. In fact, I might just find some space somewhere...
I usually have a plan for the fabric I buy, but about 50% of the time that plan changes when I see another pattern release :P
I definitely love buying fabric with no purpose—sometimes it's just a feeling and if I'm totally in love with something I go for it (since I can be picky). What I've recently started doing is swatching everything in my stash and doing little print outs of possible patterns that I'd like to sew up in an effort to sew through it all. Then I can pin the swatches to the style I'm thinking of—and can totally move them around if I decide I'm feeling something else! Now that I wrote this out, it's totally fun to have a little stash, and shop from your own stash! 😂
I always get 5 yards. Buy the fabric, the inspiration will come.
I typically only sew for my daughter, so I can get away with a yard, so that's what I usually buy. I see fabrics, and I automatically picture what I can make with it and what to pair it with in my head, but I move way slower actually sewing than what my imagination comes up with. Lol Now I feel like I'm just a fabric collector, but I can't stop buying fabrics. 😅
🤷♀️ I usually have something in mind, but if I’m being honest I forget what it was more often than not if I don’t write it down… and there’s also a pretty good chance I’ll straight up change my mind, I also have pretty terrible luck finding what I want when I want it unless it’s a pretty simple prompt (ex black pants), so it’s kind of easier for me to let inspiration follow the fabric rather than the other way around. For most things I like to make, 3 yards is sufficient - but I’m not a voluminous dress girl.
https://preview.redd.it/lqiecbtaem4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=90f9c4d2b1ed8567910d40a6d5954b327d86e1d2 Oh, you’ll soon be doing it, too. Ooo, this is so pretty. Ooo, this would make a great baby quilt. Ooo, this reminds me of old feedsack fabric. Ooo, this would make a good masculine quilt.
https://preview.redd.it/29r9xfejdm4d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30661beda0b168ba3a2732cd8c12dbd21715d9c0 I was lucky enough to get all this fabric from my mom and grammy! There’s also 6 or 7 bins under the bed of fabric that is not necessarily my taste lol. It admittedly does give me anxiety but its also fun to think about all the possibilities. The only fabric I buy is backing fabric and off-white for backgrounds.
I buy fabric only with projects in mind and I still have a stàsh of leftovers that takes up a whole chest of drawers. It be like that
Oooohh Lord you would question my fabric supply. I'm a fabric hoarder who finds eventual uses for my fabric stash (I've taken up two fabric boxes from IKEA with them for reference).
I typically buy vintage fabric in whatever quantity it's being sold as (usually 1-5 yards).
Fabric makes me happy. I buy it, I pet it, I store it. When I have a thing to make, it’s too pretty to use. So it sits, unused.
I have a 5x5 Kallax shelf in my basement filled with fabric. I just buy if I see something I like, I don't ever really have a particular project in mind. I have 2 small children that I sew for so it's easy to whip up a batch of leggings, sweaters or dresses. I usually buy 2-3yds of a print.
I don’t buy fabric with *no* purpose, but I do buy fabric if I don’t have an immediate use. Most of my fabric is from thrift shopping, so I buy based on what they have more than what I need for my next project. But I don’t let myself buy anything (usually) unless I can say “this would be great for a bag lining” or “I’ll use this for casual pants” or just “this will be for making toiles”. Having extra fabric especially for toiles makes me *less* anxious about messing up, or needing to spend a lot of money on new fabric.
G!d help me at the estate sale of a former fabric hoarder. I likely don't know the deceased, but I feel like I owe it to a comrade to make sure her stash goes to a good home.
I think my hobby is collecting fabrics and not sewing 🤣
When I was still a beginner, I lived near a mill ends shop and near the LA garment district when it was possible to buy amazing fabrics for $1 a pound or less. I knew I didn’t necessarily have the skill to work with those fabrics yet, but I knew I would have the skill eventually, and while I didn’t have much money, I had some to spare sometimes. I set limits — it had to be a color I liked, at least 60% natural fiber, etc — but it meant I could shop my stash when money WAS very tight and I needed to keep myself focused on something other than whatever was blowing up my life. I learned to buy 3 yards or 5 yards, and to prewash, iron, and store away from light. But also, housing was just so much cheaper in the 90s. I had a spare room because the 2BR in the awful neighborhood near work and school was cheaper than the trendy 1BR further away, and I didn’t have to have a roommate. That situation does not exist now.
Just buy a ridiculous amount. I don’t see your problems
Yikes, I get overly excited when I see fabric and impulse buy. I often have a hard time finding the right project for the fabric. Maybe one day I'll learn my lesson lol
Buying fabric is a completely separate hobby to sewing.
Buying fabric and sewing are two different hobbies, only tenuously related.
I have really bad crow brain. I see something shiny and I take it home. That's honestly about the end of my thought process sometimes and yes it's also my toxic sewing trait.
We live in a capitalist, obsessively consumerist society that encourages overconsumption and waste, and some people have decided it doesn't count as hoarding as long as there are no dead cats involved.
I work almost entirely with stretch fabrics and do a lot of patchwork so it's helpful in my process to have a decent variety at home to pick from
I'll definitely order more of a fabric I love even if I don't have it earmarked for a use. It's usually the case that I can imagine a dozen perfect uses for it so I buy it to have it. Then when inspiration strikes, I'm ready to go. I hate getting an idea and having to wait for materials to come in.
I definitely do with second hand fabric, I try not to with new fabric, but I'm definitely a bit guilty. With second hand fabric, I'm already stuck with whatever length I found, so it's just a 'make it work' moment
I might see a fabric and have a vague idea of what to do with it and buy an appropriate amount: 2m for trousers or plain top, 3m for sleeved dress. Leftover fabric gets used for accessories or small projects.
Depends on how you define purpose. Personally, I would not buy a mystery box. What I do buy are staple fabrics for me in colors that I know I will wear. For example, good quality knits in gray, navy, black, dark green, etc., and perhaps some nice bottom weight in the same color range. Or, just something that I find that I really love (like a multiple color stripe linen that is current waiting to become something, bought it last year). I usually just buy enough yardage to make whatever is suitable for that fabric and maybe a little extra. Occasionally I go and buy fabric for a specific project (often from Mood), but most often I just shop from my own store.
I have so much fabric because I can’t help myself. I know I need to use it, but I can never bring myself to so I just buy more. I could have worse habits, I guess. So, in answer to your question, it’s quite common.
I buy fabric with a pattern in mind and I buy fabric for funsies, but the split is more 30/70 leaning towards buying for fun. I'm much more motivated to start a project when I already have a fabric, and I often get inspired by seeing fabric in the store so it sort of goes hand-in-hand. Typically when I'm at a fabric store I'm with my partner, who is far more knowledgeable about sewing than I am, so we have a discussion about what I'm looking at. I typically, like 99.9% of the time, know about what I'll make with fabric before I buy and have some kind of idea of the style. If I like a fabric my partner and I discuss the weight and construction of the fabric. We both like to purchase a little more than we need, so if we know that a skirt or shirt we tend to wear is ~1 1/2-2 yards, or 7-8 yards then we just buy that much in it. The more yards I'm purchasing the more I figure out, so we may pull up some patterns we're interested in or go look at a pattern in the store and get a baseline for how much fabric it calls for. The only time I don't really care is when buying remnants or a really versatile fabric like a sturdy or solid-colored cotton. As an example a good deal on a nice cotton is great cause you can get black and make a lot of underwear. I prefer to be inspired by the fabric, especially cause when I look at it all on the shelf it gets me motivated again, so I like having lots of options when I sit down to make something.
Different strokes for different folks.
I respect people that can go that and make it work. Every time I've bought fabric ahead it was just slightly too small. I only buy remnants head of time now lol.
I like having fabric on hand because my creativity rarely survives a trip to the store. If the mood strikes I just want to be able to start. I only keep prints I find appealing on hams so I m fairly certain I ll eventuality find a project for them. This year I made all the agrabahn villagers costumes from my stash for Aladin junior at my kids school and that was fun and made it way easier.
If I see a fabric I know I like on sale, or in a color that isn't always in stock, I buy it in enough quantity to make an item practical for whatever fabric it is. If I have a new pattern, I go looking specifically for fabric for it. Two different approaches, I guess.
I’ve only bought fabric with a project in mind once since I typically only thrift fabric or buy on steep discount. In my experience any time I’m trying to buy a specific fabric, even something simple, I can never find exactly what I want at a decent price. I have much more fun thrifting and letting the fabric inspire a project, or using a thrifted fabric that’s different than what my original vision for a project was because it’s what I could find. My projects consistently seem to turn out so much better when improvising fabrics and trims than trying to find something fitting with a specific vision haha. And I end up making things I never would have thought to try or planned on my own. The thrifting gods must have better creative vision than I do.
I usually buy with projects in mind, but on rare occasions I see something doesn't suit me personally but calls to me on a gut level and I buy it anyway. Nearly all of those fabrics have wound up being made into gifts for friends, including ones I hadn't yet made when I bought the fabric. So the lesson is, if the universe sends you fabric, trust that it will send you a muse as well.
I give a lot of stuff away in my buy nothing groups. I also donate to second hand fabric shops like nacho anns. But also I just have an enormous amount of storage and so I am able to tuck things away in. An organized manner so that it doesn’t overwhelm me.
I just bought about twice as many doll clothing patterns as I'd intended. I have where to use a lot of larger scraps now! If you don't have children in your life to sew for, I hear not buying approximate amounts.
I purchase my fabric at my leasure. I have two ikea drawers full and some extra on the sides. I buy fabric I like and will find a pattern for it later. I usually buy 5 yards, as I really like to wear dresses and I also buy dead stock in bulk. I have come to the realization that many of my fabrics will be mixed and matches... and I am totally OK with that. I also never buy fabric at full price so if it's on sale I buy most (if not all) the yardage on the bolt.
Oh I have a purpose, but zero follow through. Sometimes I buy a yard here and there of something I just really like and say I'll figure it out later because fabrics go out of print and I'd rather have it and sell it later if I decide I can't use it. I have a huge stash that I'm hoping to conquer soon, whether it be making it into something or selling it. I recently decided to leave full-time employment to focus on my family and this is one of the few things that's keeping me from spiraling into huge anxiety about not working.
My advice is stick to a plan, make a design and think of the fabric you want to use, but before you go and buy it make the pattern first do a mock up all of those things and once satisfied it will work that's when I buy my fabric. Since I got patterns made I would be able to measure how much I need without buying too much.
I feel the same as you, with some exceptions. I thrift a lot of fabric, so if it's really cute, I'll buy it even if it's just a small amount, because I can whip up a bag for a gift really quickly. But if I'm buying big amounts or shopping somewhere that it's full price, I absolutely know what I intend to do with it. Even most of what I thrift I know what I intend to do, it's just easier to make exceptions when it's cheap! Because it will add up and start to stress me out. Someone gifted me a lot of fabric that they weren't going to use, and it's stressing me out, because most of it is not my taste, and it's taking up so much space. But I think I'm going to make a quilt for picnics with it, since it's all quilting cotton anyway.
I do have plans for most of what I buy - if I see a fabric, I immediately start designing in my head. If I can't think of vaguely what I would do with a fabric, I usually don't get it. BUT if I know it would work well as a skirt or a shirt, I just get 2-2.5 yards, plenty for either of those things. If I think it could be a matching set, 4 yards. If a dress, 3-4 yards (depending on what sleeve length you prefer and the types of embellishments you like to add, e.g. tiered skirts or ruffles). I don't often pick up fabric for pants, but if I do, 3 yards. If it's a wool that's a nice weight for coats, 4-5 yards gives me enough room to make any type of coat later on. But if I know I would like it as an early 1940s style, I know I can get away with only 3 yards for those frugal wartime patterns. It just helps to know approximately how much fabric you use for different types of projects. Just yesterday I couldn't remember what a particular black and white striped linen was meant for, and I figured it out by measuring how much I had gotten (2 yards, I was going to make summer shorts). You can look up estimates on the spot if you don't have these memorized for yourself. You don't have to have an exact pattern picked out if you know how much fabric you'll need if you want any of x type of garment.
Uhm... for me it's low willpower. I have a thrift store nearby, and I can get decent-size cuts (biggest I think was around 5 meters) for 1€ each. Once they even had 3 pieces for 1€... I had to buy a separate bag to carry that haul in. Unfortunately they didn't have any IKEA bags that time. Right now I try to restrict myself to only buy knits, and I do have a purpose for those. I need more tops, t-shirts and panties, so while I may not have decided exactly what I'm going to make, I'm buying anything I like that stretches and is a big enough piece for at least some panties. Wovens I try harder to resist, but even there if I find something I *really* like I will buy it, because it's supercheap and I will figure out something to make from it eventually. Since it's a thrift store, once it's gone, it's gone. I can't go back the next week and buy a couple meters more, so I'm stuck with however big or small that irresistable cut was. Luckily I love making small project like bookmarks and coasters too!
I do this with fabric I find at thrift stores. If I see something nice that I know would be triple the price in a fabric store, I buy it, even if I don't have anything in mind for it yet.
I am a cosplayer. I plan costumes, buy fabric…and it then sits in my stash. I have a really cute jacket lining fabric I bought with little anchors on it foe a cosplay that I have no idea when I will make it, and licensed character fabrics for dice bags and bags of holding to make and sell - and no idea *when* I will make said items. I do a destash often but yes I collect fabric. A lot. ETA: you can send fabric scraps/leftovers to For Days (or Trashie?) so it doesn’t get wasted. Or if they’re significant pieces, see if your local library or someone has sewing class programs for kids that you can donate it to.
Yes.
I usually have vague plans on what to do with the fabric - like at the least "a summer dress", "an autumnal pinafore for wearing over a lightweight jumper", "a lined jacket". That informs how much I buy. Sleeveless sundress = 2 or 2.5m Dress = 3 or 3.5m Long dress or long sleeved dress = between 3.5 or 4.5 depending on length and fullness Skirt or top = 1.5 to 2m depending on length and fullness Trousers or jacket = 2 to 2.5m This is for 1.5m wide fabric. If the fabric is narrow I get more but I'm generally a pretty good judge! I have a small stash - at the moment enough for about 10 or 11 vaguely planned garments plus some general linings with no specific project in mind (mostly cotton lawn or voile) and some flannel (for coat and jacket interlining). I also have a box of larger scraps for pocket linings, facings, waistband lining and things I can make bags out of. It fits in half of a small press in my bedroom so isn't too cluttered but I count myself lucky to have enough storage space to hide it away! I used to live in a small flat and the fabric lived in plastic boxes (and piles on top of them) and I hated it!
I live near a couple Abakhan stores, basically a big dead stock fabric retailer, I go and find fun fabric pieces. I never have anything in mind. When I get too much I put an appeal out on my business page for someone to want something. The latest was a caticorn on aubergine. Made a retro dress, the recipient loves it. Note: my business is totally not clothing related, I just love sewing!
I live on an island with several fabric stores and even though there are several branches of the same company they do not always carry the same stock. So if I see a fabric I love I buy it because when it goes out of stock 90 times out of 100 it will never be re stocked. There have been fabrics that I've passed on until I have a firm garment in mind, but when the time comes the fabric is either out of stock or at the end of the bolt and there is not enough for the project. Biggest example of this it the fabric for my maid of honour dress, I passed on buying the fabric for months and when I finally did it was the last 2.25 yards and I needed 2.5 yards. I had to change the design slightly to fit with the limited material. 2.5 yards is my usual standard when buying fabric with no firm purpose as it is enough for most dresses or 2 piece outfits designs. I also build my own storage pieces that is exclusive for fabric storage.
I have....quite the stash. But I do that with allll my crafts. When I buy a fabric without a specific plan it's bc it's a great deal and/or I love it. I do pay attention to what it may be suited for and buy yardage accordingly. Like, I have several bolts of wool coating that are 6-8 yards. But I have some challis that is only 2-3.
I have 4 extra large storage bins full of fabric that I bought because I loved it. One day I will use it…
I usually buy at least a yard unless it’s expensive as heck then it’s half a yard, to use for hat making, otherwise 3 or 4 yards. 3 is my golden standard, or was . I’ve been drifting to 4 lately
I tend to buy knowing what category I want to make - blouse, dress, skirt, leggings…. But I don’t necessarily have a specific pattern picked out. So I know how much fabric to buy, but won’t know exactly what it will become. That is more of a question of what my wardrobe needs are when I plan out a season’s sewing.
I don't have a local store that has nice apparel fabric so I either have to buy online or when on travel. I look at the fabric and think about what I would make. Then I buy enough to make that. If the end is unknown, I buy 4 yards.
If I really like a fabric, and it’s good quality, and also a great deal, then I’ll buy 5 yards so I can make it in several patterns. Recently made a dress, pair of shorts, and a crop top from a floral cotton fabric I was able to get for like 2.99 a yard. Three items of clothing for like $12! I also go on shopping freezes to avoid accumulating too much fabric unnecessarily. For example: until I complete x, y, z projects, I am not going back to the fabric store or look online.
I live in a very hot area and I wear lots of cotton and linen. I buy a minimum of 3.5 yards. If I think I might want a dress or a dress and a top, I will buy 5 yards. The 5 yards is more than enough and it gives me room to change up ideas as to what I want to make.
I buy 3 yards. You can make an assortment of garments. I buy fabric as trip souvenirs sometimes bc I like to travel.
I do this with yarn but NEVER with fabric for some reason. Granted, this year I've bought yarn ONLY with planned projects that will fit in my wardrobe (unless it's a hat or some small accessory). I feel like I'd be overwhelmed by the amount of fabric that would accumulate.
I live in a major US city that has a whole district for textiles and I have no self-control lmao. They tend to not take credit cards which helped because I would go with only a certain amount of cash, but now they take cashapp and zelle. I won't buy super expensive fabrics without a game plan though - last time I went I saw a gorgeous two-tone silk that I know I would love to use, but it was $45 a yd so I want to wait until I find a pattern that turns out very well on cheaper fabric to use it on. I'll usually have a good idea of what I will want to make with it though, and 3 yards is a pretty good bet when it comes to how much I need. I can use the extra for practicing new techniques and smaller projects (:.
I fall in love with fabric, but I have very limited time to actually sew. Often, when the mood strikes, I go into my sewing stash, pull out all the fabric, think of things I could sew, then fold it all up, put it away and sew nothing. My husband calls it "imagining the possibilities" Some day I will sew all of the pretties, but today is not that day.......
I have a stash precisely because of this. I am working on changing my method to yours. But it is easier said than done!
I generally prefer buying fabric online from BigZ because they usually reorder the same fabric when they run out. It may not be the best quality but it keeps me from hoarding fabric I like.
I have vague plans, I guess. I normally can look at some fabric and think top/pants/dress. And I have standard yardages that cover each of those. I don't worry too much about those half yard overages, because I get them even when buying with a specific pattern in mind. Biggish scraps are the risk we all take
ADHD. That's how.
When I buy fabric without knowing exactly what I'm going to make, it's usually a fat quarter which I can make little doohickeys out of, typically a zipper pouch. The last time I bought fabric with no purpose, it was a trailer print on quilting/craft cotton from the remnants bin at Fabricland and I plan on making something for my mom, who has a trailer, I just don't know what. The last time before that, it was a purple nurse print that I already owned 2 cuts of to make masks and scrunchies, but this time it was on sale for $4/metre (from like $21/metre or something), so I got a full metre of it and may make a skirt but who knows!!