Saturday, October 18, 2008

the state of my stash





92 comments:

Leah Spencer said...

I must say that it's inspiring that you can make so many beautiful quilts without an excessively large stash. :)

Meg said...

Oooohhhh, I have serious stash envy!

Blondie said...

I am so jealous! What a great stash!

Bobbinoggin said...

you give me hope that maybe I should be happy with my not-so-large stash.

now if i can just think of a fun way to store it where i can see it. makes it fun that way. :) then your fabric sits on the shelf like a puppy wanting to play. "you're going to use me today. right? right? right?"

Anonymous said...

It's so neat! My stash (albeit small as well) gets out of control quickly. :( LOL .

nettie said...

it's lovely, and so neat. you have many prints that i wish i could get my hands on.

Tracey said...

Oh...'tis gorgeous!

Unknown said...

oh my, look how organized you are.
Teresa

Lissa Jane said...

hmmm makes me rethink my humungous stash... I have um, a lot more than that, and make maybe 1/10th of the quilts you do! I think I need to get my rear into gear and get busy!

I have mine sorted by theme (30's civil wars etc) and then in colour :O))



Lissa

Plum Blossom Lane said...

Great stash! And so organized...good job!

Sweet P said...

Nice stash! What size are most of the fabric cuts?

jacquie said...

folks really think that is a small stash....i'm agog...i'm drooling on my computer screen.

ale balanzario said...

Wow!! you have the quilters paradise!!

Ale .

lera said...

Okay. When are you coming to MY house to organize my stash? That looks wonderful!

Amanda Jean said...

sweet p,

it varies quite a bit. most of the little ones that are folded and in the drawers are less than a yard.

the ones that are folded on the shelf are my larger yardage pieces. usually 2+ yards.

Anonymous said...

This is awesome! Very cool that you are able to stay so organized. I am looking at my shelves right now thinking I should do some folding.

Unknown said...

OMG, such inspiration! I just love all the color! I just want to reach out and touch it all!!

Bee said...

Wow....that is so cool:) All organized, it is so pretty. I have a real thing for fabric. Seeing these pictures has inspired me to put down my computer and start "playing" with my own fabric:)

Sara said...

OMG! Total stash envy! I could only wish! And so organized!

Sarah said...

Everyday you become more and more fabulous!

sarah, rsm said...

Wow! I think I'm having a wonderful dream! And I can just imagine the beauties that will come from those glorious pieces ...

MichelleB said...

It is lovely! I hang my head in shame as I have much, much more than that.

Linda said...

Drooling - picture candy! :D
Great organization and GREAT stash!!
Linda

Jackie's Stitches said...

As a new quilter, I certainly have some stash envy!

It all looks so very pretty all neatly folded and arranged by color.

Anonymous said...

I think it's the perfect amount of stash. And so neat too!

Candace said...

Oh my gosh - whose totes do you use Amanda? I was trying to organize mine after going a bit nuts at 3 quilt stores yesterday - I think I need something serious like these! No wonder you're able to whip out so many quilts so fast - you can put your hands on what you need instantly! Cheers!

Marie' said...

Just Beautiful. Sigh.
I love your pretty pinks.
My only girl is 7. I shouldn't be collecting any more pinks, but I am always drawn to it.

Jodi Nelson said...

oooh your fabric stash looks so yummy! I love it! Great pics! Sigh. ;o) ooxx`jodi

Elizabeth said...

Wow. You are an organized gal! Lovely!

Alissa said...

PRETTY!!!!

Sherri said...

You're so organized...yep, stash envy!

Sarah said...

Oh my gosh...it is so neat and organized! I really have to reorganize mine. :)

jan said...

What is it about fabric that draws us in? Seeing your very organized stash and knowing how productive you are causes me to rethink my out of control stash that has not generated anything in a long, long time!

Katie K said...

... walking to my fabric drawer to neatly fold all the contents in hopes of warding off the stash envy ;)

TinaJewel said...

I'm drooling too! Love your stash!

MeganZ said...

It's so amazingly NEAT! And orderly. I'm abashed. And jealous. :)

Thank you - that was fun to see!

Unknown said...

How fun! Are you always this organized!? I don't have near as much fabric, but it's usually a mess . . . :)

Sew Diva Diane said...

Oh my gosh! I love your blog! You do such beautiful work. I have made my way through just a couple pages of your blog and I have to ask, do you ever sleep??
Diane

Karen said...

Wow! I am totally impressed with your organization. I don't think I could personally keep up such a level of neatness!

CJ said...

So neat and pretty! A photo or two of my stash would not be so entertaining. Stuffed in bags and such and then into a few different drawers and boxes. Hmmmm, yours is MUCH more inspiring.

sclangs said...

Goodness, I wish my stash looked like this. How do you fold your fabrics so neatly? Can you do a tutorial on it? or do I remember you doing one before???

Jessica Christensen said...

Your stash looks great! My stuff is just in a bunch of huge bins in the garage (because there are so many of them, that I can only bring one or two into my sewing room at a time). I'm totally impressed that you can be so organized. Now show us what you do with your scraps. I'll bet you have those organized too!

Granny said...

That is way too neat. Would you mind if I come over and play? I never see my stash looking so neat!

amy smart said...

Whoa. I am now totally motivated to organize my stash. If only my daughter would move her new little stuffed-animal 'nest' out from in front of my stash-storage-closet.

rachelmp said...

Your stash looks so inspirational and so organised! I sew mostly with scraps so mine are just squeezed into a big tub that I often tip our onto the floor...

Christina Lane | The Sometimes Crafter said...

My favorite thing EVER! Stacks of beautiful fabric!

angharad handmade said...

What a fantastic hoard of fabric, and so neatly organised too. I have a growing stash which is organised for all of a couple of days after I've tidied it, and soon ends up in chaos again!

Tine said...

Oh my! Beautiful and so organized!!

Caron at Michigan Quilts said...

Ok, how do you do that? I mean seriously... where are the little ragged edges that want to poke out? The strings, threads and rat's nests that linger after washing? Certainly this stash is just for show, and you have a closet somewhere that looks like monkeys have been in it playing around with REAL stash, right?

nannergirl said...

I am drooling over your stash...and it's so neat!

Mama Urchin said...

I really need you to come help me fold my stash. I stink at it! It is organized by color, I am type-A after all.

Betsy said...

wow, how organized. wish I could say the same about mine.

Leslie said...

that is beautiful!!! not very long ago i put mine in rainbow order, i just could not help myself.

Shanna said...

You have inspired me to organize! I love all the different patterns you have! Beautiful! I am sure it makes it easier to put together so many beautiful quilts when they are all at your fingertips.

Rebekah said...

so pretty and organized! I definitely think you need some more pink fabric :)

Anonymous said...

Please tell us you're "normal" ie your stash must get messy at time. Right? (LOL)

Karen said...

Oh, I LOVE your stash! It is very neat for one thing and the colors are fantastic.

My stash is not quite as neat, but I do know where to find things there. Recently, I purchased 3 light wood bread baskets and have stored mostly fat quarters in them. They are on wood shelves in my sewing room where I see them every day. When I find just the right larger baskets for the larger stash, I'll have them out on the shelves too. Lots to do!

Billye said...

Wow! I don't believe I've ever seen such a neatly arranged stash. I'm embarrassed about mine now!

Billye

sammyjo said...

O.....M............G! im so totally jealous! lol Very nice stash

Marion said...

Hello,

wonderful fabrics, I love the colours.

Greetings,

Marion

Molly said...

Please tell that your stash sometimes gets messy. I think I need to go clean mine up now!

Anna Willett said...

i think i am in love with your stash. are they all cut to a certain size, or have you just folded them to a uniform size. i am just curious... i think they are beautiful. i think i have a problem. lol

kat | Taylor Made designs said...

what an awesome stash :)
I love how organized you are.
It's inspiring.

Tonje said...

Yummy... what can I say... great stash!

Liz said...

Wow, what great looking fabrics. My stash is seriously pathetic.

cathleen said...

Beautifully organized and very, very luscious to stare at. Thanks for showing it.

Cheryl Arkison said...

You are far too organized for a quilting mom! I'm jealous.

Anonymous said...

your stash is tiny for someone who makes as many quilts as you do! well done...

Annieofbluegables said...

I am so impressed with Busy Bee Amanda Jean. You are such a talented and amazing lady. What you do in three days (I had to show my husband an example of one week on your blog) just amazes me. I would be proud to do in three months. I hang my head in shame. You are so inspiring. Love your blog. Such fun! Such inspiration!

xxoo
~a

Renee said...

wow! Yet another stash to make me very jealous!!!

Suzanne said...

All I can say is WOW!

Anonymous said...

What a great stash you have there!
Millie

Regi said...

wow... very nice! My stash is very small and not nearly as well organized.

Amber said...

I just found your blog, and I have spent the last 45 minutes browsing with my mouth wide open in awe. You do such beautiful work. I've been wanting to learn how to quilt, but it has always seemed like a very involved and difficult process. After reading through your quilt-a-long and the other tutorials you've written, I'm motivated and inspired to start.

One question. When you buy your fabric, do you always have a predetermined purpose for it or do you just buy pieces that you like and figure you'll eventually use it? I'd really like to know, because I do not have very much fabric collected yet, atleast nothing that I would quilt with. How much (as far as length goes) do you typically buy if the fabric does not have a predetermined purpose?

Oh, and I love the free motion quilting. It adds so much to the finished quilt!

Love, Love, Love your blog! I'm adding you to my blog list!

knit to unwind said...

I am in awe - at the lovely lovely quilts you sewn, the speed you finish them and at the same time maintain such nest stack of stash. What you achieve in one week will most probably take me 3 months to attempt. Thanks for sharing all the goodies with us.

LN
Singapore

Toby E. said...

I too am jealous! I have the same drawers and my measely bit doesn't fit. Seeing your's now makes me realize I just need to do some refolding and I'll probably become depressed with how much space I have and will need to run and buy more!

Anonymous said...

wow! organized!

Anina said...

So pretty and so very neat!

Anonymous said...

WOW! I wanna have a stash like that! Great organization!

Amanda Jean said...

amber,

I rarely buy fabric for a predetermined purpose. usually just backing and binding. otherwise i work from my stash almost exclusively. each quilter has a different system, I am sure.

I like to buy 1/2 yards or fat quarters. I used to buy a yard at a time, but now I rarely do that unless I LOVE the fabric or unless it's a very good deal.

I hope that helps!

aj

Amanda Jean said...

candace,

I believe that my storage cart is made by sterilite. it has wheels on the bottom and 3 large plastic drawers. it's by far the best storage solution for my fabric that i have used to date.

aj

Anonymous said...

Ooo! Pretty!

Anonymous said...

So organized! Those are beautiful pictures. Just discovered your blog from Don't Call Me Becky - glad I did!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful! Fat quarters make me happy in my heart.

sulu-design said...

Beautiful and organized... but of course!

Philigry said...

oh so dreamy!

Nanette Merrill said...

It feels so good when my fabric is all stacked and my sewing room tidy. It is a stimulating feeling to make me want to make something fun.

CherryBlossomMJ said...

so organized!

cherryblossommj.blogspot.com

Clair said...

Too bad I wasn't there to play fabric.
Maybe you should bring your purples this weekend and we could get going on that quilt.
I'll show you my fabric additions from Perham too.

Elizabeth said...

i am inspired to clean mine up . . . must find some containers . . . we'll see what happens . . .

house on hill road said...

oh my. that is so nice and neat.

Roxanne said...

It all looks so pretty folded and organized! I love to play with fabric and fold it like this. Makes me want to shrink my stash so it's not so overwhelming.