How long would your stash last?

Main stash.

The stash can be a quilter's deepest, darkest secret. A couple of responders to my last post indicated that if they never bought fabric again, they wouldn't run out before they died. Whether it was said tongue-in-cheek or not, it got me thinking. My Mom is 81 and still quilting. If I follow her lead, I have almost 30 years yet to go. I really don't think my stash would make it that long.

Neutrals, a
few backings,
and some craft
(not quilt)
fabrics.

How about you? If you kept quilting at your current rate, never bought another piece of fabric, and lived an average lifespan, would you run out?

10 of the large bins and 6 small hold collections, scraps being
cut up, projects that are currently on hiatus, etc.

Above and below you see what I have--modest by many standards, and not very organized.                                                                                                             

These drawers hold my holiday fabrics and a
few current projects.

Scraps sorted by color. I am just starting to get things cut to
use in the "scrap savers system."

How does it stack up to your stash? Do you have twice as much, three times... ten times? Or can you not admit in public?

My "scrap bag" 9-patches are in the flimsy stage now...

... and the irregular 9-patches are shrinking into a very small quilt top. I have to cut them down to 3" unfinished to accommodate the smallest of them, and that means that the largest of them are going to have a center that is much larger than the corner blocks. I place a section of them onto a design board,    

I take the board to my sewing table where I square up the 9-patches and sew it all up.  





Then I place that section back on the design wall and load a board again. See how much it shrinks?

I finally got the brown border off of the tree of life. I'm not sure what kind of a border to use (I have to use something to make the center fit with the Ocean Waves blocks), so I am playing around with possibilities. The HST below are one of many options, but I don't think it will be my final choice. Any suggestions?                                                                                                                                        

Never found the matching corner fabric. I found something similar, but now I need to make the other four blocks and see if I am happy with that look--8 of the blocks have large triangles in one fabric and the last four are in a different fabric. I just am not sure if this quilt has enough of a "scrappy" look to get away with that. We'll see.

I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying the photos on other blogs of the Sisters, Oregon quilt show. Thanks to all who have shared the joy!!

Until next time, from the little mountain valley where the sagebrush grows,

Janet O.