Tips for Building Your Fabric Stash

If you sew regularly, you’ll want to build a stash of fabric – and if you love fabric as much as we all do, it’s not hard to do.  However, a little bit of planning when it comes to your stash is also a good way to save money in your fabric budget.

• Choose some basic fabrics and notions as staples. Medium weight fusible interfacing always comes in handy; it is the most used weight. Neutral color lining fabric is great if you line many items.

• Choose fabrics you love, even when you don’t have a particular project in mind. Three yards will make a simple jacket, or more than one skirt, or a pair of pants and perhaps a vest. A yard can make two 12” square pillows.

• If you do have a particular pattern in mind, store the fabric and the pattern together for easy reference. A large zip lock bag is a good way to store fabric, notions, and pattern together.

• Keep a supply of all purpose thread in neutral colors, plus the main colors in your stash.

• Neutral color zippers and buttons will also come in handy. Long zippers can be shortened if needed. If you will be making fitting slopers you should also keep a supply of muslin.