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New to Sewing? How to Build a Fabulous Fabric Stash

Admin • October 1, 2019
Sewing is an exciting and satisfying hobby that opens a whole new world of opportunities for constructing your own clothing, creating items for the home, and designing beautiful quilts. You get to create your own one-of-a-kind clothing and home décor items using fabrics you love. The main aspect of sewing projects is fabric, and if you're new to sewing, you need to know how to build and store a fabric stash.
Shopping for Fabric
Ask any seasoned seamstress what the best part of sewing is and they will likely tell you it's shopping for fabric. Only a few things are more exciting for those who love to sew than walking into a fabric store and seeing all fabrics available. When you first learn to sew, keep fabric purchases to a minimum and add to your collection as your sewing skills evolve.

If a lovely fabric catches your eye, be realistic about how you might use the fabric in the future. Being familiar with how much fabric a specific project requires is important for knowing how much to purchase. Many fabrics are only available for a short time, and nothing is more frustrating than finding a pattern you want to make and realizing you only have half the fabric you need.

For fabrics that are 44-45 inches wide, plan on about 2 yards for a skirt, 3 yards for full-length pants, 2-1/4 yards for capris pants, 4 yards for a dress, and about 1-5/8 yards for a short sleeve blouse or shirt.  These yardages are estimates and may vary depending on the type of garment you are making. You should ask for yardage help when at a fabric store to make sure you get the right amount.
Storing Your Fabric
Fabric is durable and will last for years with proper storage. While it may be tempting to display your fabric on open shelves to admire its beauty, this is never a good idea if the room gets a lot of sunlight. Even sunlight filtering through curtains can damage colored fabrics and is especially damaging to the rich colors in fabrics like batiks.

You should also store fabrics in moisture proof containers if you live in a home where the humidity level is high. Containers will also protect the fabric from dust. See-through containers make locating fabrics easier but will need to be kept out of direct sunlight.
Keeping Track of Your Fabric
As your fabric collection grows, you may struggle to remember what fabric you have. Purchase a small notebook and divide it into sections by color and fabric type. When you purchase fabric, list the yardage, date of purchase, and staple a small piece of the fabric in your notebook. 

You should also list the fabric manufacturer and name of the fabric. You may not be able to purchase additional fabric if you find you're short on yardage for a project, but having this key information available may be helpful.
Having Fun With Fabric 
If you can't resist purchasing a pretty fabric that catches your eye, but you aren't' sure how you will use it, consider buying just 1/2 yard. This is a fun way to build a stash of fabrics you can't resist without spending a lot of money at once. These small amounts of fabrics can later be used for a quilt or small craft project. You should balance your budget with enjoying the fun fabric can bring.

Whether your next sewing project is a stunning dress or a new set of curtains to dress up your kitchen, a variety of fabrics makes it easy to get started when inspiration strikes. For a great variety of quality fabrics, stop by Foam & Fabrics Outlet and start building or adding to your fabulous fabric stash today.
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