Fantastic fabric

I've finally sorted out my fabric stash - well, when I say sorted, I suppose I mean got it all out and had a look through it then put it all back roughly where it was in the first place.  It's frightening how much I've accumulated.

It mainly comprised of two suitcase full of remnants of fabric which  inherited from my parents and various relatives along the way.  They are stuffed with old curtains, nets, scraps of cloth, half-made clothing and some fabrics which I've no idea what they could have been intended for!  There are bags of scraps too which are a treasure trove for things I'm making which have appliqué motifs on them.

I also buy things from charity shops - the worn duvet cover, the stained tablecloth, the lonely pillowcases.  I also love to re-purpose the clothing casualties!  Turning the singed checked shirt into an apron; or shirts with worn collars and ink stains into bunting flags.  I'm about to start a Memory Quilt for my son who starts school in January.  I want to keep hold of some of the t-shirts from his toddler years and make him something he can cherish for a while longer.

My approach to using fabric is 'waste-not-want-not'.  As I'm using rare vintage fabric or a fantastic unique pattern, I want to make sure I squeeze as much out of it as possible, as it's very unlikely that I'd find it again.  I make sure I cut my patterns out as economically as possible.  Any scraps are kept (even the tiny ones)!  The larger sized pieces are re-cut and used for appliqué motifs; the small, thin strips are made into rosettes, awkward scraps are made into Curiositea labels, and the rest is used as stuffing.  I love the fabrics I use and love creating things with them which can be enjoyed by others.