1. Do you belong to a guild? Is there someone in the guild that makes quilts for charity? That would be my first place to give fabric.
2. If you don't belong to a guild, is there an active Project Linus group or church group that sews for charity? My mom belongs to a Linus group in the Phoenix area and they have lots of fabric donated. Mom gets some of it & then adds from her stash to make quilts and donate back.

Just a couple of ideas. Good luck with reducing your stash!
Sue

I would eliminate by color. I tend to have lots in colors I would be unlikely to use. Once you trim out some of the colors, go with the idea Sue mentioned. Our guild takes all the fabric we don't want and uses it for children's charity quilts.

Quilts for kids accepts fabric as well. At our Guild, there is a table this year with fabric for making the Quilt for Kids Quilts. I took 2 pieces, because I do not have a stash to speak of - and the lady convinced me there is no deadline. (I hope to get it made in the new year).
Teresa_nc reduced some of her stash recently - hopefully she will see this and add some pointers and moral support.

I will add that I have been a sewer for 45 years, and I had boxes upon boxes of fabric - decorator, wool, polyester double knits, on and on - I moved these beloved boxes of fabric ( and trims, patterns, notions) thru multiple house moves. About 5 years ago, I got rid of all of it - donated it all to Salvation Army - it was liberating - that is why I do not have much of a stash now, and hope never to have as much as I had before.

I make up large ziplock bags - 2 gallon size, of scraps. I label the bag "100% quilting cottons", and Goodwill is always delighted to have them.

My life is too short to babysit every single possibly usable scrap! I don't have the storage space, and I don't applique. If the scrap isn't at least 3" x 6", it gets tossed into a bag for Goodwill or into the trash.

Last year I put out about 12 yards of various fat quarters, other long quarters, scraps - and they were all things I really didn't want to use! I posted on my neighborhood email list, and they were all gone in an afternoon.

I felt such freedom - I didn't have to use them! None were really ugly, but none of them were to my taste, either.

Back when we heard about the North Dakota quilters who lost all their stash in the floods, I packaged up a big box of fabric for them. I was going to send it to the quilter who gave us the updates, but I never received a reply to the email I sent to her so I still have the box sitting in my sewing room.

Maybe you can even check with a local quilting store to see if they know someone who makes donation quilts. Our Goodwill often receives bags of quilting fabric and it gets snatched up quickly, especially if it's marked "Quilting fabric" so people know it's likely to be all cottons.

Kate

I thought of the same thing, find a guild or church which has links to charity quilting projects, or, check with retirement/nursing homes in the area and ask whether they have an activities person who could offer them to guests who might like to quilt or take it up. Many of these people have very limited financial means and can't easily go out to get fabric and I'll bet they would be very grateful for them.

We have "free table" at our guild meetings each month. Items that are left after the meeting are taken to a charity that can use it.
Linda OH

Kate, Please send her another email....use her forum mail if you want. She had to go to New York for a family emergency for a few weeks. I sent mine to the address I sent to you and it was received.

SharonG/FL (now in TN)

Thanks Sharon! I'll send itnow that I know its the right address.

Jayne - I'm not sure what to tell you. I too was saving every piece of fabric I'd ever acquired, but realized that I had no interest in doing other kinds of sewing anymore other than quilting. So I went through my stash and got rid of all the fabrics I would not use in quilting. I know some other seamstresses who would use certain types so the home decor fabric went to one -etc. The rest was donated to a local thrift shop. There is only one piece that I wish I had not gotten rid off (because I thought of a project I could have used it in!) but it was freeing to get rid of the rest. I also look regularly at craigslist - you could possibly sell what you decide to take out of your stash.
Karlene

I appreciate the input that everyone has given. I have gotten rid of most of my "sewing" fabric except for my heirloom sewing materials and what is left can be used for quilting. I am working on giving some things away eg. orphan blocks but everytime I try to reduce the fabric I think about scrappy quilts and get lost and start something new. I don't belong to a guild and not aware of a good will. Would like to see it used not discared.

Jayne, Think about putting your same size orphans in a D9P like Sue did her I Spy from Camp Cheerio. I really like that concept.

SharonG/FL-TN

Here is a link that might be useful: Sue's I Spy

I'm also trying to get my stash under control!! I don't have a guild either, but I have plenty of places to donate quilts.
Rosa

Sharon - how would you use the orphan blocks in the I spy D9P? Would you cut them up and use a solid like Sue? Would this make a cheater's crumb block?

Jayne - there is a Salvation Army store in downtown Canandaigua and a VOA (Veterans of America) over on 5/20 - both would take donations. (I stop at them to look for fabric whenever I am in Canandaigua!)
Karlene

Oops, sorry, didn't see your post from Nov, Marsha. Put the orphans in the 4 corners and the same TOT or solid fabric in the other 5 spots of the 9-patch that will be sliced. When I was looking for my landscape, I came across some square in a square blocks of florals squared with assorted green fabric....must have won them at one point in time. Was thinking about using a deep yellow in the 5 spots. Need to check that out. Here I go again........ @:)

SharonG/FL

Thanks Sharon! I would have asked you again if I ever got to the point of using the orphans ~lol.