The Great Fabric Refresh: Turning Leftovers into New Inspiration

As the year winds down and the holiday buzz begins, it’s the perfect time to take a fresh look around your shop. Before new collections start arriving, use this season for a little end-of-year refresh—a chance to clear space, spark creativity, and inspire your customers with new bundles made from what’s already in your inventory.

Step 1: Reimagine Your Shelves

Pull out bolts, precuts, and fat quarters that have lingered a little too long. Often, it’s not that the fabric isn’t beautiful—it just needs a new story. Try mixing batiks with cottons to add texture, or give basics a fresh life by pairing them with statement prints. Sometimes, a simple color shift or unexpected combination can transform a slow mover into a showstopper.

Get started today:

• Walk your shop floor and pull 10 fabrics that haven’t sold in a while.
• Group them into small, color-coordinated bundles or texture-based sets.
• Give each bundle a name that makes it feel intentional and exciting—something like “Morning Frost” or “Cabin Glow.”

Step 2: Give It a Stage

Once your bundles are made, spotlight them! A dedicated “Fresh Finds” table near your register or a featured display in your window can draw attention. These don’t have to be sale items—just newly reimagined favorites. Present them as limited edition to create buzz and help customers see them in a new light.

Pro tip: Photograph each bundle for social media and add them to your online shop. Even a simple “new in the shop” caption can catch a customer’s eye—especially when you highlight the texture or color stories behind your mix.

Step 3: Make It a Habit

This kind of creative refresh doesn’t have to happen just once a year. Building it into your quarterly routine helps keep your store feeling new and dynamic all year long. Encourage your team to think like designers—pulling fabrics, mixing textures, and experimenting with color. You’ll move fabric faster, inspire your customers, and keep your displays fresh without ordering anything new.

Your shelves are full of potential. With a little creative reimagining, you can turn what you have into something new, keep your displays fresh, and set the stage for all the gorgeous new fabrics headed your way next year.

Jessica Taylor, one of our Internal Account Executives, put this custom bundle together mixing designer cottons, basics, and batiks:

Ink & Nectar BT23604-523
POParazzi C805 Cream
Shades C200 Cream
Stripe C495 Mustard
Ink & Nectar BT23601-253
Shades C200 Honey
Confetti Cotton C120 Honey
Ink & Nectar BT23602-714
Confetti Cotton C120 Seaglass
Ink & Nectar BT23600-282
Confetti Cotton C120 Alpine
Dapple Dot C640 Lodge Pole

Industry Insight

Jessica Taylor: Internal Account Executive & former online quilt shop owner

“One of my favorite things to see when I visit shops is how creative owners can be with what’s already on their shelves. I’ve walked into stores where the same fabrics that had been sitting untouched for months suddenly became top sellers after being bundled into something new. It’s all about perspective—when customers see fabric in a fresh mix or color story, it changes how they imagine using it.

Think of this process as an ongoing design challenge, not just an inventory task. Mixing batiks and cottons, pairing basics with bold prints, or reworking older collections can completely transform your shop’s energy. It shows your customers that you’re always curating, always creating, and that inspiration can come from anywhere—even your own shelves.”