A new fabric fast has been popping up on a few of the blogs I follow. And because I’m a) a glutton for punishment, b) determined to use stash, and c) determined to save money, I’m hopping on board. I’ve added the button to the right side of my blog – feel free to join us if you’d like to challenge yourself to slimming down your stash.
I know I need to be better about refraining… It’s the holiday season, and due to unforeseen circumstances at work, I’ll be taking home a little less every paycheck until certain things get ironed out. Taking part in this fabric fast means that I won’t be indulging in my usual tax refund splurge for fabric, but that’s honestly a good thing.
I’m running out of space to store fabric.
And that’s not a good thing.
I live in a two bedroom apartment with my husband, son and two cats. My fabric stash cannot exceed certain limits, or things get messy and chaotic faster than I like, and tend to stay that way.
So, the rules of the fast are as follows, as posted at The Eleven Garden:
- Backing: purchasing a backing to finish a quilt top is permissible. However, attempting to use fabric in your possession for a backing is preferable.
- Books and Magazine purchases are allowed as they are not fabric. Notions acceptable too.
- Swap Mama Fabric: if hosting a swap you are permitted to by fabric to execute swap duties, but you may not join a swap simply for the sake of being able to buy fabric!
- Quilts for Publication: if you are making a quilt for a publication and need certain fabric to execute it correctly then that is a major exception – who can blame you?
Ok I am almost in!
I will not buy fabric for six months after January 26th (that will let me go to a huge Quilt Show in So Cal).
I am allowed to buy tonal, I don’t need backing but I really don’t have tone on tone.
Instead of Swap Mama Fabric, I am joining a round robin at my guild and I might need fabric for that.
and I will work on my UFO’s.
It’s a brilliant plan. I also need to cut the stash a bit. I’m almost out of space for more, and most of mine is fat 1/4s – very little yardage. I’ve got a couple of tops finished that need to be backed. I recently purchased a few yards of batting, as I was fresh out. Our local fabric chain store had a $40 off if you spent $100, which is a great discount, so I stocked up on batting, as well as some thread for my new serger.
Making softies is a great way to eat up fat 1/4s, and any yardage can be turned into clothes, whether for oneself, kids or dolls clothes.
I look forward to seeing what you create from the stash. Good luck with getting yourself into a position to get your own place. It is a good feeling. 🙂
I am so in on this one – I need to decrease my stash big time, it is growing way faster than I can use it.
I think we all have that problem – fabric is just so easy to buy, thinking that the perfect project for it will come along… Then, of course, we forget to shop the stash when it comes time.
I am fasting with you! I know we can do it! Am actually excited about tackling my stash
I’m looking forward to it myself – I bought all of this fabric, so I must have loved it at one point. This is my chance to rediscover that love.