De Stash and Fabric Fast

I admit it. I am on of "them". A fabriholic.  We buy even tho we don't need, but it is on sale or it is the one we have been wanting or we know we will use it soon, or my personal downfall... "I have a 50% off coupon!"... and the list of reasons goes on! And once home, we diligently search for space for our "stash". And the stash is not only in fabric purchases, it is also in fabric scraps that we have been collecting from our projects. Just bits and pieces of all shapes and sizes, tossed into a container to "save for later" when we use the scraps to make something else.  Yes, it is a very good way to organize things... save money buying on sale, save money buying for the future, and save scraps to make more quilts!  But like everything, we have to ask...when is enough enough?
When is it to much? I know it would really make me aggrivated to one day go through all my fabric stash, choose fabrics, make the quilt and then in all the piles and stacks, find a fabric and the first thing I say is "Oh, man! I wish I'd seen this print when I was making that quilt! This would have been perfect!"  Talk about ruining a day or the feeling of satisfaction from finishing a quilt!

But it is so much fun  buying new fabrics and prints! And since prints come and go so fast, you have to grab them while they are out, right? Yes, if you can afford the money and the space you can! But many of us can't..so since I figure I bought all I have now with that same thinking...and there it all still is...just sitting there...making my "stash" grow... I think I have to stop thinking that way! Some of my fabrics are 2 years old! 

I was reading a blog The Joy of the House to Myself and Jo was talking about this same thing. Had to be karma, right? So I am going to join Jo in a De-Stash and Fabric Fast for 6 months! I am going to be playing by her posted rules....with one exception which I will mention at the end.
 
GOALS:

- To use the fabric I already have.

- Finish projects I’ve started without distraction by shifting to other new beautiful fabric.

- Stop buying fabric.

- Save the money I would have spent

FABRIC FAST RULES:

1) No fabric purchases for 6 months beginning January 1, 2014.   (20th January for me!)

2) At 6 months re-evaluate status and decide whether to keep going for full year.  Evaluation July 1, 2014.

3) Create a UFO list and complete them!

4) Exceptions

• 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?There you go, I think it will be great. I have tons of lovely fabric and I’m really excited about using it!

I think I can do this. But one thing I will allow myself to do... There is a rescue mission thrift store here in town. They have pretty decent stuff and I stop in at least once a week to check things out. (Wednesday's are 25% off the entire store day!) They occasionally have fabric or craft things (just bought 2 HUGE bags of lace for $3 each and 7 yards of fabric for $1.99 which I will be using for a quilt for my living room as it is the perfect colors I am working with now!).  I have found some pretty amazing new fabrics there for literally pennies a yard. Some visits, there is nothing and other visits just a piece or two, but I will allow myself to buy from the thrift store should there be anything there. But I will limit myself.. fabric only, no sheets or other pieces that I think I will be able to use for this or that! Fabric only and I will  make myself think.."Do I really like this that much or do I just want it because it is cheap?" There have been times I have bought from here and there it still is in my stash!

So I invite you to join us... we have to look at it this way....if we can use up what we have...we get to buy again!

Thanks for stopping by and...keep on sewing those memories!