Fabric Moratorium 2024
07-12-2024, 06:18 PM
#171
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Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 641
Hi QuiltingPandaBear - you definitely belong here!!! Welcome! :-)
It sounds like you've got a great idea to start your Fabric Moratorium journey with, and don't worry - we don't judge! We're here for the companionship, support and encouragement as well as for the destashing adventures so please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas as you start down this path - I'm sure many of us will be able to relate. :-)
It sounds like you've got a great idea to start your Fabric Moratorium journey with, and don't worry - we don't judge! We're here for the companionship, support and encouragement as well as for the destashing adventures so please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas as you start down this path - I'm sure many of us will be able to relate. :-)
Hi everyone! I didn’t join this challenge officially, because I felt like I didn’t stand a chance at sticking to it. Now I’m rethinking my approach. Maybe if I am trying to buy no fabric, I’ll at least buy less? I now have a significant stash and a huge project list- probably a couple years worth at the rate I work. Each new purchase I’ve made has been for a new project, and so the list grew. I’m going to refrain from buying anything intended to support a project that’s not already on my list, and do my best to complete projects from stash (realistically I’ll occasionally need to buy backing/batting or a coordinating fabric if I run out).
All my fabric purchases are online and usually made when I want to be quilting but am too tired. So I’m kicking off my moratorium by staying off fabric sales sites. If I don’t need fabric, I don’t need to be casually browsing fabric sites.
All my fabric purchases are online and usually made when I want to be quilting but am too tired. So I’m kicking off my moratorium by staying off fabric sales sites. If I don’t need fabric, I don’t need to be casually browsing fabric sites.
07-12-2024, 06:21 PM
#172
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Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 641
Buckeye quilter, It's so hard to resist a good deal! What is also good is that you're obviously working on using up some of the fabric in your sewing room, new or not, so just keep doing that! There are no official papers you have to sign and casual moratorium members are great to have around - I'm sure you have ideas to share!
It's probably a good thing I did not officially join this challenge. I have been SO BAD!! There's just been so many good deals thrown in my direction....I just had to take advantage of them. Oh well, my sewing room is not overflowing, yet. I'm newly retired and I'm sewing as fast as I can. I'll heed all your advice and try to keep a lid on my spending!
07-12-2024, 06:35 PM
#173
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Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 641
I've been away from the board for a couple of weeks now and am just realizing how far behind I've fallen - thanks to all of you who have been keeping things active around here!
Rff1010 - way to go for getting something done in spite of being stalled. Sometimes it's a good thing to allow the stall to turn into a break if it becomes something that is stressing you out. I love the idea of the BWG+colour quilt - I have picked up quite a few black/white black/tan fabric scraps since I got back into quilting and that might be a good way to use them up. I'll keep it in mind.
WMU - great finish and congratulations for managing to evade the squirrel attacks to get it done! There seems to be a serious squirrel population in my neck of the woods, too... ;-)
Momo - glad to have you here and congratulations/sorry about your recent acquisition - this must be difficult for you on several levels but it sounds like you've made a good start at getting a handle on it. I believe someone else mentioned Project Linus, but there are other charities around as well who would probably be grateful to receive some of the bounty. I'm not affiliated with them, but Quilts for Survivors has recently put out a call for backings and bindings - I'm not sure where you are located (edit: went back and checked and Alabama is definitely not very close to Ontario, Canada!) so sending the fabric to them might not be an option, but perhaps a local guild could guide you to a local charity with similar needs? Hopefully you are soon able to reclaim your space.
Rff1010 - way to go for getting something done in spite of being stalled. Sometimes it's a good thing to allow the stall to turn into a break if it becomes something that is stressing you out. I love the idea of the BWG+colour quilt - I have picked up quite a few black/white black/tan fabric scraps since I got back into quilting and that might be a good way to use them up. I'll keep it in mind.
WMU - great finish and congratulations for managing to evade the squirrel attacks to get it done! There seems to be a serious squirrel population in my neck of the woods, too... ;-)
Momo - glad to have you here and congratulations/sorry about your recent acquisition - this must be difficult for you on several levels but it sounds like you've made a good start at getting a handle on it. I believe someone else mentioned Project Linus, but there are other charities around as well who would probably be grateful to receive some of the bounty. I'm not affiliated with them, but Quilts for Survivors has recently put out a call for backings and bindings - I'm not sure where you are located (edit: went back and checked and Alabama is definitely not very close to Ontario, Canada!) so sending the fabric to them might not be an option, but perhaps a local guild could guide you to a local charity with similar needs? Hopefully you are soon able to reclaim your space.
Last edited by Gemm; 07-12-2024 at 06:39 PM.
08-07-2024, 10:08 AM
#174
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Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 641
Wow - how quickly a month goes by! Hope the silence on the thread means you're all eye-deep in stash material that is getting used up in beautiful creations!
It's been a busy month for me - lots going on including a visit from family I haven't seen in over 20 years. Part of my goal for this was to send a couple of quilts back with the family for my goddaughter's new baby - one to celebrate her birth and one for her first Christmas/Birthday (she's a December baby). It was close, but I got them both done. Other than a somewhat naughty acquisition of some coral-coloured inspiration fabric (from the free table at a guild meeting) and needing to buy some WOW backing for the heart because the piece from my stash that I had planned to use was stained (love discovering things like that when you are ready to work on a Saturday night :-P), the rest came from my stash. I'm calling it a win!
I don't know how much of my stash fabric is going to get used up in the next little bit - I've signed up for a PHD (projects half-done) challenge/support group with the guild and am going to try to get a couple of my UFOs out of storage and into circulation (for those of you who also have more UFOs than you care to admit to, there is also a thread for that on QB!). Most of my tops end up getting put away with backing and binding ready to go (the actual quilting is usually where I falter) so I probably won't even be able to reduce stash by making fun backings. However, I do also have boxes of curated fabric collections (mostly around a colour scheme) ready to go for new stash-busting projects, so perhaps if the quilting flu hits again I will allow myself to sneak some more piecing in there somewhere. :-)
If you've been busy using up stash, I know I'm not the only one who would love to hear about and see what you've done! :-)
It's been a busy month for me - lots going on including a visit from family I haven't seen in over 20 years. Part of my goal for this was to send a couple of quilts back with the family for my goddaughter's new baby - one to celebrate her birth and one for her first Christmas/Birthday (she's a December baby). It was close, but I got them both done. Other than a somewhat naughty acquisition of some coral-coloured inspiration fabric (from the free table at a guild meeting) and needing to buy some WOW backing for the heart because the piece from my stash that I had planned to use was stained (love discovering things like that when you are ready to work on a Saturday night :-P), the rest came from my stash. I'm calling it a win!
I don't know how much of my stash fabric is going to get used up in the next little bit - I've signed up for a PHD (projects half-done) challenge/support group with the guild and am going to try to get a couple of my UFOs out of storage and into circulation (for those of you who also have more UFOs than you care to admit to, there is also a thread for that on QB!). Most of my tops end up getting put away with backing and binding ready to go (the actual quilting is usually where I falter) so I probably won't even be able to reduce stash by making fun backings. However, I do also have boxes of curated fabric collections (mostly around a colour scheme) ready to go for new stash-busting projects, so perhaps if the quilting flu hits again I will allow myself to sneak some more piecing in there somewhere. :-)
If you've been busy using up stash, I know I'm not the only one who would love to hear about and see what you've done! :-)
08-07-2024, 01:38 PM
#175
Member
Join Date: Dec 2023
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 45
I started a new project (maybe it seems counterintuitive as I’m also on the UFO challenge thread) but I really felt the need to have something smaller going on where I could feel and see progress. I have about a dozen UFOs but they are large.
I decided as a Christmas gift to make my MIL a set of quilted wall decorations she could swap out. She lives in a retirement community and one of her great joys is re decorating the little table and wall outside her front door regularly. I bought a flag hanger that can hold up to 13” width and have been collecting and drafting patterns for 12-13” hangings. I am trying to keep these generally simple, as simple as a framed 12” quilt block. They will be made entirely from stash, will go together pretty quickly, work as palate cleansers when my current projects are stale or stuck,
I started the first one yesterday and it’s a scrappy heart: a great way to destash some pink (not a color I favor but I have a lot of it). I may also piece some pink and purple for the backing to use it up!
I decided as a Christmas gift to make my MIL a set of quilted wall decorations she could swap out. She lives in a retirement community and one of her great joys is re decorating the little table and wall outside her front door regularly. I bought a flag hanger that can hold up to 13” width and have been collecting and drafting patterns for 12-13” hangings. I am trying to keep these generally simple, as simple as a framed 12” quilt block. They will be made entirely from stash, will go together pretty quickly, work as palate cleansers when my current projects are stale or stuck,
I started the first one yesterday and it’s a scrappy heart: a great way to destash some pink (not a color I favor but I have a lot of it). I may also piece some pink and purple for the backing to use it up!
08-08-2024, 06:20 AM
#176
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 641
QuiltingPandaBear, that's lovely (both the hanging and the gift idea)! I also appreciate your describing these small projects as "palate cleansers" - that's exactly what I need right now, and you've got me excited to find a little project to work on before I tackle one of the more intimidating ones. Thanks! :-)
08-10-2024, 03:40 AM
#177
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Posts: 2,076
small projects as "palate cleansers"
You hit the nail on the head. After finishing a massive project, that is just how I feel. I started cutting pot holders from the backing that I trimmed off!
You hit the nail on the head. After finishing a massive project, that is just how I feel. I started cutting pot holders from the backing that I trimmed off!
08-11-2024, 06:25 AM
#178
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,271
I've been neglecting this thread all year; I got involved (as always) with the Bonnie Hunter winter mystery, which I can never justify calling a stash project, since I always end up buying fabric for that (although this year, I did use up every bit of brighter red I had in the house and a good bit of navy). I am still working on that project and nowhere near done, as I had many health-related road blocks that have slowed me down.
I did get involved with two other sew alongs at the beginning of the year (the Bear Creek Friendship mystery and the Andover designers Made and Found BOW), and am thrilled with the amount of stash I've used for those.
I've been slipping a little as far as not buying fabric, so I thought I'd better start stopping in here regularly again, to bolster my resolve!
I did get involved with two other sew alongs at the beginning of the year (the Bear Creek Friendship mystery and the Andover designers Made and Found BOW), and am thrilled with the amount of stash I've used for those.
I've been slipping a little as far as not buying fabric, so I thought I'd better start stopping in here regularly again, to bolster my resolve!
08-11-2024, 10:40 AM
#179
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Oro Valley, AZ
Posts: 4,233
I can say that so far this year, I have used more stash than what I have brought in, althought not by very much when I tally it all up. Anyway, I'm working on my 3rd UFO and that will be more stash out, including backing fabric.
joe'smom, I'm also still plugging along on Bonnie's Indigo Way mystery and no where near the finish line.
joe'smom, I'm also still plugging along on Bonnie's Indigo Way mystery and no where near the finish line.
08-11-2024, 04:16 PM
#180
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 7,880
I have lost just short of 50 yards of fabric this 2024 sewing year. A little here a little there, but mostly from donation quilts. I have three WIP that should move my numbers up.. Last year I hit 100 yards out the door and honestly I did have to purchase a wide wide back cut, and a bolt of white on white, both on sale. My stash of WoW is nearly gone and I use it a lot.
