Friday, January 2, 2015

Mission Possible: Bust the Stash 2015

Around the middle of October of 2014 I literally spent hours looking for a particular piece of fabric that I knew I had. HOURS. Eventually I found it but by that time was so frustrated I didn't even want to sew the project that had started the search. I sat down to think about things and remembered how I had started 2014 with the intention of getting rid of my stash and being able to refresh (translate: buy) new fabric at the end of the year but only for the project it was immediately intended for.  Frankly I had made little progress. Worse than no progress on the stashbusting, I had added to it!

But how did that happen? I thought back and could only think of three times when I had purposely purchased fabric for a "right now" project. The rest had been impulse buys. All those pretties in the Hawthorne Threads newsletter, Instagram is the enemy when you are following Art Gallery Fabrics, Fat Quarter Shop or the like, Mood Fabrics (dang them for their beautiful designer fabric deals), the mounds of vintage fabric at our local Antique Mall, the Craigslist ads, the resale store, the blah, blah, blah. Then the facebook (fb) flashback.

In the middle of last year when I was suppose to be busting not buying I was pretty active in a fb group where people post their fabric for sale. When I say active, I don't mean I was selling. I bought over $250 of fabric that I did not need or research the details of very well and truthfully will have a hard time finding a way to use it. It is not fabric that I would ever ever buy from a fabric store if I could see and touch it! And I paid way too much per yard...more than I could have at say JoAnn's with a good coupon.  People, heed my warning: when you are buying fabric on fb from sketchy individuals across the country from you, you just might have a problem. 

Oh... I was so low... down and out about my sewing; facing all these facts about my stash habit but out of it all realized something important. A huge fabric stash has been a real negative for me and actually kills my creativity and my desire to sew.

And I think I know why....

Stash reminds me of projects I intended to do but never did start;

Stash is money I spent for no immediate return;

Stash falls out of fashion especially in the quilting world where daily new lines of fabric are being introduced by a multitude of fabric companies;

Stash can't really be used for the type of sewing I like to do, i.e. huge floral prints from the 80's don't look so good on 5'2" middle aged women;

Stash makes choosing a good fabric for the project more difficult for me. There are too many options or possibilities. What if it doesn't look good when I'm done and then it is.....horror......wasted? This one is almost paralyzing at times because by nature I am a perfectionist. For me, the stash facilitates my tendency to procrastinate because "what if I get it wrong"?

Just looking at my stash became unpleasant. So I determined at the moment that from then, the middle of October until December 2015, I was going to sew, sell, give or donate my stash with the exception of some select pieces of high quality wools, silks and flannels if they had not been used. 

I boxed up all the fabric in my sewing room except for the fabric I would be using in the next several weeks. I sighed up for a craft show and sewed over 20 yards preparing for the show. I made a boatload of small Christmas gifts and gave them to pretty much anyone I knew. I just spent a lot of time sewing, some of which turned out awful, but by the end of December I had sewn through almost 40 yards!

Guess what? I can't even tell the difference. S-E-R-I-O-U-S. Did not put a dent in things, but that is okay. It will happen. Just like it took 20 plus years to get here, it will take some time to get out. Yesterday, I combined some totes and actually have an empty one. 40 plus large totes to go but...IT WILL GO.

Next week sees the launch of the Stashbusting 2015 group on fb. This will ultimately be a closed group but right now anyone who commits to Bustin' the Stash can join through the end of January and possibly beyond dependin'.  If it sounds a little like a support group, well, I suppose it is. There will be themes and bustin' counts and good folks. In February, here on this blog, I host the theme which will be announced soon.

It is a delight for me to a part of Stashbusting 2015 and I hope you join us (if you feel the need to...)

xoxo








6 comments:

  1. I've been on a fabric diet for a couple of years now, and it's been great to use up what I have instead of buying more fabric. I've also donated a whole bunch of fabric I know I'll never use to Project Linus so they can make quilts for kids in need. :0)

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  2. I really really enjoyed your post. I've joined the FB group and am slowly sewing through my stash. I am impressed (amazed) that your stash is that big!!! Where do you keep it all? I had to literally hide mine when my mom came to visit in Dec because I just didn't want to hear her comments (why do you have so much? what are you going to do with it all? etc....) I filled up a zippered plastic bag like the ones that comforters come in but a long one. We have a boat and the boat cover came in it, it's probably 6-7ft long. I also have 6 plastic bins and one large multi drawer filing cabinet filled with fabric. I have vowed to not buy any more and use what I have. Thanks for helping me see the light!!!
    https://seesandrasewing.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you Sandra. I look forward to getting to know you over in our Stashbusting group!

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  3. really nice post...
    click it...: http://www.weaveron.com/

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  4. Wonderful post. I found another fabric store which is Broadway Fabrics.

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