We are one month into our fabric moratorium and it would be great to hear from everyone to find out how you are getting on. What have you been working on? What have you (or have not) purchased? If you have used a variant of the original rules, please share with us your guidelines and your progress.

The original thread can be found here: http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-79756-1.htm

The original rules/guidelines are:
* no fabric purchases to start a new quilt top (till 1 November 2011)

“Allowed” purchases include any item required to finish an existing project (either WIP or UFO), including but not limited to:
* batting
* backing or binding fabric
* fabric (if nothing in your stash will work)
* thread or notions
* fabric purchased on a plan prior to 1 December 2010 (e.g. block of the month)

Some people have chosen a variation of the rules/guidelines to suit their circumstances, e.g. a 3 month moratorium, or commitment to use 1 fabric from their stash each month.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing from you all and seeing your work.

I wish you all a very safe and happy New Year.

I joined QB Dec.19 but haven't bought any fabric.
I have started 2 quilts I need for a samples for a class I'm teaching at the guild in February. It all came out of my stash.
I am also working on finishing 2 WIP's. May have to buy a backing for one of them. Don't know yet. Depends on it's finished size and what I can find in my stash.
I do have some batting so may not have to buy any.
Happy New Year everyone.

I feel like a seinfeld episode! I'm out....................but back in again! OOPs, I bought 3 fat quarters froma fellow board member before I remembered my vow. Does it count that it's not "new" fabric?

Do I qualify? I NEVER purchase fabric to start a new quilt top. I purchase fabric to add to and upgrade my "fabric collection" and I will continue to do so. If it gets used in a quilt someday so much the better, but that isn't necessary or required. I'm going to India next week for work and I plan to shop, shop, shop for fabric! Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack your message board, but I just couldn't help it.

I'm doing OK - more or less. Bought some fabric cause I didn't have anything in my stash that would work with a project. But while getting that I found the perfect match, just what I've been looking for, the missing link for another collection I have. And it was all 50% off. So am I in or out? :)

I also started two new projects from my stash.

cant join santa gave me money for fabric

Ok I must confess! :(

I purchased some flannel from QB member here (and it's wonderful flannel :) )

Yesterday I purchased 2 small scraps from a charity resale shop for .50.

**BUT**
I've been in and out of Joann's at least 3 times -
Looked - Touched - AND DID NOT BUY

Sooooo....my 'treatment' is working! :) :) :)

Besides 'funds' are really really really diminished now for an unknown amount of months :( :( :( and I MUST conserve

I am doing great. The sudden urge to impulse buy buy buy has left me. I still go online and fill my cart with what I love but never purchase it. I revisit my cart often and eliminate things. I did get fabric for christmas and soon will be using it.
When I need fabric I go to my closet stash. If I have the urge I put a closed sign on the closet door. LOL

Am excited to finish all my works in progress....what an accomplishment that will be. Also will try to make some christmas gifts. Just think of the $ we are saving in this bad economy. here is my newest slogan. "BETTER BEST BE SAVING THAN INDULGING IN FABRIC CRAVING" jacqui

LOL I've been doing this shopping basket thing for years on Amazon. Books were my previous impulse-buy target... Not sure I could resist the allure of a well-filled fabric shopping basket just yet. Applauding you, jacqui!!

That said, I have not been tempted to buy or even browse any shops so far. (Don't know what would happen if I started...) Seeing all the topics on here about rising fabric prices, I feel sort of :mrgreen: Plus, it's good for the planet - apparently the cotton industry is a major contributor to our global greenhouse problem.

I felt a bit wistful this morning pulling bedlinen from my washing machine... Don't ask me why, I miss washing new fabrics and adding them to my shelf!

Have been quilting on a quilt, started piecing another when I ran out of quilting thread and had to wait for my order. Finished a knitted throw in the week before Christmas. I still have enough items in progress to last me well into the summer, if not through the year. That should clear enough space on my fabric shelf for storing projects, instead of stuffing them into random half-available spaces throughout my home.

Enough fabric in my stash to make, oh well, two or three (?) dozen more quilts beyond that. Looks like I could well be on the 2012 fabric moratorium as well, lol!

Overall I feel lighter and happier every week. It's like I'd been buying more fabric than was good for my creativity... this feels so gooooood!!

You must be going to QA (quilters anonymous)! I have to join it too. No slipping back now!

Well, I bought one panel of Maxine fabric and that's all I bought in December, except for a new thread snip that I desperately needed. (Think my old one got too close to the trash can and disappeared and trash was gone before I discovered it).I guess thread snips are allowed, so I think I did pretty good. Have a huge stash though so will be working on luggage tags for my son-in-law for a trip to India in late January.

Okay, I posted on the original thread that I would join in as I have a substantial stash. I also said to myself that I would start Jan. 1, 2011. In December I controlled my spending to only sale items, 40-75% off items. I did do some last minute shopping at the LQS on Dec. 31st, but again what was on sale. I wanted snowflake material to decoupage on the back of clear plates to display in my kitchen so I can take down the Snowman plates and use them with my Snowman coffee cups. I did find an awesome batik snowflake material by Moda too!! I also signed up for a row by row class, where you get enough batik material for a row of Snowman, Valentines, Bunnies, flags, or whatever each month with the pattern, so that will be the only spending for me next year. It's a good deal! And I signed up for a Hawaiian Applique class where I'm going to use my own Angel snowflake pattern. I'm so looking forward to getting things finished this year, I have my signs up, NEED FABRIC, SHOP AT HOME, my journal to write what I've done ready to go and I'm also going to try to sew at least 15 minutes a day. I'm headed to my room soon to get started!! I'm also going to try to limit my time on the QB, set a timer, but that will probably be the hardest thing to do!!

I haven't bought a single bit of fabric .. I'm doing good and plan on staying good!

whewwww - 2 down - 363 to go! :)

So far so good, but it's been hard. I did take advantage of the Joanns 50% thread sale. I have enough thread now to hold me probably for a couple of years. I am having trouble getting started to sewing again. I organized all my fabric over the holidays so it looks really pretty all folded up in the shelves. Any ideas how to get motivated on a scrap project maybe?

ANNAK - guess you just have to jump in and start for 30-60 minutes. I have a clock radio that has the sleep mode and the radio will play for 60 min and then shut off. It's amazing how quickly 60 mins goes by once you start.

If you don't think you can do 60 minutes - try 15 or 30.

Post your progress on your own thread and we'll watch!

I love the quote on the bottom of your post.
LIFE IS 10% WHAT YOU MAKE IT AND 90% HOW YOU TAKE IT!
it could also read
LIFE IS 10% *WHAT HAPPENS* AND 90% HOW YOU TAKE IT!

Aaaarghhh - I'm having the itch!!!

I'm finding myself on here more than usual, strangely attracted to "The beautiful fabrics I got today..." topics. Thinking of my favorite online shops more than I care to admit. Wandering over to my fabric shelf to double-check and triple-check and quadruple-check... yes indeed, no room for more fabric. Still tons of it. Lovely fabrics. I don't need more. Plenty of projects going, plenty of ideas in my head. Could be so happy. Sighing a lot.... :?

I know I can do this. I like this moratorium. I just want to feel good about it again. Please cheer me up and tell me I can!!!

(And please may I request no "enabling" comments! :) I know how much fun it can be, us goading each other on to go on and buy more. It's just not what I want right now.)

Thanks for being here. Thanks for being in this with me.

I was doing good, until I realized I didn't have the right shade for the background of a quilt I'm making from my stash. So I bought 2 yards, and it's perfect. But, I am also working on another quilt, that is strictly from stash. It really feels good.
Barb

believe me the longing and urges dwindle and seem less important. Think of the savings you are accumulating while others look on. If I had unlimited income I too would not do this moratorium. So stay strong people, look how satisfied we will be. jacqui

Oh I did real good so far. Went to the little quilt store that is going out of business (sadsadsad) and bought 8 yards. BUT it doesn't really count because I was doing it to show support for them and it was 50% off.

:) Thank you. Feeling good again today, after doing some much-needed shopping... in my stash.

21 yards of beautiful fabrics, greens and blues and blacks and creams, batiks no less! And they're mine anyway, so I didn't have a pay! Best shop in the world if you ask me, LOL

Playing with my beauties now, for the next quilt I want to start after finishing the one I'm quilting at the moment. Life is good.

collector49--I was having the same thoughts last night, as I have a project that is started and I'm not sure I have the right fabric to complete it. So I had a thought. Does trading fabric count? I have a mini group that I might be able to do that with. I'm sure I have something they'd like. Tell me that's not cheating because my project is going to look pretty weird if I use fabric on hand.

Are you saying you're not allowing yourself to buy fabric even for WIPs? Wow. A bigger challenge than I'm setting myself. The way I'm doing it (which is what KiwiQuilter suggested initially, but of course we can all make our own rules!!!) is that fabric can be bought as needed to finish a project. I guess I'm just not a scrappy lover...

In any case I'd suggest that trading fabric would be ok because it doesn't cost me money and won't swell up my stash. But that's just me. You might have different reasons for doing this, so it's your rule to make.... :)

remember. there are no moratorium police, no one is hiding ready to pounce on us...This is what we, ourselves, are making of this moratorium. no one else is going to benefit. The rules are custom made by you, for you.
This will, I know, be a great personal success. It is what YOU make it, plus you have us here to listen and encourage. GO US

We carefully grew this stash, now is the time to use it for what it was chosen for....quilts

Oh No, MadQuilter. Which store is it? I shop in that area now and then. Last time was Oct last year.

Jacqui- I do the same thing online. I've been looking at a lot of the great sales out there and go and fill my cart with what I want then walk away from the computer for a while. I promptly come back and delete everything. Makes me feel good to not buy all that tempts me. I am so powerful :-) So glad it's working for you too!

although yesterday in my mail "don't leave us" caught my eye. Yes it was from fabric.com noticing that my cart was filled and I did not buy it. I stood strong when they offered me 15% off my purchase. LOL

So far so good. I walked through WalMart fabric dept the other day but didn't even stop. Went to LQS today for our monthly get together and bought patterns but no fabric. So far this year I've made a quilted shawl from a jelly roll that I already had (I did have to buy flannel for the back), a quilted scarf and have 3 baby quilt tops pieced. I'll post pictures of the scarf and shawl on the picture section. The owner of the LQS just laughs when I say to myself over and over "I won't buy any fabric".

Pat

I ordered jelly rolls and backing fabric to play along with the psiquilt postage stamp quilt along.

that was BEFORE the massive clean-out/organization/insurance decision.

I'm all set for the rest of the year. I might need backing/binding/batting -- but I am done purchasing stuff for new projects. period. if I don't have the stuff for that project already, i'll finish something else first!!

I did buy binding fabric and quickly left the store.
But I have been wanting to buy the kit that is featured on the cover of the Connecting Threads catalog.
And then yesterday, I received the Hancock's catalog. It is going to be a tough year.

I'm still on the wagon... I did renew subscription to The Quilt Show and I bought a pattern online. But no fabric

does it count if my husband bought me some fabric? He bought me the cover page quilt kit from Connecting Threads. :D And some of their clearance fabric. <- without me asking him to.

I only made a 12 yard purchase for fabric for some swaps that I'm in because the swaps struck my fancy - perfect way to get blocks for my friends wedding quilt. :) She loves Asian anything, and so does my one friend who's going through a really bad time.

December was a good month. I didn't purchase any fabric for new projects.

But... I have been shopping. Hancocks had a sale with international shipping for free (and 10% off) so I bought basic supplies that I know I will need this year. Those items included applique needles, rotary blades, batting, and some fabric to add piping and binding to a project that I'm currently working on. I thought I was very restrained. :) The items were shipped on the 22nd of December. So far I have only received the batting. Sometimes it can take 6-8 weeks for items to arrive.

My other purchase was a treadle sewing machine. It is in fantastic condition and I got it for a really good price.

I planned on continuing to make tops, so now I have 2 done and 1 ready to cut tomorrow. I've removed all the threads, washed ironed and folded...but they are screaming to be finished. I know we can buy backing and batting but I am resisting right now. maybe when I finish #3.?

Do any of you feel that you are working more getting WIPs done? I think I am. Could be the snowed in days.

Jennifer,
Have you received the fabric from Connecting Threads. I, too, like that fabric and pattern and I am trying to not buy it. Please tell me that I don't need it. LOL

I feel like I am getting stronger on resisting temptation... but I am wondering what it will be like when the dam breaks.

We all better get hip waders and floaties..LOL
I think I will sav some $ a little at a time so I am not in the hole financially. For birthday, valentine, presidents day, ground hog day, arbor day, Easter, 4th of july, first day of school and all the other holidays I will ask for $$$$$$. and hide it away. LOL :-P

Hm I've been dragging my feet and whining softly for a little while. I'm really wanting to finish a few things I know I will love to see completed... yet at the moment I'm sloooow.

Spending too much time on here I guess... probably my surrogate for hunting fabrics!

What are hip waders and floaties?... :)

I just found this thread and missed the first entirely. Is it too late to join in on the moratorium? I tried this last year, but failed miserably by February.

Well -- i don't recall seeing this before. Even though I haven't bought any fabric yet...I WILL be buying some. I am able to afford fabric and I want to support my LQSs.....I want them to succeed during these hard times.