Fabric buying moratorium... it's time for an update!
 

Early this year, many of you posted that you were on a fabric-buying moratorium for 2011.

Now that we're nearly at the end of the year, let us know how it turned out.

Did you really "shop your stash"?

Or did you find that you purchased about the same amount of fabric as in previous years?

Or maybe you wound up somewhere in the middle.

Tell us how your year went!

I bought fabric as if my life depended on it. I seem to buy more when I am depressed, or see a sale that I can't let pass. I did not do well on my promise to only shop from my stash. Once again, my self-control isn't!!

I only bought quilting fabric one time - to finish a project. Otherwise, I stuck to the moratorium... Now if I could only stick to my diet like that :)

I think we all agree on a diet moratorium.

I too only bought fabric once, it was such a super sale at 65% off, a LQS going out of business, just couldn't say no.

My fabric moratorium is for 2012. Purchases only to finish projects, BOM in progress and for block swaps. I have plenty of PIGS and UFOs and a now huge collection of Asian fabrics bought just this year.

Unlike dieting when I know they'll be another bowl of ice cream or piece of chocolate pie, fabric won't be there a second time around when the price is a bargain. I buy from fabric stashes, estate sales, thrift stores, and super great store sales. A side benefit is that I met some great quilters, sewers, and found out about this forum where I met some wonderful friends and learned so much from you all. Thanks!

Everytime I tell myself no more fabric or vintage machines I find a sale I can't let pass by.
I'm out of room now so I'm hoping this will squash any more buying for a while. LOL
Pray for me.

I have been using the moratorium as an excuse for stepping away from the cash register a whole lot of the time. I haven't always been successful, but at least when I plunk down money for fabric, I know what I'm doing with it....not just shopping for stash. I'm also going through my stash and cutting up the smaller pieces into 5" squares and 2 1/2" strips because I noticed that small pieces get lost amongst the larger pieces. This way, I have what I need when I'm making a scrappy quilt. The only problem is that I've been cutting and straightening for quite some time now and only have 2 large shelves finished....about 8 more to go.

I bought some fabric but not nearly as much as in 2010.

I could say that I was on a moratorium , But I think you have records/evidence that would prove I was not! But I did make a few scrap quilts.. that has to count for something ... maybe I get points for decreasing the scrap bin.. or at least rotating the scraps as I have learned they never seem to really decrease ...
All things considered .. I think I bought just a bit less.... But depleted my stash of some staples .. like the whole bolt of unbleached muslin.. that I am now down to only 1 yard( very scary).

I didn't take part in the moratorium as I had no stash. I did very well creating one though. Next year, I'll take it easy. But I congratulate those of you who were able to keep to it.

Well I have not followed the moratorium as I did buy some fabric. I am a snowbird and since I got down here in November I have finished up 3 quilts and am just finishing up the 4rd one. I am not starting a new once until I finish the ones I have on the go. I also have some purse patterns that I am dieing to get at. But first I have to finish these tops that are sitting around

I had to buy fabric in Arizona as it is so cheap in comparision to fabric in Canada. I would love to be able to buy the fabric I buy in Canada but it is double the cost of US fabric. That is not to say that I don't buy some fabric in Canada it is usually only the fabric that I need to finish a project.

I bought less this year.

I did better this year than last but Houston Quilt Show was my down fall. I can hope 2012 I will be better.

I don't remember if I said I was joining the moratorium or not. Either way I didn't buy all that much fabric this year anyway. I bought three or four fat quarters around the beginning of the year for a wall hanging and I bought six yards of a pink plaid I knew I would never find anywhere else and just recently I bought a jelly roll, layer cake and stack of matching fat quarters. For the most part I do shop my stash. It's not that I have a huge stash but when I do buy for stash I buy a lot of blenders to go with the focus fabrics.

I bought very little fabric this year until a former quilt shop owner decided to liquidate the
remainder of her fabric for $2 a metre. As most fabric in Canada is $12-$16 a metre, this was a tremendous buy and I couldn't pass. Most of it was tone on tones and blender type fabrics
and I did give DD a large stack (20 metres) for her birthday.

I did very well at shopping from my stash, I did have to purchase fabric for backings of the two quilts I did. Other than that I have been getting fabric from a consignment shop (very good prices) and the ladies in my quilting group bring in fabric they are no longer using and say "help yourself" so that is the best price ever! I still have projects to get done, as the saying goes "so much to do, so little tim". Merry Christmas everyone!

In the spring, I bought 1/4 yard of medium tan to finish a project. At the Minnesota Quilt Show in mid June, I purchased several fat quarters and half yards to add to collections for upcoming quilts and all were sale fabrics. Spent about 1/3 of the amount I spent in 2010.

I bought way too much. But I seem to have things under control at the moment. :)

Well, good luck with that one!

I didn't go on a buying moratorium. That being said, I believe that I shopped smart. I never paid full
price for any fabric this past year. I am going to "try" to use up a bunch of my stash next year. (We'll see what happens)

I didn't go on the fabric buying moratorium, but I should have. My DIL and DD's are calling me a "hoarder"...but their tones sure change when it's their turn for a quilt!

I didn't put any moratoriums up.... My goal was mainly to keep track of what I bought and what I used, but didn't do too well with it. Maybe I'll give it a whirle again for 2012. My rate of buying has slowed considerably as I now have enough of a stash to use for the scrap quilts I love. Also, now that I know I love scrap quilts, when I do buy fabric, I'm much more likely to buy a half yard rather than a couple of yards. Except when it's on sale with a minimum of a yard, such as the sale I found at the Fat Quarter Shop today! So I bought a yard of a few different things, but they were $5/yard, so it was still within my budget. And lastly, as I recently mentioned at a sewing group of guild members, I look at my fabric as an investment for the future.

Well, I made up for everyone not purchasing fabric - I bought every piece that I wanted - now where to put it all - I have a weakness for Moda precuts and since they are only available for a short time - I just have to get them. I am not sure I could go an entire year without buying fabric.

I've stuck to a "only buy it if you really love it" rule, pretty much. Don't laugh, this has helped. That being said, I do need to use up more fabric. I am making a baby quilt for a coworker out of my stash and it's been really fun. First time I've really done any sewing since school started. I have been knitting a lot, though.

I did better this year at not buying fabric but I started buying other quilt related items.....well it wasnt fabric!

I did pretty good. Only bought things that I needed to be able to use what I already have. For example Backing, Backround, Borders and Binding. And most of those were bought with a gift certificate. I am pretty proud of myself. I plan to continue on in 2012!

I spent money on fabric this year like it was candy! :eek: I need to get my stash organized 'cause instead of checking my stash I just go to the store. (I've got a large stash.) I also keep buying from thrift stores & estate sales.

The UPS truck no longer stops automatically in front of my house, so I guess I have done better! I only buy if it is a really great sale (free shipping will clench the deal!) and I really love the fabric.

I didn't join the moratorium, but did manage to buy only specific fabric for specific projects. My stash is tiny compared to what I've seen in pictures here, but without room to expand, if I want to buy fabric I also have to use fabric. Next year I vow to buy pieces closer to the size I need since I tend to overbuy generously.

I didn't join the moratorium on fabric buying, but now realize I have fabric buying addiction and no real plans to try to quit! I just love fabric - how it looks and feels, I just can't help myself. Oh well, there are so many worse things I could be addicted to! LOL!

I bought a small amount of new fabric to finish a project I had started and several yards from a garage sale because I just couldn't resist doing so at the price. I also swapped several pieces from my stash with friends. Overall, I did far better that I really though I would do.

Well, I wasn't in on the fabric moratorium for 2011. But, I can tell you, I will be on the fabric moratorium for 2012. I have way to much fabric for the space it's limited to and I have way to many works in progress. I've been stocking up on batting to get my projects in progress finished for 2012. And I will be concentrating on shopping from my stash and getting some scrap quilt tops together for 2013. Whew, I excited and exhausted just thinking about it. So, I will be looking for this thread come January.

I will be staying out of the fabric stores next year. Just touching it seems to make it jump in my cart. lol

I did join the moratorium and the best thing I did was STAY OUT OF THE FABRIC STORES!. I did buy less than 5 yards all year because I already have three cupboards and a shelf unit full of fabric and I need to use it up. I bought two spools of thread, no books, only 5 patterns, but did have to buy some batting. I am going to try to stick to it for 2012 also. I did sew up a lot of my scraps and finished a couple of projects. It was fun to try to use up what I have on hand.

I"m tickled to say that I didn't buy just because I loved a fabric. I bought a few super clearance fall pieces to go with a project I was finishing, I bought some plain yardage at a going-out-of business shop for backings/setting together. Even though I had several months when my mother passed away that I didn't sew, I used up lots of stash. Right now I'm using stash on the orca mystery quilt.

I for one, plan on not fabric shopping this 2012 year too!

I think I have purchased more fabric this year than ever before.

I had good intentions but it didn't work out as well as I had hoped!!

I failed miserably. I bought and bought and bought. I now have a basement room full of fabric with some over flowing into the dining room, living room, and bedroom. No more buying!!!!!!!!!! I am starting a new fabric-buying moratorium for 2012. Thy shalt not buy fabric for one year. It's going to hurt like the devil but I need to use at least some of what I have accumulated, don't you think?

Ugh! Don't even ask.