Teen

Grann......I just want to roll around in all that closet lusciousness...jus saying..

Teen

Rock on, girl!

Teen

I don't count blenders, Pam, in my moritorium. It's the focal fabric I have a major addiction to. My over all stash is small because I try to use every bit of scrap following each project for a 2nd or 3rd project...or whatever to get rid of it. Lol...That means I use up blenders, too... So, you get a pass from me....but that gold metallic one...oopsers!

Teen

Conchalea..

zozee

Yes! Congratulations!! How did d you track your inventory? I started in January but wasn’t finding it easy to track the output. Or to keep a running total of fabric bought.

grann of 6

Well, today I am going to attempt to take an inventory of precuts and kits/projects in artbins. Taking inventory of yardage would send me to the looney bins, plus I'm not sure I can count that high. I am thinking this will give me more incentive to reduce the stash. And any new fabric that falls into the house will be documented. Not that I am intending to purchase any, but my friend that I quilt her quilts pays me in fabric. She is currently housebound taking care of her DH who just had knee replacement surgery a week ago. He is a large man, so I'm sure he needs a lot of help getting around. So she isn't getting much sewing done, or any fabric buying.

Teen, I love opening the closets and just taking in the beauty of it all.














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oksewglad

I haven't gotten to the point of using a spreadsheet, but I have a handwritten list that's written in my LA notebook. Counting total of what's bought? Look at your sales receipts to keep track. And, yes, the using part is harder and a little more time consuming.
If it's a large quilt with pattern yardages one can use those figures. But I usually add up the amount of width of fabric (wof) cuts (in inches) in each quilt and divide by 36 to get yards of each fabric.
When it's smaller projects, like the pincushions I made...The base was 4.5 x 5.5" or 24.75 sq inches rounded up to 25 sq in. I used one for an inner lining, one for backing and one for the top (I didn't figure in seam allowances). So that's 3 x 25 = 75 sq in per pincushion..I made 27 x 75 = 2025 sq in. Using 1512 sq in in a sq yard (42 x 36), 2015/1512=1.33 yards.

Then it's a simple calculation of fabric bought minus fabric out...hopefully a negative number. The total amount of fabric in stash is irrelevant to the figuring. We want to reduce that amount, so no beginning inventory is required.

I hope this is clearer than mud! I think this is the third year I have done this. Like every habit it takes time, the very first year I started, but didn't keep up, so I have 2 solid years of verified stash reduction.

juliasb

It is unlikely I would ever consider doing an inventory by how many inches of each fabric I have. That for me is a terrifying though! That I am able to annually sort through by colors is an overwhelming task. I have kept purchases to a minimum with this thread reminding me I don't need more fabric. I have been quilting continuously from my stash most of the year and that is the best thing of all. I only made purchases, except for the penny sale, that I did not have available in my stash. Admittedly this has kept me in order! That is what has been most important of all. And saved a whole bunch of money!

elly66

Ok - thanks for the info. I was going to have to figure out how to calculate certain fabric usage on smaller items.
I made it past Black Friday with only a bundle of quarter cut yardage 2.5 yards but it was $4 so how could I pass that up? Cyber Monday was far harder but I still did alright. Between the two days only the 2.5 yards - thankfully I don't count patterns and books and tools on my moratorium. At this rate I will have to soon if I keep this up.

grann of 6

Well, my way of keeping track of outgoing will be to measure the fabric before starting (if I can remember) and then measure what is left, if any. It won't be any exact measurement, but close enough to suit me. Right now I am more concerned about using up all these precuts. I certainly reduced them a lot this year, but still have too many. I am weak-willed when I see a collection I fall in love with.

I certainly have been more mindful of my purchases since joining up with you gals. I guess that is the purpose, to help support and encourage each other.

I haven't gotten to the inventory part of my day yet, but I got all the quilts trimmed and binding made. So I have 6 big quilts and 2 baby quilts to bind. My friend will do some of them once she gets over her cold and can get over to pick them up.