2020 Fabric Moratorium
12-31-2019, 09:17 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Ranger, Texas
Posts: 788
2020 Fabric Moratorium
Welcome to the 2020 Fabric Moratorium! A new decade to focus on using stash rather than adding to it.
We have general guidelines, but please just do whatever makes sense for you.Although we call it the "Fabric Moratorium" the main idea is to not add to our stash and hopefully reduce it!
Here are some general guidelines:
* No fabric purchases "just for your stash" from Jan 1 until U.S. Black Friday (11/27/20).
* Whenyou start a new project, shop your stash first. If you don't have anything that will work, then feel free to make a purchase. Hopefully at least some of the fabric for every new project will come from your existing stash.
As the year progresses, post your updates here. We can support and encourage each other, post tips on how you use your stash, and any planned new projects where you shopped your stash!
Let us know about falling off the wagon-everyone enjoys a great excuse to purchase fabric. Some members have come up with creative exemptions: ie travel, birthdays, quilt shows...I'm sure our imaginative followers will think of others. I think I'll add Moving, as I'm getting my house ready to sell & will relocate to a smaller town in a more rural area of Texas.
Pictures of your new purchases and/or how you've used stash are always wonderful!
As stated these are just guidelines, there are No Moratorium Police! Please do whatever makes sense for you and your stash. Just start using all that gorgeous fabric in your stash, after all, that's what you bought it for!
We have general guidelines, but please just do whatever makes sense for you.Although we call it the "Fabric Moratorium" the main idea is to not add to our stash and hopefully reduce it!
Here are some general guidelines:
* No fabric purchases "just for your stash" from Jan 1 until U.S. Black Friday (11/27/20).
* Whenyou start a new project, shop your stash first. If you don't have anything that will work, then feel free to make a purchase. Hopefully at least some of the fabric for every new project will come from your existing stash.
As the year progresses, post your updates here. We can support and encourage each other, post tips on how you use your stash, and any planned new projects where you shopped your stash!
Let us know about falling off the wagon-everyone enjoys a great excuse to purchase fabric. Some members have come up with creative exemptions: ie travel, birthdays, quilt shows...I'm sure our imaginative followers will think of others. I think I'll add Moving, as I'm getting my house ready to sell & will relocate to a smaller town in a more rural area of Texas.
Pictures of your new purchases and/or how you've used stash are always wonderful!
As stated these are just guidelines, there are No Moratorium Police! Please do whatever makes sense for you and your stash. Just start using all that gorgeous fabric in your stash, after all, that's what you bought it for!
12-31-2019, 11:05 AM
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Between the dashes of a tombstone
Posts: 12,716
Well this train is not leaving without me! I have a great deal of fabric...all pretty of course. Now to use it up. My overall plan is teach my Grands how to sew and that solves my problem! GD is playing with some solids from stash to coordinate with her FourPatch Posy and younger one has found solids to use in a fabric rendition of a painting she made last year. What fun to watch them explore color and design!
12-31-2019, 02:02 PM
#5
Member
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 27
I'm almost relieved to have this 'excuse' to stop buying fabric! I'm still a newbie and have been doing more research than sewing. I have built a decent UFO stack, though. What with sales, coupons, freebie tables and gifts I have more fabric than I could ever use. Some I like, some I don't, and some is still to be determined. I want to lay out the UFOs and make a list - some may go by the wayside as I've learned enough to know they are not salvageable - one in particular is made with junk fabric; it's cute fabric but not worth the time & effort as it would likely fall apart. I look forward to finishing something, anything. I do need to purchase some solids - I have been avoiding them as I have been enamored by prints & blenders. Now I see I do need some; especially for sashing, HST's and background. Tried to beat the clock today and get some ordered but felt too pressured and confused by the different fabrics, prices & websites. So, I have claimed a rain check for some solids. If you have any helpful thoughts, please see the thread in the Main Forum: Solids - What & Where to buy? See you in the new year!
MADE IT BY THE SKIN OF THE CLOCK! I know, mixed metaphors, but hey, it's how my mind works. I got quick and helpful answers to my question about what and where to buy solids so, just past midnight, I pushed the Place order button at fabric.com and can now begin the new year with a clear path toward not buying fabric for my stash! I hope your New Year will be a bright as I'm expecting mine to be. :-)
MADE IT BY THE SKIN OF THE CLOCK! I know, mixed metaphors, but hey, it's how my mind works. I got quick and helpful answers to my question about what and where to buy solids so, just past midnight, I pushed the Place order button at fabric.com and can now begin the new year with a clear path toward not buying fabric for my stash! I hope your New Year will be a bright as I'm expecting mine to be. :-)
Last edited by Calmclam; 12-31-2019 at 09:43 PM. Reason: To add results of my solids quest
12-31-2019, 02:03 PM
#6
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 8,136
I just moved my stash - over 50 boxes of fabric and I didn't count how many totes! I'm retiring in 9 years and told my husband I want to use up at least half of it before then. I've had it tucked into so many places, I didn't realize just how much there was.
12-31-2019, 03:02 PM
#7
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,932
I’m in! Just before Christmas I started organizing and consolidated my fabric (mostly fat quarters) in shallow bins neatly folded and quasi sorted by color, but definitely sorted by Batiks and Regular quilting cottons. I’m 1/3 of the way through my organization and hope to be done by the end of January. I’ve been doing this between Frolic Mystery and this mystery was actually my wake up call regarding my fabric stash and just how much I really have and how much I need to stop buying fabric. I hope with everything neatly organized by color I can now just open the bins and pick from there. Before everything was bundled as I purchased it and either in a tote or in a cabinet. I’m becoming best friends with my iron that’s for sure! I’ve got 12 done now and I will probably need another 12 .......
12-31-2019, 03:30 PM
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Waterford Michigan
Posts: 7,241
I am in again! I think I have done pretty good in 2019. I made only a few purchases that could not be overlooked. I am all about using my stash and trying to get it moving downward in size.
At this point I am seeing a bit of empty spaces on the shelves and hope to see more. My scrap baskets have become fuller and several scrap quilts were made in 2019. The goal is to do the same for 2020! Looking forward to the 2020 Fabric Moratorium .
At this point I am seeing a bit of empty spaces on the shelves and hope to see more. My scrap baskets have become fuller and several scrap quilts were made in 2019. The goal is to do the same for 2020! Looking forward to the 2020 Fabric Moratorium .
12-31-2019, 03:42 PM
#9
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Greater Peoria, IL -- just moved!
Posts: 6,061
I'm in again. I did very well last year, what little I bought was used almost immediately in specific projects. I still have two pieces of fabric from the Walmart $1 sale. I have plans for one...
I'm still allowing myself to buy thrift store fabric but I'm becoming more mindful and buying less and less. The moratorium has been good for me on that and for examining my inner desires for buying. I stop and ask can I actually see myself using this particular piece of fabric (not adding it to a collection or whatever) within the next 5 years. I'm surprised how often I tell myself no!
This year I'm going to try and be using my Civil War style fabrics. I was never that thrilled with them myself, but I did a lot of swapping and so I got quite a number of 10" squares to use. I have one top planned, and another one almost there. For those joining us this year, when I talk about collections of swapped fabrics, they have been waiting to be used for 20 years! Most of my swapping days were right around Y2K.
I also have more of the metallics to use up. Goal is that whatever I've done or not done, by the end of the year what remains of the metallic stash will be used or given away.
I have a couple of projects kitted up and ready to go. I say it here because I'm trying to hold myself accountable, but girl -- you gotta work on that paper piecing this year. It's not going to hurt if you just sit down and do it. Once I get those blocks done, the rest of the top (and a slightly pieced back) will go together with fun and ease and then an entire box of stuff will be free to purge.
I'm still allowing myself to buy thrift store fabric but I'm becoming more mindful and buying less and less. The moratorium has been good for me on that and for examining my inner desires for buying. I stop and ask can I actually see myself using this particular piece of fabric (not adding it to a collection or whatever) within the next 5 years. I'm surprised how often I tell myself no!
This year I'm going to try and be using my Civil War style fabrics. I was never that thrilled with them myself, but I did a lot of swapping and so I got quite a number of 10" squares to use. I have one top planned, and another one almost there. For those joining us this year, when I talk about collections of swapped fabrics, they have been waiting to be used for 20 years! Most of my swapping days were right around Y2K.
I also have more of the metallics to use up. Goal is that whatever I've done or not done, by the end of the year what remains of the metallic stash will be used or given away.
I have a couple of projects kitted up and ready to go. I say it here because I'm trying to hold myself accountable, but girl -- you gotta work on that paper piecing this year. It's not going to hurt if you just sit down and do it. Once I get those blocks done, the rest of the top (and a slightly pieced back) will go together with fun and ease and then an entire box of stuff will be free to purge.
12-31-2019, 03:54 PM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 1,185
I'm ready for the journey. Each year I have done better and better but I still need to keep myself mindful to use stash. This year I I'm going to keep track of fabric in and out instead of having only a vague idea of the two. This way I will have more accountability with myself.
