Fabric Moratorium 2025
01-29-2025, 12:42 PM
#62
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,588
It is a little early but I did the calculation for my own recording purposes.
Total into my stash this month....18 yards. Some purchases to finish quilts and some donations that are not designated but in color ways I frequently use.
Total out of my stash...9.75 yards. (Two quilts out the door. and a UFO donation.)
Year to Date total of a negative 8.25. (More fabric in than out this month).
Not justifying, but I do have three projects that have used some of the 10.5 yards, but they are not finished and won't be by February 1. My rule is the quilt must be finished and ready to gift or donate or put on my bed to count in my monthly total.
Watch out February! Here I come! Two baby quilts and one UFO from the Boom Swap group. The choices are plenty if I change my mind. Tee-Hee-Hee!
Total into my stash this month....18 yards. Some purchases to finish quilts and some donations that are not designated but in color ways I frequently use.
Total out of my stash...9.75 yards. (Two quilts out the door. and a UFO donation.)
Year to Date total of a negative 8.25. (More fabric in than out this month).
Not justifying, but I do have three projects that have used some of the 10.5 yards, but they are not finished and won't be by February 1. My rule is the quilt must be finished and ready to gift or donate or put on my bed to count in my monthly total.
Watch out February! Here I come! Two baby quilts and one UFO from the Boom Swap group. The choices are plenty if I change my mind. Tee-Hee-Hee!
01-29-2025, 04:14 PM
#63
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Oro Valley, AZ
Posts: 4,537
I'm starting this year's fabric moratorium with a plus of 2.5 yards. <sigh> just could not resist. I doubt any fabric will be going out this month, if only for the fact that I have been battling bronchitis (since around the end of Nov.) which turned into pneumonia and my energy levels have been really low. But the bright side is I have started to feel much better these last two weeks. I have even been spending time organizing my sewing area and getting some projects, as well as a UFO ready to sew.
01-29-2025, 04:40 PM
#64
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 930
Serious confession time. I think I might claim this as a "rough day/straw that broke the camel's back" exemption!
It's been a challenging week. Today was our quilt guild meeting. Theme: Destashing. (This is serious foreshadowing, friends.)
As I was getting ready to go I got delayed several times for very good reasons but each time put me just a few minutes behind my planned itinerary. I eventually got my coffee, grabbed and put the important bag of stuff for the meeting in the car along with the dog (she gets to go to daycare on quilting days) and realized I had left my purse inside. I ran inside, grabbed my purse and jumped back in the car before the dog even realized I was gone (wishful thinking). Backed out of the driveway and put the car in drive and the travel mug full of delicious brew tumbled off the roof of the car where I had left it and left a caffeinated Rorschach blot on the road at the bottom of the driveway (a moment of silence, please.) Got out of the car, picked up the remains of the travel mug and tried to be philosophical about it, thinking I probably drink too much coffee, anyway. Made it to the road where the daycare is and discovered it was being dug up by some very industrious road workers which meant one-way alternating traffic with no opportunity to detour. Waited. Waited some more, getting a bit worried by the extent of the roadwork and the row of orange pylons suspiciously close to the daycare driveway. Finally got near a flag person and rolled down my window and asked if I would even be able to get into the daycare, only to be told she had no idea where the daycare is. Okay. The next time our direction of traffic was allowed to move, I discovered that they were actually cutting up the pavement right outside the daycare. I put my indicator on anyway and all of the workers stared at me. Then one angelic man in an orange vest pointed into the driveway with an inquiring look on his face. I also pointed and nodded and smiled hopefully. He had a conversation with the other workers and moved some pylons around so I was able to squeeze into the driveway between the worker engaged in cutting up the pavement and the drainage ditch. Dog was delivered, I got friendly waves from the flaggers as I left, and I made it to the meeting. This is where things got really hairy. It's very clear that some people really took the destashing January movement seriously because there were not one, not two, but three tables full of free stuff. I am sorry to say that I walked out with over ten pounds of fabric scraps (nothing bigger than a FQ - most were bags of scraps and strips) that I now have to find space for until I can turn them into projects. Trying to see a silver lining and am wavering between "I have helped other people destash!" and "Now I can do more wonderful things with fabric!" Both true, but both feeling a little... forced. Sigh.
Brushing myself off, picking myself up, and jumping back on the wagon as of today.
TL;DR: I fell off the wagon. Big time.
It's been a challenging week. Today was our quilt guild meeting. Theme: Destashing. (This is serious foreshadowing, friends.)
As I was getting ready to go I got delayed several times for very good reasons but each time put me just a few minutes behind my planned itinerary. I eventually got my coffee, grabbed and put the important bag of stuff for the meeting in the car along with the dog (she gets to go to daycare on quilting days) and realized I had left my purse inside. I ran inside, grabbed my purse and jumped back in the car before the dog even realized I was gone (wishful thinking). Backed out of the driveway and put the car in drive and the travel mug full of delicious brew tumbled off the roof of the car where I had left it and left a caffeinated Rorschach blot on the road at the bottom of the driveway (a moment of silence, please.) Got out of the car, picked up the remains of the travel mug and tried to be philosophical about it, thinking I probably drink too much coffee, anyway. Made it to the road where the daycare is and discovered it was being dug up by some very industrious road workers which meant one-way alternating traffic with no opportunity to detour. Waited. Waited some more, getting a bit worried by the extent of the roadwork and the row of orange pylons suspiciously close to the daycare driveway. Finally got near a flag person and rolled down my window and asked if I would even be able to get into the daycare, only to be told she had no idea where the daycare is. Okay. The next time our direction of traffic was allowed to move, I discovered that they were actually cutting up the pavement right outside the daycare. I put my indicator on anyway and all of the workers stared at me. Then one angelic man in an orange vest pointed into the driveway with an inquiring look on his face. I also pointed and nodded and smiled hopefully. He had a conversation with the other workers and moved some pylons around so I was able to squeeze into the driveway between the worker engaged in cutting up the pavement and the drainage ditch. Dog was delivered, I got friendly waves from the flaggers as I left, and I made it to the meeting. This is where things got really hairy. It's very clear that some people really took the destashing January movement seriously because there were not one, not two, but three tables full of free stuff. I am sorry to say that I walked out with over ten pounds of fabric scraps (nothing bigger than a FQ - most were bags of scraps and strips) that I now have to find space for until I can turn them into projects. Trying to see a silver lining and am wavering between "I have helped other people destash!" and "Now I can do more wonderful things with fabric!" Both true, but both feeling a little... forced. Sigh.
Brushing myself off, picking myself up, and jumping back on the wagon as of today.
TL;DR: I fell off the wagon. Big time.
01-29-2025, 05:57 PM
#65
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,588
I wondered where you were, Gemm. Off the wagon but now back on! Sit back and enjoy this warm and comfy place with friends and we can help you sort those scraps. A day of adventures with a good attitude! Whoo Hoo!
I made serious progress on my #1 baby quilt. Should be adding sashing tomorrow and maybe layer and and start quilting on Friday. Not a chance that I will be finished by Feb. 1 but progress is progress. Mostly from stash. Some I purchased but fessed up to that last week. Good part is baby quilt #1 is different fabric but the same color way. So.... I can use most of one color left-over from #1 to be part of #1. Success!
I made serious progress on my #1 baby quilt. Should be adding sashing tomorrow and maybe layer and and start quilting on Friday. Not a chance that I will be finished by Feb. 1 but progress is progress. Mostly from stash. Some I purchased but fessed up to that last week. Good part is baby quilt #1 is different fabric but the same color way. So.... I can use most of one color left-over from #1 to be part of #1. Success!
01-30-2025, 03:35 AM
#66
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Peoria, IL -- Midwest Transplant
Posts: 7,314
Retail therapy is a real thing, so are the wounds that can be cured with free fabric!
Thanks for making me feel better about my fall
I hope you got much good stuff and have ways to use it. Sorting out the randomness into some form of order like "let's take out all the strips" can help deal with a big pile. And then you see if any of those strips can help your current project... even if only 1 does you can count that as justification 
Thanks for making me feel better about my fall
I hope you got much good stuff and have ways to use it. Sorting out the randomness into some form of order like "let's take out all the strips" can help deal with a big pile. And then you see if any of those strips can help your current project... even if only 1 does you can count that as justification
01-30-2025, 01:44 PM
#67
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: West Central Texas
Posts: 2,822
You know, folks, it's early in the year. I love to end each month in the negative but sometimes that doesn't happen and we need to look at the big picture of ending the year in the negative or at least balanced (by negative I mean more fabric out than in). At least that is my story and I'm sticking with it. <grin>
01-30-2025, 06:50 PM
#68
Super Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Portage, Michigan
Posts: 9,588
Fabulous story, Belfreybat! We all want that one and I am sure that I will break even next month. And progress to my goal of 100 yard out of my stash in 2025. Just a bumpy start.
Keep going every one! Don't stop.
Keep going every one! Don't stop.
01-31-2025, 04:41 AM
#69
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Delaware
Posts: 1,660
I am in good standing THIS month. I removed 6.5 yards and only brought in 3 FQs that are for a planned future project. Question: Does participating in a guild challenge where the guild provides most of the fabrics count as Fabric Income? I am only providing one small piece of fabric for this challenge.
01-31-2025, 05:26 AM
#70
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Maryland
Posts: 2,828
I've spent a couple minutes catching up on everyone's responses to the moratorium challenge and I must say I am impressed and in good company! I confess to buying thread and a couple cuts of fabric needed to finish other things.
You've helped me identify a problem: beware of the friends who give you their scraps to deal with! We all love them, but it doesn't really help your stash go down unless you do something with the scraps and return the finished product to them.
Happy sewing and keep on destashing! (If "destash" wasn't a word, it is now!)
You've helped me identify a problem: beware of the friends who give you their scraps to deal with! We all love them, but it doesn't really help your stash go down unless you do something with the scraps and return the finished product to them.
Happy sewing and keep on destashing! (If "destash" wasn't a word, it is now!)
