2014 Fabric Moratorium
 

Here are the general guidelines:
* Pull fabric from your stash. No fabric purchases to start a new quilt top from Jan 1 until November 1
What you can buy (fabric wise) is this:
* Yardage for backing, border or binding, to tie together fabric from your stash to start a new project or complete a UFO
* Special Request fabric, eg: for little Susie's wedding quilt who's favorite color is puce, which for some reason you don't have in your 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.
As stated these are guidelines, there are no Moratorium police! Just start using all that gorgeous fabric in your stash, after all, that's what you bought it for!

This was to be my 3rd year of not buying on impulse. So the first thing my neice is doing the baby rom in hot pink and lime green. As of this moment, this is the only fabric I intend to buy this year, except for maybe backings.

but, but,but!!!!!

I'm in again. I really need it. It sure did help to slow me down! I still look like a small LQS.:o:p

OK!!! All you all hold me to this one...I just bought some reds from CThreads....but, but, but .... it is to go with other reds to do a red/white quilt. So have I broken the moratorium already? This will be difficult for me, but I really need to sit at the machine and not in the fabric shops or on this Board! (Leads me astray!)

For my Christmas present from my DH, I just bought about $250.00 worth of fabric for specific patterns. I have no excuse for buying more fabric. Only need batting and backing (I use high quality bleached muslin.)

Nope - no reason for more fabric at all!

I did this last year and need to join in again this year. I did pretty well last year. I am going to make up kits for a guild sew in out of my stash. There are fabrics that I will never use.

I'm in - so far this year I have resisted buying fabric, except for white flannel for design wall, and since I have so much (we're talking bolts and bolts) I will not sew it all in my lifetime. I'm part of a nonprofit that makes and gives away quilts and even with donating my fabric for those quilts I never will use it all.

I'm in again. This worked pretty well for me last year. I really want to get rid of some of the stuff I bought because it was on sale, when I was just starting out and nothing really goes with any of it.

Another follower here. So proud of myself--week 1--successful--no fabric purchases for 2014 yet,

I am in again. I didn't do so good last year. This year I want to watch what I spend ever closer. Will use from my stash and only buy what is need to complete a project, not to start a project.

I did OK last year, not terrific, but not horrible either. I thought about each purchase rather than Oh! Look! Pretty! Buy! Now if folks would stop leaving grocery bags of fabric at my door (anonymously of course) I'd be doing well. I've made 2 tops so far this year, both from stash. I'll post pics when quilted. For January, I want to go thru all my quilting books & magazines. I'd like to get rid of some, but if I just get them organized I'll be happy! maybe I'll take the tree down first...

Maybe we Washingtonians think alike! :D:D

Personally, I have not even opened emails from Fabric companies and don't go to JoAnn's when coupons arrive in my mail unless I realllllly need something. I recently sorted all of my fabric by color in large see through bins and was amazed at what I owned! I have plenty to make quilts for a small Army. Time to get sewing.

My commitment will fall short if I need a certain something to complete a look I want to create.

I'd love to do this but my mind has already failed me. I've just received a catalogue with new fabrics and thinking about what pattern would best used for these fabrics.:rolleyes: sorry!! I do have fabric which needs using up and UFO's that needs finishing. So will try to get at least 1 project finished before I think about buying fabric, maybe this will stop my temptation to buy.

I've done so well - a whole week without buying fabric. That's probably because we've been snowed in here in Indy. Oh well, still a success, right?

I will try to be good again this year. I did use up a lot of my stash last year but seemed to replenish it just about as fast as I used it up. The one good thing about the fabric I replenished it with was always on sale. To be truthful, I already fell off the wagaon last Saturday. Fabric was 50% off at the local store. Hopefully that will be all my spending for some time. I went to two fabric stores today and was strong. All I can do is try!

I'm in again. I wish connecting Threads hadn't brought back Rhapsody in Reds. I will resist as I just don't need any ..... but it's red and that makes it harder. Throw away the catalog and stay off the website.

I am in again:). I bought a FQ with a cool house print for a project I have planned for my sister. Then I found myself wasting time this morning trawling EBAY and drooling over vintage fabric....I resisted and headed over here to sign on for 2014. I know this will keep me on the straight and narrow....well a bit anyway.

Your niece would loved the third bedroom in my home when I bought it! That bedroom had two opposite walls painted hot pink, and the other two were lime green! I did get the bank to know $5,000 off the price because of the paint job in the entire house! Lol!

Yes, that would be success...I would just have gone online. Which I did. :-( But it was BEFORE I joined this group!! :-)
Irishrose, those reds were what I succumbed to...but needed them for a project that was already planned. That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

I purchased 1/4 & 1/2 yard cuts on Monday for the border & binding
on a wall hanging that I am working.

My goal this year is to TRY and organized my sewing room and fabric
room so that I can SEE what I have so that I don't buy as much fabric.
There is very LITTLE as far as fabric goes that I need if I could just find
it when I need it.

Another goal I have is to try and use as many of my 1500+ FQ's that
I have.

Good luck to everyone in your goals to use from your stash.

I told a few friends this would be a resolution this year. They didn't believe me for good reason. But, I haven't bought any fabric yet. I like your parameters because backing and borders aren't necessarily available in my stash. My only 'exception' is being part of a BOM club that includes the fabrics the shop includes with each BOM. It's a fun group and I'm torn about not being part of it for the 3rd year. When you buy your first BOM pattern & fabric, it costs $5. When you bring in the completed BOM the following month, your fabric & BOM are free. The only requirement each month to have free fabric (all coordinating for the finished project and this year it's batiks!), is to bring your completed BOM each meeting. Can that be permitted yet keep this resolution???
My friends know me....this allowance will make it much less difficult yet keep me satisfied.

laynak, do you complete the BOMs into a finished quilt? If so, then go for it. That is a great bargain, especially when batiks are involved. We are trying to reduce our stashes, not take away the fun of quilting. It's mindless buying that I personally want to curtail.

I have withdrawal symptoms just thinking about it. But I'm going to try to resist impulse buying.

Naturally, I'm in! I have a huge stash, ufo's and nothing in the works at this moment. Also, it let's me get my enabling skills honed, lol! Let's get this wagon rolling! Can't fall off if it's not moving!

I'm in again this year! I did OK last year, till December...flannel for 15 pairs of PJs for the kids in my life and new fabric for 3 different quilts. Nothing I had matched the personality of the person these were intended for. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

OK, so started finishing a UFO. It is very sloppy stitching it together (I think we can definitely call me a hobby quliter), but I really don't want to spend the $$ for someone else to finish. That said and thinking I will actually finish some UFOs, where do we post the finished product? I will have to do that to keep me motivated.

You have your choice of where to post completed items. There are a couple of threads in the challenge area for UFOs and Stash Buster quilts, but I post mine in the regular picture forum.

BOM to Finished Quilt -- Absolutely!
 

The blocks each month are different so finishing the quilt feels like completing a mystery quilt (though we did see a sample B/W photo of a complete quilt from the blocks at the start of the year).
I just finished the 2013 BOM patriotic quilt top that'll be going to my nephew who has returned from his 3rd tour in Afghanistan. And, completed a 'Cinco de Mayo' quilt the year before. I haven't posted photos recently but will need to get these uploaded soon.
It's amazing to find 100+ women at a small shop in a small town at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month to get their new BOM and hear about classes and fabrics that have come available. There are raffles each month and discounts on fabrics that day only. It's tempting to shop, but there's such a line, it's easy to be there for the main purpose only (the BOM & monthly news).

I have been working on EOY books for our farm and also do it for the home as well as the computer program works well with both farm and home accounts. I overspent my quilt budget by 100% and this year kept tract of # of yards bought. Let's just say I shouldn't buy any fabric in 2014 and I'll be money ahead! Now what can I do with that extra$$$$?

I'm in, fer sure. We are selling the condo in Florida so consolidation is in order, anyway. Last year I caved and bought fabric for the Jinny Beyer Moonglow pattern (finished) and my northern lights quilt (not even started). Other than that, just backing and borders, although pieced backings are looking evermore attractive.

I'm back too. So far so good. I did sign up for a round robin so we'll see what the stash will support. I've been focusing on finishing some UFOs and fortunately for me, most of them are finished tops already. I've been making myself use stash for backing (creatively-pieced). One thing I see me buying is some more solids. As it gets used up, I generally replenish, particularly red, white, and black.

Let's see, who said confession is good for the soul? Connecting threads reprinted their red and blue rhapsody lines and i was too slow the first time to get any, so i jumped on the charms and cakes. I will make a r,w,b 5 and dime quilt top as soon as i find the cutting mat, lol. Thinks got a little screwy over the holidays. Ds was here when the box arrived. " so, mom, how's that moratorium working for you?" Lol, better than he thinks! I could have bought sooooo much more! So one more year of sitting on the wagon wheel! And it's only the 9th. Man, I'm in trouble already!!

Well...I resisted the first temptation of the year! I am in a Round Rodin and was going to go shopping yesterday. I decided to shop my stash first and lo and behold....I found just what I needed! Backing too...so I didn't get to go shopping but YAY ME!

Hi all, This group really helped keep me focused last year and I only fell off the wagon a few times. I vowed to do better this year, use what I have and work on UFO's. I will shop my stash first before I even think of buying anything else. That being said, I received my Connecting Threads catalog and told DH that it just wasn't fair for them to have that super 'reds' sale on in January, just when I had made a resolution to not buy any more fabric. I held out and didn't buy that collection last Jan. '13 and regretted it all year. I do not have a lot of red in my stash and need reds to finish the round robin I am in plus my KC Star Rubies, Diamonds etc. quilt that I want to begin this summer. So..my sweet DH said to go ahead and get it and then try to stick to my resolution. So naturally, I did. Now that I have that out of my system, I am going to try and be good for months to come. Help keep me on the wagon! Please!!!

I am officially on board this year. I think I tried last near, may have come in part way through the year, didn't do well at all and slunk out.

I would like to add that I didn't purchase any fabric in December 2013 as well so I am right in the swing of things.

I'm not taking the moratorium lightly, I came to a conclusion that I really have too many UFOs and WIPs. Too many. Then I have 3 rubbermaid tubs filled with a small amount of yardage and a whole heck of a lot of fat quarters. These are just living in the tubs, no purpose, just hanging out.

So I have a goal, I need to finish some UFOs and some WIPS. Then I need to use up some of my stash (so I will also be in the let's use our stash thread and the ufo challenge thread and whatever thread will keep me motivated).

I received two beautiful Kaffe Fasset quilt kits for Christmas from friends...I can't even bear to look at them until I finish something!!!

So what have I done so far in December and this much of January? Nothing LOL.

I was at our local quilt shop twice this week already and am very proud to report that I did not buy any fabric. I did however sign up for a retreat and one class. Whew...at least between the two I should get some sewing done, and fortunately the class does not require any purchasing as I have everything I need in my stash.

So far so good.

Three tubs and some FQs?? I can't even comment as I don't want to try to put mine in measurement mode.

Nancia, don't mention Rhapsody in Reds. I pouted last year when I missed out even though I was in the moratorium. Now it's back - so far, so good, but if I keep it in the front of my mind, I might weaken. I threw away the catalog, but my computer knows the way to CT. My son says, "If it's red, it's yours." The boy know his mother. My new sectional is red velvet. Did you see the pillows in the pattern section of the catalog in the large print with embroidery added? You are an enabler, for sure, but you can't enable anyone who doesn't want to be.

I can't make You go anywhere you don't want to go! But I can make you feel like a welcome visitor. 8-)
i decided on the pre-cuts as it involved less foldable fabric, and quick to use. Less chance for me to drape myself in yards of the stuff without having to sew it together!

That Rhapsody in Red collection is everyone's downfall! I think last year the collection sold out in less than a month. That was my first tumble from the wagon last year! I don't want to encourage you, but I was so glad I did. THIS year I can resist because I still have some in my stash.

im floor to ceiling covered in bookcases filled with fabric, I'm good for a looooooooooooooong while.. 2012-2013 I cant recall buying anything except needles.. maybe a remnant or two at 50% off of 50%.... So for a few bucks i didnt count it as spending , especially when it was less than what my average lunch cost ..lol..

Our lovely quilting group lost a beloved quilter a few years back and her sons blessed us with boxes of fabric from her stash.. I was a lucky recipient of Yardage pieces- some as much as 10 yard pieces and nothing less than 2 yd cuts, so i have backing for many a quilts... IM a scrap quilter so i use almost everything and anything. nothing is wasted, even scraps less than 1.5 are cut unto 'fluff'' for stuffing pin cushions and what nots... So im in with you all.. theres really nothing i need that i cant make do from whats in my sewing room... I do have rolls of batting (poly blend and W&N) in the spare room so when we had the icky weather i had everything i needed...

Now if you were to ask me to do this 5 years ago, i would of thought you all are nuts, i have been 'hoarding' fabric since early 2009... i bought what i wanted when i wanted.. I bought bolts instead of yards after a few years of wondering what the heck i was going to do with just a FQ... So this year, like the last year IM NOT BUYING FABRIC !!! no backing, no border, no nothing (but pellon & Insulbrite as im out of that stuff !!)

So here is my wish and good luck to you all..
May you find the perfect fabric in your stash.. May your seams match up every time...And may your cuts be accurate !!!