ZoZee glad you had the strength to realize its time to make a change in your habits. Its tough to change what is such a pleasure filled habit. Buying fabric and dreaming about all the potential of my purchases is my down fall. My moto is more output less input. If I can make it 5 long months , you can too.

I'm planning to fall off of the wagon. Thursday is an open house at the quilt shop that is downsizing. For an hour and a half things will be 20% off. I plan on putting a dent in their fat quarters. I'm thinking I want to look for things that will work for the "thinking of you" blocks that we make in the quilt club. I'd like to make up a bunch for christmas.

Welcome Zozee..glad you joined us. No problem jumping on the wagon int he middle of the year. Hope you can stick to your resolve but if you do 'happen' to fall off (or fabric is on sale for $2/yd) we will just applaud you for buying as long as it is for a good reason. If you have read the entire thread, y like someone said before, there are lots of reasons for 'falling off' but mostly we are all helping each other to do better and use what we have first. I say that and then get a KQ catalog in the mail today! Oh dear!

But, but, but.....they followed me home! Lol!

I finally got to my church quilting day after a few months of conflicts and our dear 83 year young host told me she had scraps for me. They save strips/scraps under 5 inches for me and, even though I don't need to take them, I do because I enjoy going through the bags and creating when I have the time. But one of my fabric moratorium rules for myself was not to bring more scraps home unless I had some output. I did get some tops done and a UFO finished over the past few weeks. After tomorrow, I will have more time to sew because I wil be on summer break from subbing.

I was very surprised though to find a number of finished blocks in the bags this time. Some of the blocks even have coordinating fabric to make more blocks. Although some of the bear claw blocks will need to have some of the black replaced because the person that sewed them used black tear away in about 5 blocks.

Here's what was added to my stash:

Connie

I think we are 2 of a kind, Connie..I like the scraps because the fabric is sometimes out of my usual buying preferences..but they can be overwhelming if you don't have some sort of control over them before you whip them into shape.....

Looks like you have made some progress with yours....:thumbup:

3 of a kind actually Connie and OK....I have become the scrap/recycling expert for our group! I love going thru the bags of scraps to see what others are willing to throw away and then give these pieces a home in a scrap quilt. But you are right OK, you definitely need a saving system and a plan, otherwise they kinda take over.......

Connie: What fun! Some really nice blocks. I have a book called "Scrap Quilt Sensations" by Katharine Guerrier that does a marvelous job of incorporating "orphan" blocks into a scrappy quilts. She does a marvelous job of making one of a kind blocks look like they were designed as part of the quilt. I sympathize with the scrap syndrome. I have so many large pieces of beautiful fabrics and I spend more time playing with the scraps than using the stash. Oh well guess I'll just follow the bliss.
Ok gals, this time I am truly blameless. I have a dear sweet neighbor that is an avid garage saler. He is a bit of a "collector" himself so he totally understands my mania for fabric. He always asks if there is any cotton fabric at any garage estate sale he attends. I think he enjoys seeing the look in their eyes when he asks. Well he couldn't get me on the phone so he went ahead and bought me three large boxes of fabric. This is not just scraps, there are lengths of fabric that are probably 4 to 5 yards long. Almost all at least a fat quarter size. I washed it all yesterday. It took five loads in my large tubed washing machine. That end table in the background is a standard size so that gives you an idea. Honest folks, I'm blameless in this.

Very nice score Emma!

Yep we are slightly insane.;):D

Interesting reading going on here! Fabric and scraps of fabric and oh how they are loved and wanted! I so understand the craziness of our wonderful craft.
We spent more than a week at our 'new home' and of course took packed boxes of household goods with us to unpack and put away in that new place. This has been going on for 3 years! Limbo.
My sewing room there is a bit of a nightmare with mounds of folding and rearranging needed. I did wade thru a couple of areas though and washed and folded 'several bags full of garage sale finds'. I'm waiting for shelving to be put in the closets so most of my folding goes into boxes. It's ok because it gives me some sense of organizing.
The best thing I did though, was to get 3 extra large garbage bags full of fabric and scraps I know longer wanted and knew I would not use. They all found their way to either a local guild or good will. This is a first for me and it felt really good and liberating.
We have a serious buyer for our home we are currently living in and are very hopeful that the sale will work out for us and them. Of course my emotions are roller coasting. We've been here for 25 years.
I spent yesterday with my mom, going and getting stuff and seeing the doctor. She just gave up her driving licence this past month and it's a tough adjustment for her. She'll be 88 next month.
I didn't buy any fabric in May. I think I'm seriously ill.