Conchalea, just got off Pinterest on Cactus Flower pattern. What color did you order. That looks so beyond me. But curious to see how you do>>>>.........

Marcia

LOL Conchalea...that's called a fabric savings program!

Craftsy only had the Orange kit so that’s what I have. I don’t think it’s beyond you, just jump in & go! You may love doing points & paper-piecing.

I think it’s more like justifying my purchase!

I survived the Reno show which is interesting since the "show" is really more about the vendors than the quilts. There were some special exhibits which were interesting. One was all quilts from the 1800s and they posted exerts from a lady's journal while crossing the country in a wagon.

My fabric shopping was limited to a few 1/2 yard cuts and a few fat quarters in browns and tans. Those are both colors I don't have a lot and I need variety for a pattern of a squirrel that I am planning to make for my BFF one day.

Then, a quilty friend posted on her FB page that she had a car accident and her insurance isn't paying what she needs. So she is selling off some fabric - mostly pre-cuts. I told her that I needed more fabric like I need a hole in the head but I will support my friend. (I would just send her money but she won't go for that.) So it looks like I will have some jelly rolls coming my way soon. Sigh!

Martina, if you give her $ to help and she gives you some fabric, that is not to me you buying fabric to add to your stash, so you’re clear to me.

That's a clever way to look at this, KrisB. Hm, might give her a little more money now. lol

Yes! I agree and not only that, helping out a friend is the noble, kind thing to do. Go forth with a clean heart! :)

Martina i would give you a pass. Helping a friend out while letting her keep her dignity is a wonderful gift you gave her. I have been busy sorting through fabric. With hubby retiring this year, we purchased a house in the black hills at the end of may. I am passing along around thirty yards of fabric so far and the thought of having to move anything i buy has been an incentive to not purchase any.

Your plans sound great, elly66. Are you down-sizing or are you just not willing to haul all that "stuff"?

Smaller house mostly. I would get rid of tons of other things before fabric but some of those pieces I've had for a long time and some of them were those "what was i thinking? " fabrics. We'll see if I get any more purging done or if I circle the wagon around the rest! After all I will have my own quilt room. Can't leave it empty. But anything to strengthen moratorium resolve is good considering my falls. A positive is I'm revisiting all my lovely fabrics as I go. Worse places to have to pack.

Martina- I hope your friend has a speedy recovery! I’m in agreement with others that this qualifies as helping your friend, not a fall off the wagon.

Ellie66- hope your move goes smoothly, sounds like you are having fun packing up your fabric!

I’m happy to report that I haven’t bought any new fabric, but my birthday is coming up in about 2 weeks so I’m thinking hard about where/how/if tto use my exemption LOL!

Rob

Definitely qualifies. What a support.

Did not know about birthday exemption. Mine is coming up. Hmmmm

Oh yes, Darcyshannon, we are experts at coming up with exemptions.

I think I could make a quilt a day for the next ten years and not run out. Except for backing and again, I am not so sure.

Me too! Tons of fabric, completely disorganized! I've been cutting squares like a crazy. Now I have containers full of thousands of squares and the boxes, bins, closet and totes full of fabric are still here. Yikes!! And, I haven't bought any, except for that sheet that I got by accident, since Dec. when I bought a few scraps.

Did you hear that horrific crash? That was me falling off the wagon.

June 21 was my birthday, and it was also the start of the Row-by-Row. So, what could I do except a shop-hop with a friend? We headed out to the first store (and hour away) and worked our way back through a total of 5 shops. I started strong! Picked up patterns at the first 2 shops, but no fabric. And a thread cutter pendant, but it was my birthday after all, and I've wanted one forever. Then we hit THE SHOP. Oh my goodness it is dangerous - almost entirely Northcott fabric, which I love. And right away I found 3 different ombre fabrics that I just had to have - and of course they needed friends. But I got a 20% guild discount, so that's something.

But that apparently opened the floodgates. Next stop - one fabric came home (friend picked up several, so I was feeling good). But the whole time we were shopping, she was inspecting fabrics for one-block-wonder appropriateness (is that a word?). And she sucked me in. I've made several already, but at shop number 3, just as we were leaving - empty handed - she spotted a fabulous fabric. She resisted - I did not. I told her I was buying it just so she didn't have to :)

But like I said - floodgates open. Since I came back, I've signed up on the Facebook one-block-wonder forum. And I've been hunting for more options - panels are an intriguing idea. And hence, one more fabric purchase, online.

Someone stop me!

Have had very few bumps this year so far. Just finished emptying under bed "scrap boxes" and cut them into sizes I can use in a few of my upcoming projects. Also cut binding for QOV quilts for next month's workshop. I will be looking for a quilt border as I do not have anything in stash that will finish this off. Thanks for this forum to help us stay on the path of stash management.

Just a lurker's curiosity... Did anyone participating in this moratorium stick with the program?

Kristakz, u r good to go, girl. 1. Birthday exemption. 2. Hombre = neutrals (and everyone needs neutrals in their stash). 3. Fabric for a specific project = OBW. 4. Saving a friend from over-shopping. You need a metal for restraint. lol

That is a good question and YES, we mean to behave. This moratorium has been going for a few years. You should have seen us early on. It almost became a quest to see what we could get away with. Since then, we have (collectively) buttoned down on our fabric purchases and we do fess up to falls. A few years ago, I would not have left a quilt show with a few FQs - it would have been YARDS and YARDS of "oh isn't it pretty and I just gotta have it" fabrics.

Oh, MadQuilter, this made me laugh out loud. But the last thing I need is encouragement to justify my purchases :) Trying desperately now to put a lid on this and climb back on the wagon. (But my friend wants another road trip, and she obviously needs supervision :)

You forgot the Travel Exemption...LOL

Rob

Hey Sewbiz- well, we stick to the program with varying degrees of success and have a lot of fun doing so. Everyone has different ideas about what they want to get out of the moratorium and it's fun coming with exemptions that people can use :p... but seriously, it has been a big help to me in managing my fabric purchases...

Rob

I joined late, but have curtailed my purchases tremendously since joining. So far only a needed backing and binding for one quilt and half yard of a pretty brown for a horse quilt that will be delivered tomorrow. I even resisted buying more of that brown for the binding. Did a 2 color one from other leftovers. So, yes, I am doing okay.

I really shouldn't be showing my face here. I'm been on a bender this year haha :D

Yes! I have been very careful not to buy any fabric since January 1st. I am a little very old lady with tons of fabric in boxes all over the place, and a whole closet full of batting. I am trying to make quilts as quickly as possible because I know that if I could make a quilt a day (which, of course, I can't), I have enough fabric to last at least 30 years and I'm 80! I don't think I'll make it that long, but I am trying!! :)

If “sticking with the program” means never buying any fabric, probably not. If it means loking through what you have before buying, yes for sure. I have bought fabrics that were really needed to finish quilts for which I already had 80% of what I needed, that is a win. And one or two splurges can keep you on track the balance of the time. It’s like an eating plan.

I have not bought any new fabric for 2 yrs now. I WILL use up that stash someday!

Dang, ka9sdn - that is amazing.

I have to admit that I am not remotely interested to be THAT WELL-BEHAVED coz I do like fabric shopping, but I do tip my hat to those who stick to their convictions. Mine is more like a "bring it back to some sense of reasonable"

I finished and delivered a quilt today, so I can back to the one I should have been working on. No fabric needed!! Yay!

I'm with SusieQOH......I went on a bender. All it took was 1 visit to JoAnn Fabrics, doorbuster of 70% off patriotic fabric and my commitment to Quilts of Valor. It also took 2 hours for me to touch each fabric to make sure the ones I selected were "quilt worthy" and not scratchy, thin, etc. On the positive side, I have made 3 more baby quilts without having to purchase anything (batting or backing) and am still utilizing my stash when I can. But, the receipt said I "saved $422.00".........which is a deal I cannot pass up! So, I will just avoid JoAnn's for a little while..........

NZquilter, I agree. Unless this board devises a 12-step program, there is no hope for me. But I have cut down, simply because I am out of space to put any more fabric. ;)

I bought a yard of fabric today, but I'm not hanging my head in shame. I decided on a curled ribbon border for my son's wedding quilt. None of my fabrics were right. I did stop at Hobby Lobby before the LQS. I found a marbled lime Northcutt Stonehenge - it'll do. Same price as the LQS, but a 40% off coupon on my phone was a big help. Hobby Lobby will record the fabric as full price so you can use the larger coupon, which is nice.

I'm definitely hanging my head in shame. More fabric came home yesterday - but it all has a plan, so that's good,right? And who could resist the sale - spend $151 and get $151 off your next purchase! (Happy 151st birthday, Canada!)

I feel like I could quilt off of just my scraps for years and years....

I was hoping this thread would have people showing the quilts they make from their stashes. Do y'all ever do that?

Well, I have wanted to make a quilt for me for years. I have been collecting strawberry fabric. I have finally decided to go for it. I will precut the fabric and take with me on a mini quilt retreat with friends later this month. I did buy fabric for this project but carefully didn't get anything else.

We could post pictures. I haven't finished anything recently since I just started quilting again.

I didn’t spend any $$, but my stash increased yesterday thanks to my daughter. She made a few quilts then lost interest in it. I think it’s due to their middle son & his former wife losing twins before birth. My daughter made two matching baby quilts but ended up giving them to co-workers after the loss of the babies & the end of the marriage. There are some completed blocks & quite a few batik FQs. The fabric filled a plastic bag. She also had an old hand-sewn top made, I think, by my paternal grandmother. I took that along with 2 queen-size batts & a smaller roll of batting. Now to work out where to put them & when to sew. My daughter doesn’t feel joy in this any more so I’ll try to finish some of her starts & give them back to her. That way she can still enjoy the fabric she picked out.

I got through June with no money spent on fabric. Woohoo! Recently I helped a fellow quilter go through some of her mother's extensive stash- think way too much. Fortunately she is retired and motivated to get this task done by September. Several quilting circles have been gifted with 30 gallon bags full of goodies including lots of crafty things too. Donations to local charity include the bins, plastic drawers and the like where all of this stuff was kept. I have only come home with what would fit into a 1 gallon size bag and work in my current projects.