It's over:(. Can we do it again, next month? Retreats are worth it. This was $27/day. Included lunch. Most people are within 20 minutes of home. Didn't think I'd like that, I learned something new. It is nice to sleep in your own bed, bring things I forgot, no clothing packing. I had a high priority meeting and was only 10 minutes away from the venue, didn't have to miss out on the retreat for a 1 hour meeting.

My projects were mostly from my stash. Made lots of progress on 3 projects that I've been avoiding. Stopped by the LQS on the way home to get fabrics I know I don't have, to finish these projects. Even got to use $25 card.
So now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so they'll get finished.

The drywall guys come tomorrow to texture. Since my sister is coming for 3 days starting Monday, this weekend is CLEANING! Then we can paint. DH will find out I want new colors after 10 yrs. Some of the spots will be touched up with the same color. Then I can buy new love seat/chair for the family room. It's a good day in the neighborhood!

Good for you!! Sounds like things are going great for you, petthefabric!!! I've never been on a retreat but since I purchased a traveling machine, I'm looking forward to signing up for one... Have a lovely visit with sis....

Teen I really think I should of waited to the last like you are for packing my quilting things. That way I could have continued to sew. I was a little worried I would play too much though and not sort and pack enough.

So nice to get the room organized. Still have a few things that need to be moved over (one sewing desk) but due to the weight of it - it will come with the movers. I'm glad that when I boxed, I boxed by drawer. So when I found the box with stuff from the top drawer of my sewing desk I knew what it would hold.

Glad you had such a great time at your retreat petthefabric. Congrats on using your stash for projects too.

Got the project I was working on out and this morning I have been going through my stash to find more fabrics to go in my double wedding ring quilt. A few of the pieces seem to be getting a little lean in color selection.

Like that pattern oksewglad. Good thing patterns aren't on the moratorium! :D

Thanks to all for the well-wishes. My arms have recovered & I'm back to quilting my blocks. I have a new-to-me car since the original gave its life in the wreck. My arms got so burned because the airbag deploys at 100+ mph & gets extremely hot from the friction. But that’s better than hitting the steering wheel or windshield. So my fabric therapy is progressing & if/when I complete my current project I’ll share it in a new thread. It isn’t a UFO so I won’t put it here.

Conchalea and Battle Axe, so glad to hear you both of are healing well.

I feel sorry for the the members who are moving and packing. I hope the transition is a smooth one. I used to do that every 3 years. It took me 6 months for me to find a good place for things. For me it was such a hassle. I’m not moving unless I absolutely have to now. I like my place and don’t want to pay for the high price of moving.

I fell off the wagon again. I ordered and received a bolt of fabric. I needed at least 2-4 yards for a project I will start next week. The rest of the fabric can be used for 3 other projects I’m thinking will go with the fabric. The rest of the fabric will yes go in my stash. The fabric is Northcott Toscana line, called Moody blues, (which just happens to have the same name of one of my favorite rock groups in the 70’s and 80’s).

Petthefabric, aren’t close to home retreats nice? I just love them, for the same reasons you mentioned. I have one next month through our guild. It’s a day retreat, 7 hours a day for 3 days. We can leave our sewing machines and things at the location overnight. It’s only $20.00 for members. It includes lunch. I know I will not be taking all of my sewing supplies. I plan to just lay out projects and pin things and sew them at home. This way I don’t have to organize my sewing room after the event. I think this is a great way to get to know other member better.

Have fun stash looking.

happylab, you have good taste in fabric! Northcutt Toscana - looks like suede, feels like silk. Gorgeous colors, too.

Happy lab, I also like the Moody Blues! Isn’t there an exemption for fabric with the same name as a favorite music group?

Hahahaha....we are totally losing it as the end of year approaches...exemptions galore....lol... Desperate times for desperate measures...

Me? I'm trying to stay strong but as I cut through these scraps, new ideas keep popping in my head on how to utilize them and asking myself so i want to buy fabric to create new tops or finish the projects at hand...what a dilema!

Maybe you folks can help me out...I was gifted a bunch of fabrics from one fabric line. They are all cut in 3" pieces, 160 3 x3, 48 (each) 3 x 6, 3 x 9, and 3 x 12. Any suggestions on how I should used them?

What immediately comes to mind is the Chain link pattern...but you can do many star (flying geese) patterns with what you've got going on there..... Judy's Mystery #18 would be cool, too. Lots of options...

In November, the guild workshop is using scraps. Last night I sorted the bright scraps, didn't make a dent. Think it's enough for ~3 quilts. THAT STUFF MULTIPLIES! Has anyone used the Creative Grids scrap rulers?

I never thought about FG..I guess I've been thinking too linear! I have no idea what the original quilter had in mind. Thanks, Teen.

You're welcome, OK!

petthefabric...I didn't even know those existed. I'll be interested in learning, too.

Well, I had another fall off the wagon...on purpose...no sale involved. I bought a bolt of very nice quality unbleached muslin. About half of it is destined to be used to make protective bags to slip over quilts stored on pool noodles. The rest is because, a. It’s cheaper than buying by the yard, b. I might want to do another collage quilt using muslin as a foundation someday, and c. I don't want to have to run off to the fabric store every time I need a yard of muslin... so I have to admit there may have been some laziness involved in my fall- did I mention it was an on-line order???

Rob

Rob------------A wise buy.

Rob....I made that same purchase a couple of months ago to make storage bags in preparation for moving. Muslin is a staple, IMHO.

Last night I finished an apron for work. Since I lined it, I doubled the amount of fabric used...1.5 yards out the door. To make it special I inset 3 small crumb blocks on point across the top. Took me longer to sew the crumb blocks than to sew the apron!

I know the feeling, OK. I am back to cutting the binding at 2 1/2 inches instead of 2 1/4 so that I use up more fabric. At least an inch more!!! LOL I will never even make a dent in my stash.

Ha Ha Ha...so way to go E, getting rid of it, one inch (or should I say quarter inch) at a time! For my smaller quilts I used to used 1 1/2" single fold binding. Now I use a 2" double fold...actually like the results better and.....use more fabric!

I love this and purple is my favorite color!

Hi y'all!

Are we still in the Moratorium? I haven't bought any ... not any... fabric since 12/17!! and I still have a couple of truck loads of stash! This weekend, I made 3 baby quilt tops using 5" squares. I think maybe I'm beginning to see a dent in the stacks, totes, bins, shelves, and boxes. I pulled out a stack of batting from the closet and tossed a pile of little pieces. I may live to regret that rashness when the supply of large pieces is used up.

I really need your encouragement to keep this up, so I'm hoping we continue the moratorium into 2019! :)

You're doing wonderful, Susan.

I fell off the wagon - I used my b'day, vacation, etc exemptions all at once. The sad thing is I can't get to the fabric until after Christmas, but I'm excited. My first bargello in Moda graduated fabrics with dots.

I have cut scraps into 2 1/2" squares for leaders and enders. Someday they might make it into an Arkansas Crossroads quilt.

Well done, Susan... I fell off wagon a couple times but not near as much as I use to do. This challenge was so helpful in keeping me focused on existing stash. I think I blew through most of my green and yellow.... My recent Santa quilt is all stash...even backing. Using up some Christmas fabric FQ's felt great...

Hey SillySusan, I think the moratorium lasts each year until Black Friday (the Friday after the US Thanksgiving). Then it's a free for all (well ok, maybe not a free for all LOL) until Jan. 1 when we start next year's moratorium. Correct me if I'm wrong Paperprincess....

Rob

I fell off the wagon when I went to the AQS show in Virginia Beach last week. I bought black, cream and some other color blenders and even a pattern. I had been doing really well with 26 1/2 yards busted on retreat quilts and projects. I am on a week long mission to de-scrap the sewing room and either cut it or put it in the pile to sell or give away. Amazing what I am finding under things...

That sounds great, rryder. Are there any super Black Friday sales on fabric ? ... (not that I'm interested....) :)

Good job Susan! Like Teen I fell a few times as well but not nearly as bad as prior years and I think the last fall was around Mother's Day (at least I think that's the time). In fact I went through Sept (birthday month) with no purchases - not just fabric. I guess moving all my fabric helped a lot in that respect. :)

SillySusan you are doing good. I like the suggestion that the Fabric Moratorium only lasts for a year. Because I fell off the wagon and fell hard. A layer cake from Missouri Southern, and two collections from Quilted Twins. One animal hides and one golden Christmas.

I am using up one bolt of navy, but that may have to be replaced.

I claim travel exemption. Went to PIQF and spent hundreds; cloths, fabric, 2 cutting mats, fabric, fabric...

The quilts were great as always.

This year I really flunked! I bought tons of fabric. Hmmmm...... all I can say to redeem myself is that I've been sewing a ton this year :D

I'm trying to use up stash fabric....wonder why I bought 7 yards of fabric for background on my current red scrap project. Oh I know...it will look great. Now working on cutting out a queen size that I hope to just use stash...that's my redemption! Not only that started and finished a 54x63 basket quilt all from stash...backing and binding, too.

Thanks for all the encouragement, y'all. I'm still hanging in there. Made a few baby quilt tops last week. I just hope people are still having lots of babies!! :)

Petthefabric that would be so hard to resist. SusieQOH some years seem like that. My first year (within the first month) a LQS went out of business so my moratorium might have lasted a few weeks.:o

Oksewglad you're ahead on stash reduction. Way to go! As for me, I'm still working on my double wedding ring and I started a quilt using scraps while getting close to finishing the blocks on one. Just having lots of fun after nearly four months of no quilting.

Yes LQS going out of business is hard on the moratorium! In fact that's where I got border fabric for the queen size quilt.

As far as moratorium definition...as long as one doesn't just randomly buy, but have a plan for it, I don't think one should feel any quilt...a ton in and a ton out is a good balance!

Oh no! Y'all, I have a problem!! I went to the thrift shop I volunteered at for years before "retiring" from it last December. I was the "craft lady" there. After I left, the manager assigned a friend of mine to take over the craft department. It is now a total wreck. My friend doesn't know anything about sewing or quilting. I tried to teach her before I left, but it didn't help. The first thing she did was take advice from others and raised the fabric prices! Now she has tons of fabric piled up worst than my stash all over the place. Today she asked for my help.

So, I told her to lower the prices back to when I was there. She started doing it immediately. Hence my problem... Remember how I got this out of control stash? Yep, I bought too much of the stuff there. I haven't even been tempted to look at anything in the craft section since leaving, and now I know I'll be tempted.

I need some more pep-talks quick!!!

Deep breathe.......in/ out. Repeat after me: "I only have a month before this blasted moratorium is over". You can do it, girl.

I only have the rest of this month because my birthday is next month so I get my exemption before the Black Friday sales. LOL!

SillySusan: Maybe you can take advantage of the lowered prices and get blenders like tone-on-tone. I know I am thinking I need to look for some larger pieces of an earthy tan and maybe dark blue so I can easily cut blocks to go in between patterned or pieced blocks.

Note to all LQS owners...stock up on blenders for us "stash busters" who need to tie all those bits and pieces together!

thanks, Teen, but I should continue the Moratorium into next year! Yikes!!! But I'm taking those deep breathes!

It took only 3 days to decide to buy a quilt kit. I have only purchased one kit in my quilting career besides BOM but I just couldn't resist this one. I'm sure I have the stash to make it without kit but I really loved the fabrics and it screamed "Aunt Bubsie". She'll love it. So, doing push ups.....