I've bought some fabric this year but not even close to the amount I gifted last year so I'm doing okay :)

I've been on the moratorium for 3 or 4 years and I haven't made it yet. However I have improved considerably over the years.

Another multiyear participant here...This has not stopped me from buying fabric, I just put more thought into my purchases. When I do buy fabric it must be for a current project or be on sale and work into my existing stash. If neutrals are on sale I will also buy as they provide grounding for my scrappy quilts. I have a $ amount to spend over the year...I don't like it if I have exceeded my budget. I did this year, but also a two LQS had closed and I bought fabric for 50% off. Not thinking I will need much for this coming year.

I don't have a big reserve: 500 yards maybe. But in France the fabric is expensive: 18/20 dollars per meter (1.10 yard). I say that I have the value of a beautiful IKEA kitchen in my hiding place.
In 2017, I spent 15% of my annual pre-tax income on fabrics, notions and books.
I want to spend a lot less this year. But Free Spirit closed ... there will be more collective Kaffe Fassett, or Amy Butler or Denyse Schmidt .... quick buy more, more more .....

This is my third year? first year I was great second year I fell off a bit more but always people are there to encourage you back on. This year I am ever mindful and really trying to stick to my budget really hard so we will see how it goes.

I am so happy to have these quilt tops done: The baby quilt is 40.5” by 46.5” and the Bonnie Hunter Rail Fence Leader/ender Challenge quilt top is 69.5” by 77.5”. The boat fabric in the baby quilt will also be the backing. I am not sure if I will try to machine quilt it with my walking foot or let the baby charity where it will eventually go finish it. The BH Challenge quilt top will go to my church group to finish and donate.

All from my stash=about 6 1/3 yards.

Connie

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Wonderful scrappy's retiredteacher....that's a lot of stash put to use for others. I am constantly amazed on what you guys are creating from your stash. So inspiring...

Fantastic scrappies, Connie!

Those are lovely Connie. The colors on the first one is wonderful and I really like how the checks show off the design of the rail fence.

I'm staying strong (ok my charms haven't even gotten here yet). I did order 5 packs of blades as the price was too good to pass up so will be set for awhile. I was stockpiling some supplies (needles, blades, some thread) as it looked like hubby would retire last year but he didn't. Don't know whether I'll continue on or not with that - maybe add a little more throughout the year.

I did pull a few more fabrics from my stash for the double wedding ring. Since the amount I need is 3 1/2" the question of whether there was enough was mute so the only criteria is that it be bright. The charms are quite a bit bigger than I need so I'm cutting them down and sewing those together. Will figure out something to do with them

Nicely done Connie...I'm doing paintmejudy's mystery out of stash fabric..and since I have an "ice" day today I'm going to try to get the top finished.

So I need some help I was given a bunch of strips a couple years ago all bundled together. I ran across them in my cleaning up some where already sewn together so I made strip sets and made them into 16 patch blocks. I am wanting to stay with stash only. I decided to use them in the sunny skies quilt pattern shown here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvsAzg-FzxA

I found a pretty blue floral that I had a good amount of to use as the borders but I did not have any good blues or grays that worked with the blocks to make the HST chevron block. I did find a yellow its pretty intense but matches the brighter yellow that is in every block. Paired with a heavy cream do you think these will work together? [ATTACH=CONFIG]589466[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]589467[/ATTACH]

Beautiful yellow. Works for me.

Love how everyone is using their stash. I am actually finishing some things - unfortunately, they are not mine (helping a friend). Went to Joann the other day to buy some machine oil and came out with 1 bottle of machine oil and a magazine. I stuck to my guns. On the downside, a package arrived from my friend who has to get rid of her stash due to health reasons. In order to support her I bought more than I wanted and way more than I needed. But friends need to help friends.

Altairss is the light in the blocks a white or a cream? For your second color I would look for a color that matches that hue to go with the yellow. Both the yellow and blue floral look great.

Altairss, I like the fabrics you picked but I would not make the yellow border too wide. It could be overpowering.

oksewglad the light in the blocks is a cream its darker and a bit warmer then it photographed and I am going to use a similar cream background to offset the yellow Thinking I might do either pinwheels or hourglasses between the blocks instead of the pattern I originally thought to use as I made all the 16 patches and that one actually uses half blocks.

MadQuilter I was thinking of not using the yellow in the border at all only in the B blocks and instead just float the center with the same deeper cream background a 2 inch border then the blue flowers I feel like the yellow would fight the flowers a bit to much. Sometimes using what I have makes me a bit OCD lol

The charity quilt group from the guild is using rail fence pattern this year. Rather than bring home more fabric, I've been choosing 3 fabrics from my stash. So far I've finished 4 flimsies and cut 2 more. Still have 2 to cut. This pattern uses about 1 1/4 yrs and can put it together in about 4 hours. The back is also about 1 1/4 yd.

The pattern is easily adapted for different amount and width fabric available. I make the block size to use up the whole width: if it's 42" wide, it'll cut 7" squares. If it's 40"---6.5" squares. The the width of the strips is calculated to make the strip set width correspond with the length. Some have had extra yardage so I make them 6x8 blocks. I just try to use as much of the yardage as I have. Some strips are pieced. The strips are rarely the same width, just so the total width = the length so they're square.

And if I have fabric's to make the back, I include it also. Someone else loves quilting & binding them.

So these 8 charity quilts will use ~15 yds fabric. And they can be patterns I'm not interested in anymore... 30's. Been there, done that.

Altairss, i like the bright yellow and think it coordinates well. However, if it's brighter in person than it appears onscreen, I'd use it sparingly. But definitely use it. Solids always do good things for quilts w/ lots of pattern.

I like the yellow, too!! (It's my signature color...lol!...do I like it in anything...). Great find in the stash and it will make some wonderful, cheerful quilts. Yea!

Ok.....I splurged...kinda....On my mini vacay to Laughlin NV, which I lost in gambling but not huge, we drove across the river into Arizona and drove home thru Fort Mojave AZ where, of course, I found a quilt shop and, of course, my friends willingly supported my desire to stop (they are such enablers). Wellllllll....darling shop and darling people...and fabulous fabrics everywhere. I stocked up on more patriotics (2 yards) for my QOV's, found adorable polka dots (3 yards total), which is my weakness besides brownies and M&M's, and stocked up on black (4yrds) which I was running low. All of these fabrics are targeted for a specific quilt that I have fabric set aside (except about 3 yards of black). I did not buy anything "just because" and completely avoided precuts, tho that was tough to do. They were awesome, my friends had a ball shopping with me and the shop gave me a bunch of really cute and bright 2 1/2 strips just for stopping by. (Tied in a bow...so cute). My friend even bought a yard to make bandana's for his vet friends. I could have made do without these fabrics but when in a new town away from home (255 miles from home) and a chance to shop a local LQS, you just gotta stop and shop. So fun...

travel Exemption!!! you’re good :thumbup:

Rob

Ooh, travel exemption. So those 2 panels I bought while on retreat last weekend are free, right? :)
Despite that, I was feeling pretty good about my fabric moratorium and usage on the retreat. I used a bunch of fabric to make a quilt backing for a 2-sided quilt - four 40" swoon blocks, sashed and bordered to make a 95" back for a giant swoon quilt top. And then I looked at the original quilt on my blog - it's 91"x106". What the heck? So, rather than a back to complete a UFO, I seem to have made a new UFO. But stash usage!! So it's all good. And maybe I can find a different quilt in my stack of 41 UFOs that it can be a backing for.

"Travel exemption"-I always allow spending money when on a trip, it's just part of the fun.

We said the distance was more than 50 miles. And we're such enablers. So when I go to Visalia for my eye appointment, I'm on a trip and Thimble Towne is free shopping......yeh!!!!!

That's gorgeous Krista!

Rob

And they have such a tempting selection.

Well Krista, at least you worked at getting a UFO done...and stash reduction is a bonus! Either way, the big blocks are pretty nice.

Travel exemptions, Ha! You folks are such rationalize-rs....LOL

Got 4 more charity quilt tops made from my stash. I'll go look for backing and turn them in Thursday. Someone else quilts them. So that's roughly 8 yrds from leaving home. Still can't see any change in the amount of stash. I'll just keep working like that little ol' ant.

I would make a narrow (1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inch) sashing out of that yellow. It can be in there, but I agree with the other quilter that it can be overwhelming.

Marcia

ok. haven't been here for a while. But I've been very, very, very bad. Did I mention Very? My cousin got her tax refund & made me go internet shopping with her. The parcel was shipped to my house & my husband hurt is back bringing it in. Over half the yardage is hers, but still. I think this is the worst I've fallen in years. I did get lots of backing fabric, however, and one is earmarked for a project. Sigh.

And be honest: Didn't it feel very, very, very good? I mean VERY good? I know the feeling and so far I have been doing OK but I am waiting for my fall. (It's always nice to be prepared)

I turned down the offer of free scraps from a local quilter. It was tough as I know the quality of her fabrics as well as her design likes...Those freebies take up a lot of "scrap" space.

Yes, it's wonderful!!!!
I'm just going to claim my birthday exemption a month early... it's almost March!

PaperPrincess: I like your thought process. Happy March birthday!

Oksewglad: Congrats in saying ‘no’. I would probably have caved and added to my scrap stash. Lol!

Connie

I need WOW!!! Going to LQS this week. Pray for me...

Well not only did I get a UFO done...a mini quilt...but also a WIP finished made from stash...I mean how much stash does a 10 x 15 " quilt take...none the less no yardage was harmed in the making of the modern mini...As soon as I can find my camera I'll take pictures to share...

Teen...make a list and stick to it...like you do at the grocery store!

I am happy to report that I did not buy anything at Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest while I was there yesterday, though there were some luscious dupioni silks and an HQ Sweet 16 that were calling my name. There are some advantages to only going to the last day--- after driving over an hour to get there and then running around trying to take in all the quilts and playing some on the various sit down quilters, I was really too overwhelmed to actually shop LOL!

Rob

Rob, I have a Sweet 16 and finally got back to working with her. The only thing I don't like is that the machine sits lower than the table which makes ruler work bumpy. I actually bought the table overlay that they upsell. Don't know if HQ has fixed that with their line yet - they did with the Baby Lock Tiara. Just something to think about. I also bought the stitch regulator and would not spend that money now. The machine is so easy to use.

I won’t have a picture until I finish quilting it but I put together a (Sticks & Stones) scrap quilt, all 1 1/2” pieces & 1 1/2” strips of scraps with 2 1/2” black smashing & 2 1/2” corner Stones. Then 2 1/2” x 4” strips for a border. 8 3/4 yards of scraps and 2 yards black stash fabric for smashing, border & binding. That’s 10 3/4 yards gone from my stash! Yea!
And im using 3 yards of 108” wide bleached muslin for the backing also from my shelves. And Piecing batting. No purchases at all for the whole queen sized quilt. I’m feeling like I’m starting to make a dent and getting scraps better organized and used. Plan to get it quilted tomorrow. Had to wash the backings so I’m done for today.

I’m another one who ordered fabric this week. My brother wanted me to make a Disney Olaf themed quilt for his GD. I ordered 2 panels and fabric to make large blocks to go around the blocks to enlarge the panels. One panel will be the front and the other panel will be the backing, so it will be a reverse quilt. Her birthday is next month. I figure excess will go into charity quilts. I’m looking forward to gettting this one started and done.

On the out of stash pile, I made a 40” charity blue quilt all from stash. I also made a small mug rug from scraps. So about 2.33 yards out. So i’m Still behind on my in verses out yardage. I look on the bright side. I still have 10 months to reverse this yardage trend.

I’ve been lurking for a couple of years & would like to join the fabric moratorium. I don’t have a huge stash but I do want to use what I have. Today I found a pattern for a table runner using a center panel as the focal point. This panel came from the fabric I inherited from my mother, who died in 2005, so it’s been here for a while. I’ve sewed all the pieces except the border. Everything, including the backing & batting, came from my stash. I’ll post a picture once I finish it.