retiredteacher09

Congratulations Gemm! Fabric out is a great feeling, isn’t it?

Gemm

It certainly is! :-) I could only wish that clearing out fabric would guarantee oodles of storage space, too. Seems I've got more clearing out to do!

Iceblossom

One of my sewing ladies came over yesterday for tea and a chance to shop my stash or at least my tote of ready to give away fabric... she got a nice fat reusable grocery sized bag of good stuffs. I am getting closer to my goal of fitting everything in my closet. Closer but no cigar yet!

Today we are going to my favorite "local" quilt shop, about 45 minutes away. (I wanted her to shop the free stuff before we went) Unlike my usual scrappy style, this is what I call a "planned" quilt, the Labyrinth Walk. I have 3 out of 4 perfect fabrics and need to find the 4th. I have my bag packed with the perfects and a couple of the rejects.

By fabric moratorium rules, I am allowed to get needed fabric provided I shopped stash first which I did. In order to help control my impulses to buy fabric, this shop prefers cash and so I will bring just enough for what I need. Yeah -- she takes cards too but too easy to get in trouble that way.

I am reminding myself that this is not a FART (fabric acquisition road trip). Wish my luck in the search for the perfect fabric and resisting the other temptations that might come my way.

Iceblossom

I did pretty good! I did find what I think is the right fabric for the project and got the 3 yards I was going to get. There was another fabric that in many ways I liked better, at least it really made the fabrics pop but I had some concerns over how good a 3D it would have. There wasn't enough on the bolt for me, under 2 yards and I needed 3. I did buy it because it went super-great with the fabric I originally bought for my medium-dark but decided was too dark.

So I mean really, for an hour trip each way, one extra piece wasn't bad. All sorts of temptation however! One thing the shop owner does really well is sell precut kit bundles in different sizes, so typically like 5 yards total. But she has a great eye for putting things together and making them look delicious.

WMUTeach

I am not going to talk about falling off the wagon. I simply did not have the needed fabric for a batik graduation quilt. I purchased 2.5 yards for the background and 7- 9" width cuts of fabric to needed to finish the quilt. Nothing extra but will likely have to purchase back for this later next month.

I also purchased 3 yards of coordinating fabric for my quilting group's mystery quilt. I had a focus fabric in stash, the largest piece, but I needed background and two other colors. One more very odd one color, 3/4 yard, then that will be ready. That is what happens when you shop your stash for 6 or 7 years..... you start to run out of what you need.

petthefabric

I acquired fabric. And I'm ok with it.
First, was 5 wide backs. Two tops are ready for quilting by LA. Another is getting started. The other 2 are usable withing a few months.

Second, now that the word is out for scraps, they're flying my way.

Having fun with a temporary rabbit trail.

Lena1952

I count 3 yards out this month and two Community quilts completed. WMUTech, you do such a wonderful job of shopping your stash that the small purchases you make are minuscule. We need to give ourselves a pat on the back for both small and large accomplishments.

WMUTeach

Thanks, Lena1952. I have been at this for a while and have a clear goal to leave minimal unused fabric behind when I leave this world. So I keep focused, determined to create warmth and beauty and keep stash busting with every quilt I make. With the price of fabric, I use what is on hand first. Then fill in what is needed generally from local shops or a regional chain shop that feels like a local shop.

Final word..........don't give up on your effort to shop from you own already special curated selection of fabrics, our stash.

Gemm

Ooh, I'm so glad I popped in here - love the self-awareness and self-control. Remember, Fabric Moratorium "rules" are really just more guidelines and are meant to be flexible to allow you to "do you" while enjoying the great feeling that comes from using fabric you had on hand.

I've come to realize that I get so much pleasure and stress reduction right now from digging through a bag of scraps from the free table at my guild meetings that I am not even going to count them as fabric acquisitions at present. They still fulfill the "budget" part of my Fabric Moratorium approach, at least! I haven't actually put away the contents of the last two months' bags, but I have grabbed handfuls of what's in them on several occasions just to touch and sort and dream for 10 minutes when life just gets to be too much and I need to breathe. I have also learned that I am quite good at giving other people's "trash" a home in a quilt when I've got the time and the vision and so I am confident that most of the fabric will find that kind of home soon enough. :-)

WMUTeach

I got 20 yards out this month! Seven, nearly 8 yards was from one quilt. It was a big'en. The rest were finishes and one small bin of R/W/B that I passed on to a friend who makes QOV quilts with a small group of gals. I am working toward my goal of 100 yards out in 2025.

Press on to your goal and keep the fabric moving "out the door."