Did you all have a lovely long weekend? Mine was full of gardening, sewing, and just hanging out with my family and fur babies.
However, I have a shameful thing to confess to you all. Please don’t judge me too harshly.
The truth is, that my stash is overflowing.
Overflowing onto every flat surface in fact!
It is making finding fabric, sewing blocks and finishing little swap presents very challenging because I have to shift it all around, over and over.
I was lamenting this state of affairs to my friend Libby, in England, when we decided to launch an April Fabric Fast challenge.
This notion was very quick to take hold amongst others in the Instagram quilting world, and I am excited to have their company along with us to help give encouragement, support and cheerleading for the whole month.
Of course the fast has some necessary exclusions, including specific monthly fabric clubs, or items required to finish current projects, quilts or swaps. However buying just because it is on sale, is there or for stashing is against the rules. Retail therapy is to be replaced by stash contemplation. When I need a fabric fix, there is plenty of beautiful textiles for me to gaze on, fold, or organise, in my boxes already.
As well as fasting, Libby and I have also agreed to work towards finishing one WIP (work-in-progress) per month until our project pile, and my guilt levels, are under control.
My WIP project of choice for April is the Mrs Tiggywinkle quilt. Although the background quilting has been completed, there are still hedgehogs and the outer border to finish. Binding was selected and purchased weeks ago, so it’s time this quilt was a finished object!
In case you are concerned for me, which I greatly appreciate, I will exhibit more fully my shame before you.
A recent visit to Melbourne to visit a dear quilting friend brought along with it a few too many opportunities to fabric shop. Although a few things were purchased to fill holes in my stash – which was sadly lacking in both red and purple fabrics, the rest of it seems to have found it’s way into my suitcase as if by magic.
Added to my shame is the generous gifting by several Instagram friends who shared their scraps with me when I lamented that I was sick of the sight of my own fabrics, and needed something new to use for my hexagon quilt.
Rachelle shared this incredible selection of fabrics with me, including some very precious Tula Pink and lots of other gorgeous prints and colours. I have been diligently using it in my hexagons, in my swap quilts and in my bee extras. It will be a while before I even get to the bottom of such a generous gift.
So, now that I have fully exposed the breadth of my fabric shame, I ask, are you on board? Will you fabric fast with me? Do your wip’s need some long overdue attention?
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Angie @ GnomeAngel.com
Fabulous idea. I have purchased very little fabric this year for the same reason – way too much happening in my stash and I should use it! I’m saving myself for a couple of big lines this year and that’s it. Loving the quilting happening on your hedgehog quilt – it’s going to be very special when it’s done. Love it! <3
Cassandra
Thanks Angie! Its been a marathon but it will be worth it in the end. When you have so much fabric you can’t remember what you have, its definitely time to stop shopping and start sewing!
Mary
I totally agree that it may be time for mento concentrate on finishing a quilt in limbo. I certainly have too many to count. However, I am concerned about promoting a fabric fast even though I have more fabric than I need. We have lost many quilt shops in the past few years due to various reasons and I don’t want more to close due to lack of business. Some shop owners said that even dropping in to buy a fat quarter would have helped their cash flow. So, I will concentrate on finishing a project, donate some fabric from my stash to a philanthropy project, and look forward to a visit to my local quilt shop where I will probably buy fabric. Thank you for reading my comment.
Fiona
Yes Mum. Can laybuys be excluded?
Cassandra
You can exclude anything you feel the need to, including fabric bought on days ending with y! 😉
Libby
I’ve been good and only ordered things I need for orders so far. Now I need to get on and finish a wip!! We should make a list and share that with each other, and put the month by the side of each project we want to finish!
Cheryl
Welllll, I was fasting with you via IG and then someone had an amazing sale on good fabrics that I could buy for backings – to the tune of 59 yards!! :0 FIFTY NINE YARDS!!! Unfortunately they were NOT a shop that offered free shipping over a certain $ amount. 🙁 AND then of course I succumbed to some Hello Darling Pre Order that I said I wasn’t going to. So much for fasting.
Cassandra
Wow Cheryl!! I wouldn’t even know where to PUT 59 yards!! Time to start using some of it up I think!
Stash Planning | Cassandra Madge
[…] I previously explained why I was on an April fabric fast – an out of control stash, and the inability to stop buying fabric because it was pretty, and colourful, and oh, just made me happy. Emotional eater? No, I’m a stress shopper. A reality-hiding retail addict. […]