“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”
- Tony Robbins
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Since we were away for most of January, February is my 'New Year' for 2015 for starting projects.
This is BIG year for projects!
The picture above shows our rearranged spare room. We took apart our spare bed and stored it in the built in wardrobes at the back of the room. These robes were hiding my fabric stash - but no more!
Now my stash is piled up in a heap. My task this year is to work my way through it - sewing things to use, give as gifts or sell. By the end of 2015, I want to just have my sewing desk (on the left) and the wooden chest of drawers that you can just see peeking out on the right. All those boxes, bags, pockets etc have to go!
Having everything out in the open is going to be a daily reminder and motivation to keep on sewing. To start with I'll have to move boxes just to reach my sewing machine! I have lists of things to make and I've tried to divide the lists up into a time schedule over the course of the year.
I think I'm venturing into unchartered territory here. I can find lots of posts on blogs and articles about stashbusting, reducing your stash and organising your fabric stash; but nothing about trying to use it all up!
I know it's a massive ask - but the way our spare room looks now is a HUGE motivation to get this done. All the fabric, notions and other bits and bobs I've saved over the past 10 years, are going to be put to use.
Use What You've Got is my motto and that's certainly what I'm sticking to this year!
So how about you?
What does your fabric stash look like? Do you have any pictures to share? Does it need to be used up?
I may be a bit crazy to attempt this challenge - but I do hope you'll follow along and see what I make and also the progress photos of my shrinking stash over the year!
Better get started!
Jill
You are gonna have the time of your life! I am dou g the same right now with my yarn stash. I told myself I will not buy one more yarn or thread until I use up every bit of what I have!!!! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThanks Julie! Good luck with your yarn busting too!
DeleteMy stash isn't as bad as most but still more than necessary. Last night I was placing an online fabric order and something in me said to wait til today to purchase and see if I still wanted it as much. Read your post this morning and was totally inspired to delete the order sat waiting on my screen - what timing!!! - Chris :D
ReplyDeleteHa! That's great Chrissie! I still can't resist looking at fabric I'd like to buy - I'm just getting better at resisting!
DeleteThat is some serious stash! I'm doing a Fabulising February to finally finish some project I've got scheduled. Join me, it should help with the decluttering :)
ReplyDeleteThanks MJ! Fabulising February sounds great - I've plenty of projects on my list! Will try to join in - any and all motivation is very welcome for me!
DeleteI do a lot of dyeing so I have lots of white stuff from shirts to scarves to all kinds of fabric. I recently organized and labeled my fabrics. That really helped me finally to see what I have and what I did or didn't need. It has really stopped me from buying that one more thing at the thrift store the other day. Anyway, I also want to use up my stash this year - my word is completion - using the beautiful fabrics I make instead of just hoarding them! I'll be interested in seeing how you use yours up.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynda!
ReplyDeleteI like that...completion! I might put that up on my wall here to inspire me too! Good luck using your fabrics up too! I've made a start on mine today and will be sharing on the blog as I go!
Well Jill....good luck! I LOVE folding and organizing fabric...so you are kind of making me jealous that you get to do that! I reorgainzed some of my room this weekend as I am going to be starting a new medium...lace fabric memory books and I needed more than just fabric so I got to organize that. Yea, I admit.. I am an over organizer! Its fun...it really is!!! Happy organizing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheri - yes I've enjoyed organising my fabric lots too - but I've run out of space and all the boxes are breaking they are so full! Once they have cleared a bit I'm sure I'll spend a little time reorganising too! :) Good luck with those lace fabric memory books - they sound interesting - do share when you've made some!
DeleteMine is as bad and probably worse than yours, Jill. I am hoping to put a lot of mine to use this year and I am trying do better about adding to it. It is pretty overwhelming, so I can really identify!
ReplyDeleteGood luck reducing your stash too Lynn!
DeleteHave been working on mine for about a year. Anxious to see ideas for what you make with the scraps. Hope you will share them.
ReplyDeleteI'll share it all! I've got 6 colour coded boxes of scraps that you can't even see in the above photo! There will have to be a LOT of scrap projects!
DeleteI'm so glad to see that someone else has a huge, out-of-control collection of plastic storage crates too! My hubby hates them so I am also using up my stash, and have vowed to make all handmade gifts this year. So far, so good. Two girl birthday parties this year - boys will be a bit more of a problem! You are very organised - colour coordinating your scraps. I am finding organisation is the key to using it - if I can't find it, I don't use it! I have called this year The Year Of No Superfluous Spending - doing pretty well so far!
ReplyDeleteGood for you Jayne. Sounds like we have similar fabric stashs. Handmade gifts are definitely the way to go. It's a slow process using up all this fabric, but I'm hoping I soon start to see mine get smaller. Doesn't look any different just yet even though I've made a fair bit!
DeleteCompared to my stash, yours is just a drop in the bucket. LOL I have 7 of the pattern cabinets, you know the ones in the fabric stores, ALL filled with strictly quilting fabrics, minus the flannels, which are out in the little shed, in 4 or 5, 65 qt. plastic totes, then there's 9 65 qt. totes, full of wool, waiting for me to take them apart, so I can felt them, then they won't take up nearly as much room. LOL Then I have a few totes of home decorator fabrics. LOL This doesn't include the totes full of NON quilting fabrics, BUT, this year I AM going to have a yard sale and try to sale a bunch of the NON quilting fabrics, PLUS I have a ton of girls/women's clothing patterns, ALL going in the yard sale. What doesn't sell, I'm donating to our local Humane Society Thrift Store.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Carmen - I thought my stash was big!! I wish I lived nearby to come to your yard sale......just to look of course because I don't need to add to my stash... :(
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