Are Your Serious About Busting Stash?
Now that I am shifting from UFO work to new projects I am concentrating on using up my stash. As you may have seen in previous posts I created (too easily!) 12 kits from my stash. It was so easy I didn't even have to look to see what was in my stash. I am half way through that list to create the tops and have begun thinking about what my next steps are. I have other stacks that are intended for a specific project and have even bagged up more kits.
I have begun thinking about those fabrics that I bought because I loved them but had no intended project. My plan is to start pulling some of these fabrics and choosing a project for that fabric. I recognize I may have to buy more fabric to get some of these things done but at least I will be using what I have in my stash cabinet and not adding to it.
So here is a challenge for you. Post a comment to me and tell me what your stashbusting plans are. Leave a goal for your stashbusting efforts if you like. I am heading for Houston Thursday and will pick up a prize or two and have a drawing. I haven't decided on how to select yet but am thinking I will randomly select one winner and hand pick another based on the best stashbusting idea. Make sure I have a way of contacting you easily or I will have to select another person.
A Spring Quilt and NTT
1 hour ago
39 comments:
swooze,
you know i'm the queen of good intentions right? i'm aiming for 365 net busted for 2009. I think i'm going to make that goal for 2008(i'm already at 302 net used for this year!) The plan to get there? i've got about 20 bed sized tops to baste...surely that many backs will go along way to that goal right? I'm also hoping to completly bust all my holiday stash(all the holidays!) which will take a lot of work but is very do-able.
Swooze, isn't stashbusting a job that never ends! mercy!!!! I am really trying hard to finish up my UFO's. Right now my 100+ UFO's are in my sewing room. It's depressing to go in there cuz I know what I am facing. so here is my plan! I have taken all UFO's, extra fabric, books everything that is not need in my sewing room and organized it into large totes. Those totes are in the garage. I kept out 6 UFO's. those are place in my sewing room. I can work on them one at a time or several at a time. My room is cleaner. I don't feel the stress. Now I love to start new things. so for every 2 UFO's I complete, I can start 1 new thing. that leads to stashbusting!I am trying very hard not to buy, but use the fabric I have. if I start something, I have to have it all cut outand ready to sew. If in my orgaizing I don't have the fabric, I can't start it. pick something...
thanks! great blog!
Lorene
qlt7scrap at cox dot net
I'm just getting back into quilting again after many years and one of my goals is to use up as much as I can from my stash before I buy anything new. I just finished a lap quilt top that came entirely from my stash. One down, a lot more to go! :0)
My stashbusting plans are to fold up my fabric neatly, and to make more simple quilts.
By folding up all the fabric I own into a uniform size, it'll give me a sense of order, knowledge of what exactly I own, and make it easier to be organized. My personal goal is to have all my fabric folded by the time I move next May.
By encouraging myself to do more simple quilts, I'll be able to feel like I'm actually accomplishing stuff, opposed to just adding another quilt to the UFO pile. Stuff with big blocks, easy to cut pieces and flexible patterns can bust out several yards. They'll also make great quick gifts when the occasions arise.
I added VERY little fabric to my stash this year, except for what I dyed with my mom. I did buy some background fabric that I'm not counting, but the "just because" fabric has totaled to less than 10 yards this year. I want to downsize the stash so I can add more "I love you" fabrics, guilt free. :)
I finally have all of my stash in one place (since DH and I moved to a smaller home for our retirement and everything is finally unpacked). We were both a little surprised at the amount of fabric that kept appearing :) My plan is to surf all of the Quilting Bloggers sites to find quilts that inspire me to use fabric that I have. I am having so much fun surfing that I still need to figure out where the quilting time will come from lol.
Rita E in AZ
requilt (at) yahoo (dot) com
The best thing for me is to keep up with Bonnie's quilts at Quiltville.com! I have used more scraps with the 2 mystery quilts (the OC and CC) and the Scrap Bargello than I had for years! I plan to make the Tobacco Road over the Christmas Holidays and end 2007with a fraction of what I started with!
I've been trying very hard to stash buts this year. I'm only net down 47 yards! LOL! I decided that next year it's my patriotic duty to BUY as much fabric as I can so I've changed my approach. :)
I didn't want to stop by without a comment but this is hard. I'm focused on saving money for a sofa so I have to make "do" as much as I can with what I have. That's my way of stashbusting.
I want a new sofa to lounge on! Its time. ;)
stashbusting for me was realizing that I'd have to divest myself of my collection within 5 years if I were to follow my dream of moving to Africa on mission work. Having a clear time line has freed me to use fabric I love (no more saving for a special occasion) as well as piece backings and the like. I have no aversion to buying something if I really want it, but I also find myself deciding more and more often I don't "really" want it... Whether I get to Africa or not, I think setting a time line line for fabric to be used by has made a huge difference to me. If/When I buy something I'm thinking of adding an expiry date to the fabric when I put it away -- either use it by then or give t away...
I have decided that my stash is my retirement account. We had a financial planner from our 401k company come to our work. He said that I need 1.5 million to retire. Well we know the stock market has made that an impossibility so I have decided I won't be able to buy anything more than necessities when I retire. I am going to have to live off my stash to keep busy. I don't have time to bust much stash now.
So my plan.... I am going to be content using it slowly and steadily as time allows and then go gangbusters when I retire.
I have decided that my stash is my retirement account. We had a financial planner from our 401k company come to our work. He said that I need 1.5 million to retire. Well we know the stock market has made that an impossibility so I have decided I won't be able to buy anything more than necessities when I retire. I am going to have to live off my stash to keep busy. I don't have time to bust much stash now.
So my plan.... I am going to be content using it slowly and steadily as time allows and then go gangbusters when I retire.
I only pushed the button once I swear. :/
I am busting my stash by making charity quilts for kids in the Foster Care system. It makes me feel good, gives me a chance to try out new pattern ideas and a place to practice my machine quilting. I've finished three in the last month!!!
I have done nothing but work from my stash since I umm inherted it. It is slow progress and a challenge because it looks like not a dang thing goes with anything else. I have surprised myself and gotten an entire quilt top and a wall hanging together along with two other long projects on the go.
You know I am a contest freak!~!
I would just love to enter your coolies of coolies contest and hopefully be the winner!~! You know my track record of finishing things people send to me, so please I beg, implore, grovel and even throw a cherry on top of the whole thing that you pick mee to be the winner. My plans for the up coming months and into the New Year are: Finsh my calico Gardens, I have used only stash scraps. I need to finish my Baltimore blues. I plan to do the next mystery quilt in all different kinds of whites cause I have little bits and pieces of whites I need to use up so I can BUY MORE!~! Then the most ultimate stash buster idea is I have around 10 (NO KIDDING!) tops that I need to quilt and I am gonna cut squares from my stash and get to putting my quilts together for xmas pressies! NOT to mention I am making a few totes, humbug bags and stethascope covers. I better go now and start to sew!~!
Currently I am working on Xmas stockings for the soldiers, just sent 400 ornaments to NY for Trees for the Troops, and will be embroidering some little kiss pillows for the HUGS Project. I have projects doing a siren song at me, but need to prioritize....that cardinal quilt will be done....and a new quilt or two for a new grandbaby due the end of May.....and one for the friend's baby due in February....too many projects so little time....sundayquilter@msn.com
Suzette,
I've belong to the stashbuster group for 9 months now. Just signed up for the No-Buy Challenge.
My plans are several.
1)A numbered system that comes via Mom in a Florida guild. Numbers 1-5 assigned to different UFO's. Then you have to complete that Number when drawn within 2 months befor ethe next number will be drawn. A Deadline that's easy to complete. Down 5 so far this year.
2) New years resolution to complete a project each month. So far have gotten 2 done each month, some small and some large.
3) Still listen to my muse and let creativity soar while challenging myself with the Ideas mentioned in #1 above.
4) No new projects unless I have 2 UFOs completed with name tags.
So far this is working, but I still have been purchasing too much fabric because of sales or I feel I need it, so hopefully the No Buy will assist me there. Wish me luck. I think I have enough for a quilt & fabric shop. LOL
Jane, An Adirondack Quilter
I am busting stash by finishing up as many UFO's as possible, and also making Project Linus quilts from pieces that are large enough and interesting enough, which are great for me to practice long-arm quilting on! I discovered some UFOs I had forgotten about in the process of looking for quickie quilts! I also cleaned out my stash some--got rid of fabrics which no longer meet my standards, and which I would not enjoy using, but others were happy to get them for various projects. And, of course, I'm not buying unless I just don't have anything suitable to finish a project.
Two years ago I concentrated on stashbusting - and I did much better at using fabric. I hoarded fabric because I don't live anywhere near a fabric store - I wanted enough on hand "just in case"(at least thats the story I'm sticking with!!). I have now outgrown the "just in case" and concentrate on using up my fabrics. I do a lot of string quilts for "Heartstrings", I did stockings for the soldiers, currently doing several quilt tops for disaster relief. I made several quilts for Christmas presents for my family and of course Bonnie Hunter Mysteries keep me using up my fabrics. I now only shop out of my stash for my projects. It gets to be a game to see if I can "make" a piece work or "Darn - I ran out" problems!! I never go and buy another piece - the solution is in my stash!! Another way I use my fabric is I have a couple of friends that we sew one day every week which stimulates doing (and finishing) projects ..... just from the stash!!!
Having used up just a small fraction of my stash this year, my plan for next year is to concentrate on making a lot of scrappy quilts. I hope to make 1 large (twin or queen) scrappy top per month in addition to the other things I'll work on. I have a lot of focus fabrics that I hope to do something with too. For some of them, I already have the matching fabrics, and for some I will need to buy, but probably not much.
As soon as I get this upcoming craft fair over with, I am going to spend December making "kits" like you did and plan on paper exactly which scrappy quilt designs I will do.
I think that I'd like to make more charity tops also. Use up some of the fabrics that have been given to me that I don't want.
No prizes for me...
I am going off the deep end - my GF is coming over this Sunday & we are going to cull my stash!
In the mean time, I need to seriously think about what I have & why I have it, so that I can with a clear conscience get rid of the rest...
I like you can kit a bunch of quilts from my stash & will do that - that will be the main determinant in what I keep...
Knowing what I have is making this a daunting task from the outset...
But with a baby on the way & less time than ever to quilt - It must be done!
Forget all this stash stuff. I just plan to finish two for each one I start. What was that my outload voice? If quoted, I will deny I ever made that statement.
My stash is probably quite small compared to some but I do have one. I have not been buying much to add to my stash out of necessity since I am not able to work for a while. That didn't stop the stash from growing as family and friends have been giving me fabric they no longer want or can use.
Finishing the MANY quilts I have on-the-go is my priority. I'm sure that will keep me going for quite some time! However, it is almost a necessity for me to start a new project now and then to keep my creativity alive, so I am going to make those new projects from only what I have on hand. I really enjoy doing mystery quilts so I plan on doing those so long as I can do them with what I have in my stash.
I do have lots of scraps to use as well so I plan on making scrap quilts. I have saved images of quilts I have seen on the web in an "Inspiration" file. Looking through those keeps me enthused about both finishing what I have started and doing more.
my goal has been and will continue to be-finish my ufos, shop the stash first, and add what will work with what I already have or something new to liven up the current stash.
2009 I want to actually track what I use against what I add. I also continue to work on sewing down the mess in my sewing room that is blocking stash baskets in the closet-a deadline of my birthday in April of 2009 is my new goal.
enjoy Houston!!!!
Oooo - Houston! Have lots of fun. I cut my stash in half when we moved in June - and it feels like the wrong 1/2!!! I now need to cut it down again by 1/3 - because it doesn't fit well into the space I have for it here. [cram, cram, cram!]
I'm going to go thru it, drawer by drawer and cut strips off most of it. I gave away my strips when I moved - to a charity group ... and I find I really miss them! Since that doesn't really reduce as much as rearrange ... I will also make kits for our charity quilts at guild.
And I'm going to make dog quilts - so my DD doesn't use the good quilts I've made her for them!I still need to come up with a big-girl quilt for Miss P and a baby quilt for the one coming NEXT MONTH! Yikes!!!
Deep breath!
doni @ Oregon coast
doniquilts.blogspot.com
Swooze,
I see that you are off to Houston and so while you are away you have won the extra retreat basket that I did for my "Friends Forever" quilting retreat!! I sent you an e-mail but in case you don't get it, just send me your snail mail address to stitchinglegacy(at)gmail(dot)com and I will get it in the mail to you. What's my plan for stash busting. Oh, that's easy - giveaways on my blog and doing retreats! :-) I love doing doorprizes, goodie baskets, gifties for friends and I just go to my stash for the fabric and then enhance the basket or bags with goodies from the Dollar store or craft and fabric stores. I've even given away "ugly" fabric as a doorprize and challenged the recipient to make something from it. This last time the ugly fabric quilt turned out to be a stunner. It'll show up on my blog later this week. I'm also "down-sizing" my books and patterns and gave away a few of those at retreat. The winners of each were thrilled to get what "luck of the draw" provided to them. IA lot of my stash goes for donation projects as I have a "Sew and Share" group - sewandshare(at)blogspot(dot)com)- plus I do volunteer activities at our library and at a nearby women's prison. I don't have a specific goal for stashbusting, but instead am working to get it more manageable - coordinating colors, fabric lines, by holidays, etc. on the shelves in my sewing room. I have been making good progress the last month! Hope you are having fun amongst the quilts and fabrics, etc. in Houston. :-)
Hey Swooze i am thinking of the 100yd dash for next year ...i have crossed off alot of ufos and will continue to work on them. Stash will finish them up i am sure.....Aunty_Social
hey swooze,
great blog mate...stash..ah the magic stash! I have been working on a string/strip quilt for a few days now...I cant bear my scrappy bucket any more. well...have sewn and sewn and sewn...I havent even touched the sides!!!! rofl..do you realise how big this quilt will be? have decided I had better make several...but in saying that is nice to use up all those little "bits" that some others would throw away...will keep ya posted
Hi Swooze. I loved reading everyone's comments, and I have a great idea about reducing everyone's stash......send all your spare fabric to MOI!!!! I know it won't reduce mine, but it will make you all feel great...giving is the greatest gift after all....and I won't have to travel 700km to the nearest quilt shop, ggg. I have lots of fat quarters so I am going to make a half square triangle quilt....soon!!
Cheers
I work off of a list of 5. I have to complete 5 items before I can start something new. By items, I mean quilts, whether they are small or large, it doesn't matter. I have also gone through my stash and put kits togehter like you. I have made not just quilt kits but purse kits, bag kits(these are not purses), wallhanging kits, tablerunners, pincushions, all different things. I have also gone in and started using Bonnie Hunter's scrap user's system. Here's the link to that if you want to see it...
http://quiltville.com/scrapusersystem.shtml
I can pull out strips and start sewing anytime now without thinking about it. I also belong to a group of sewers that make cosmetic bags and we fill them up with combs, soap, tooth paste,toothe brushes, etc and donate to the local women's shelters at Christmas. We make small strip quilts for the children too.. thanks, Linda
OK, today is a new day...I figured if I entered again today this would increase my chance of getting a pressie from Houston....right??????
Anyways you know my plans for busting my stash. I am scrappy~doo queen!~! Making 9 patches this week from stash for my calico garden quilt. Hope to have this done by xmas!~!
I need to bust some of my numerous UFOs. My plan is to start right after Christmas presents are finished and to use my basket method to pull out a piece of paper to tell me what to work on. Hopefully, this will work for me. :\
Well since I can't stand not entering a good contest here I am !!!
Step number one. Hold a swap to get a "New to me" fabric fix. Step number two clear my sewing space. its great to sew in a clear area. Step number three. Cut up a kit or two with the "new" and old stash. Step Four. Kick husband and kid out of the house for quality me time to sew and eat goodies to my hearts content.
Seriously Swooze I use my stash in swaps, and since my patterns I do are scrappy in nature the more variety the better. I bag projects with a pattern in mind. If I don't use it within 6 months . I print out the pattern and place it in the 1 gallon baggie and drop it off in the second store. I never see the baggies in the stores when I go, so someone is using them ;-).
I plan on continuing to bust stash as I finish up UFO's this coming year. I'd love to use/give away as much as I have this yr, but that might not happen. Time will tell.
Moira
OK today is ANOTHER new day I figured I better enter your contest again...rofl.
I now have a new plan (once again, but nothing new here) The plan is to SORT all my stash. I am now going VERTICAL instead of stacking my stash horizontal on shelving. It kinda looks like Joanne's etc... in my craft room. So that is my new plans for my stash.
My goal this coming next months and into the new year is to use my stash and buy only back ground fabrics. That is my goal but I tend to be the first to fall off the band wagon.
How I'm stash busting.....
I've given myself a budget of $20 per week to spend on craft related bits and pieces. This means when I do add to my stash, it is in a small way...fabrics at quilt stores are $24 average in Perth....and I prefer to support the quilt stores than the chain stores.
I have picked out fabrics I truly believe I won't use on the front of a quilt or use for any other smaller projects and ear marked them for backs of quilts. I mostly make quilts to hang on the walls, so it doesn't matter if the backs are made up of joined fabrics.
I'm thinking outside the square when it comes to fabric and making small projects such as fabric bags, cushions, pincushions etc....not just quilts....and it gives me instant gratification...so things get finished!
I'm also taking part in Finn's Challenge. I plan to have no projects left when the clock ticks over on New Year's Eve.
I am kitting up projects for next year out of my stash with all the appropriate fabrics and patterns....and am picking projects I find irressistable!
I hope you have a wonderful time in Houston. It looks like an amazing craft show....and place!
Sue
Western Australia
I forgot to add....I'm giving myself an end date for each project I start...a realistic one! It seems to be working!
Sue
Western Australia
IT"S another day@!@ ROFL!~!
Today I ahve set yet ANOTHER goal for stash busting. I got my scraps out and I started cutting them into the correct sizes for pinapple blossoms quilt!
So did I get another chance at the pressie??
My goal for 2009 is to use enough stash so that everything fits in my wire pullout baskets that sit under my pressing table.
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