A new year. A fresh start. My stash busting goal for 2010 was to use more fabric than I bought. It didn't quite work out that way, I ended 2010 very much in the red. This year the focus will be on managing the stash, with the aim of using more than I buy. The goal is to just finish in the black. I've given myself a "stash enhancement budget" of 10 yards/quarter (or a little over 3 yards per month). I have holes in my stash that need to be plugged so I can make new quilts, plus I like fabric too much to realistically expect myself to not buy any all year.
So how did the first week of 2011 go? Here's the stash report:
Used this week: 0.78 yards
Added this week: 0 yards
Used year to date: 0.78 yards
Added year to date: 0 yards
Net used for 2011: 0.78 yards
Not as much sewing as I had hoped for the last week. Even though I was off work, so was my guy and kiddo. Plus the house needed some serious attention. Between work, weekend volleyball games, and weekend swim meets this fall and winter I missed a lot of house cleaning time (I'm not sorry for spending my time that way, but at some point you do have to deal with the chaos!)
Whatever your stash busting/enhancement goals are for 2011, good luck with them. Click over to Judy's Patchwork Times to see the first stash reports of 2011.
I like your stash enhancement budget idea. I am trying to buy only when I need it for a specific project but enhancing stash with neutrals etc. once in awhile would also help out and keep things fresh.
ReplyDeleteI like your budget idea as well. Mind if I borrow it?
ReplyDeleteAll this talk about the price of cotton going up has me itching to stock up now. I must resist..I must. :-)
Good luck staying in the black this year!
Your starting out great! I understand about the house - we missed a lot of cleaning due to sports too - oh well. Enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteYour stash enhancement plans sounds great. I've always felt that housework can wait, it's the family activities that are most important. Our kids are home - and then gone in a flash!
ReplyDeleteThat's a reasonable purchase goal. Besides, even if we have lots of fabric, sometimes one needs to get the correct shade of something. I think some of UFO problem is the result of not liking the color combo, so why complete it?
ReplyDeleteI understand the cleaning chaos problem.
Liz
I have the same goal this year to use more than I buy, but I know I will have to purchase some to finish the quilts. There is no point in using the stash, if it just creates tops that lie around on the shelves! Good luck with your goals this year!
ReplyDeleteI like your idea for stash busting. I think completely stopping purchasing is too difficult but giving yourself an allowance is mush more achievable. I haven't done too well in stash busting already this year, thanks to a fellow Aussie who shall remain nameless but she knows who she is. I too am doing my bit to help the U.S. economy, I have struck gold with an online fabric site where I found all the fabric I have been searching for for months. I caved in and bought about a dozen yards. Maybe I should start my stash busting next month, next year, or next decade!
ReplyDeleteAll your 2010 posts convinced me to keep a tally of in/out fabric for 2011.
ReplyDeleteI do like the idea of giving myself a yardage allowance though. I have so much stuff in my sewing room it's groaning but like you I need to "plug some holes" and there will be the inevitable backing purchases this year(which would eat up the yardage allowance fairly quickly)
I'll think about that some more.Maybe I should give myself a round figure of 100 yards for the year and that includes backing - and doesnt inlcude the 35 odd yards I already have on the way!
the last couple weeks were busy with family. Every stash needs a bit of enhancement. I like to think of it as "stash rotation". You use up some old fabrics and add some new ones.
ReplyDeleteAh, taming chaos. Yes, it must be done!
ReplyDeleteLucky you having all that time off and having princess time (home by yourself) on the last day.
ReplyDeleteLove the turquoise block.