Yesterday was a day of rest around this house. Drama Teen's stomach is still a bit tender, but she felt much better than she did on Friday. She spent most of her day on the couch in the living room watching The Food Channel. I ended up with a monster headache for the better part of the day. A bit of zoning out in the recliner and a few naps had it receding by evening, so I was able to get into the sewing room for a while.
Rather than sew, I ended up doing some cleaning up and reorganizing. Things had just been stuck on the shelves and tossed into corners, it was time to put some things up and clear up some space. It will be time to wrap Christmas presents once we get done with Thanksgiving and the sewing room doubles as gift wrap central in this house, hence a bit of extra space to store the gift wrap and ribbons is needed.
I did sew a bit. Which is a good thing for the stash report. As small as it was, without it there would have been nothing going out this week.
Used last week: 0.1 yards
Added last week: 0 yards
Used for 2012: 36.65 yards
Added for 2012: 325.38 yards
Net stashed for 2012: 288.73 yards
It's a good week, nothing came in.
As the year winds down, I've been trying to decide what I want to do about stash management for 2013. I'd like to focus more on how much I use rather than what I buy. Retirement is a few years in the future, but with it will come a definite need to cut back on expenses, so maybe adding to the stash now is not such a bad thing. Anyone have any prespective on that observation?
Check out Patchwork Times for more stash status reports.
Retirement usually means a reduction of income, so on that note when I retire, I'll be buying less fabric. But for now, all I seem to do is buy, buy, buy.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I have my stash. Fabric prices have really gone up since I retired. Since retiring I'm more likely to treat myself with a charm pack. I bought my dream machine before I retired too. Some day this fabric will all be vintage and worth more than ever.
ReplyDeleteI consider my stash my 401K in fabric. I try not to feel to guilty if I purchase fabric to add to my collection. I was looking over my fabric and decided that it would be a good thing to purchase some background fabrics in 5 yard pieces, when I find a good sale. Other than that I doubt I will be purchasing any new fabric, just don't need it, plus the folks who get my quilts won't know/care if it is from the latest fabric collection or not.
ReplyDeleteLike your idea of only counting the fabric as it is used, not brought in.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas.
I quit buying fabric in 2001. I never had an enormous stash but it's obviously way more than I needed.
ReplyDeleteI'm fortunate that I always bought fabric because I loved it, and not because 'it was on sale'. So I'm not grieving over my purchases, I still love all my fabric :) and use it with joy.
I do look forward to the day when I can choose a pattern and go buy fabric for that specific quilt once again...I've been quilting since 1970.
All the best. Sharyn
I have watched fabric prices escalate so quickly, that I look at my stash a bit differently these days. I bought when there were sales but only small amounts since I had no quilt in mind at the time. Now I do not have big pieces for backings, but do have lots of variety to make scrap quilts without going to the shops. I'm glad I have a large stash and only buy for backings when needed. When prices reach $15/yd. there will be many more pieced backings in my future.
ReplyDeleteI consider any fabric I purchase at the moment as adding to my retirement savings plan. I'll be retiring in about 18 months, and our income will drop quite drastically then. So anything added now, means less to buy then.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about your stash. I've realized that I don't often want to buy fabric any more. I have many beautiful pieces in my stash, and so unless I see something truly unique and special, i can look without buying. Most of my fabric expenditures these days are for blenders and backs, which can generally be found on sale.
ReplyDeleteSorry you weren't feeling all that well. Good that you were able to sew just a bit though... I'm not near yet ready to retire, but I'd put my change in a jar instead of adding to my stash. When you are ready to retire fabrics will be different and what you thought you'd use may not be what you need or want to use. Blenders could be the only possible exception in my mind. Sandi
ReplyDeleteI hope you and DT are fully recovered.
ReplyDeleteSometimes cleaning up is the best thing we can do for the space and for our mental health! Buying fabric for your retirement is a good plan!
Fabric doesn't go off so I'd say stock up while you can ! I also like the idea of having a retirement fund set aside for buying fabric.
ReplyDeleteDT's stomach must be better if she spent her time watching FOOD, lol! Headaches stink and I try to knock them down early. Advil is my best friend then :) I haven't done stash busting totals but do try to shop the stash before I go out and buy. However, the remnants bin or sale section of any fabric store always draws me in. You are really planning ahead by mentioning retirement when you still have a teenager, lol!
ReplyDeleteHaha!! Cathy shared the perspective I shared with her! Looming retirement means buy the fabric while the getting is good! :)
ReplyDelete