Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Saving Fabric


I got an email from a reader a while back -

She was talking about some fabric that she was going to use - but didn’t -

It read - in part -

...Really, I love it so much I'm kinda glad I didn't get to use it. I feel the same way about the green I'll be using for the border and one of the yellows, but my stash of fabrics is never going to get any smaller if I keep hoarding it and this quilt will go to someone I like and be used and loved, so I keep telling myself it's okay...

===

Do you do that?

Hoard fabric?

I KNOW that I do -

And then I got to thinking -

WHY?

Why do I hoard my BEST fabric?

What am I saving it FOR?

Then I remembered the old joke -

USE your stash -
because your husband’s next wife is going to sell it for 50 cents at a yard sale -

NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

My BEST fabric should go into my BEST quilts -

And my BEST quilts are the ones that I am making RIGHT NOW** -

Not the ones that I may NEVER make -

Because there are sure to be plenty of quilts that I won't “get to” before I die -

And that BEST fabric will still be sitting on my shelf -

Just waiting for a yard sale -

So -

New rule -

Use your BEST fabric - while you still can!



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -

**Hopefully (full of hope) I'm not making my WORST quilts RIGHT NOW - ;))


6 comments:

Sue said...

Now that was extremely well said!

Katie M. said...

I have my 'best fabrics' put aside for a quilt for ME. Now if I can just get the time to make it!
I made up my mind a couple years ago to only use what I have in my stash and for the most part I've stuck with it. I've only bought fabric it I really, really needed it to finish a project.

Karen M said...

What an interesting post. You are making me think this morning. Here's to our best quilts. *clink*

Katie said...

I think I said that...

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!

hahahahahaha - just kidding, I don't care - I just had to say it :)

I only hoard the fabrics I love. If I buy a fabric simply because I need a green to go with a print, I use it up. If I really love it, I want to keep a piece of it. Maybe I should start a postage stamp-ish quilt with just pieces of fabrics I love so I can quit hoarding the bigger pieces?

A Left-Handed Quilter said...

Katie - you're right - you DID say that - but I didn't want to violate your privacy - haha - and wanted to wait for you to say something before I revealed you as the "reader". But your email got me to thinking - so I wrote the post and "quoted" you - which I do believe is allowed. hahahahahaha ;))

I like your idea of a postage stamp-ish quilt - or you could make some sort of paper-pieced project - like my "hearts" - to save a larger piece of your BEST fabric. Or maybe we all should make a Bonnie Hunter - Scrappy Trip Around the World - type of scrap quilt - something that just takes a little bit of EVERYTHING - to make our BEST FABRIC quilt! ;))

TDJ said...

I do have a couple of fabrics that I like and I am waiting to use in a quilt. But I have been nibbling away at them, 2.5" strip at a time....

I find I try to use up my smaller pieces, ie fat quarters, before I will cut into my yardage. I may have a big project to do and I MIGHT just need THAT piece. Silly I know. BUT I keep on buying.

I have a pink piece of yardage that I wish I knew were it comes from. It smells like Cherry Jubilee mixed with roses when I work with it. I love to iron it, yum. Most of my fabrics smell like a linen closet that doesn't get opened much, still air.

Oh well, back to sniffing my fabric.

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