See this here pile of fabrics? Used once in two years. ONCE. And that was one print for one small bee block. Do I see myself using them any time soon? Not really, no. And yet I hold onto them just in case, and adding occasionally to the pile, as small as it may be.
I’ve always been a bit of a hoarder; I hate throwing away useful “junk”. I grew up making all sorts of things from cardboard boxes, yogurt tubs and such, and that urgent sense of Just In Case has continued to haunt my life. I’ve gotten a lot better at controlling it, even with having kids that love to draw. Do they really need piles of scrap paper? No.
As a quilter, JIC has infected the fabric part of my life too. I haven’t written much recently about my fabric fast because there’s not much to say. I’ve bought solids and backing and binding as needed and that’s about it. But it has been such a valuable experience (pun unintended but funny nonetheless)! It’s shown me just how much I stash fabric Just In Case. Not only is there that sense of get-it-now-before-it’s-all-gone, but add to it the imagined need to have every shade of every colour, and BAM. Fabric overload. Remember my discussion about what purples to buy? Still haven’t bought any. Because ehhhhh. Am I planning on sewing anything purple soon? No. So do I need to buy more purple? No. Should an actual need arise, that is the time to buy. Not now, not just because.
And so I come to my original question, inspired by Faith, When do you know it’s time do destash fabric you won’t ever use? Seriously, when?! When you genuinely know you won’t use it any time soon? When you haven’t touched it or looked at it since…?? When you want to raise a little money for a new sewing machine?!
*UPDATE* I now see that this is a question several of us are asking around the blogosphere! Must be the spring cleaning urge.
Nadine says
Are these the ones you were buying for a Japanese quilt?
diane says
I just organized my stash and ran across a few fabrics I will never use. We have a table at guild meetings for folks to put out stuff they don’t want and others can take. I’ll be taking a bunch of fabric next meeting.
Now those black and whites I would use…. just sayin”
samantha says
I’ve spent the last 2 weeks moving my sewing room, and the last 2 days in intensive fabric folding mode. There’s more than 15 years of stash to be dealt with, and I caught myself putting things I’ve had for 10 years without touching back onto shelves JIC. Maybe I’ll be brave enough to pull them back off the shelf and destash soon. Maybe.
Jenelle says
I have lots of fabric stashed to sew with “in the future”, but I try to think about it like I would art supplies. It’s the palette that I work from and sometimes it’s really helpful to have a nice selection at hand. You never know when that one print will be just perfect. I do have a bin of items that I’m going to sell eventually, once it’s full. I add things to it when I realize that I’m just never going to find a good way to incorporate it into something. Admittedly that takes me a while to figure out and it isn’t always cut and dry as to how I figure it out (more a gut feeling I guess). I’m not overwhelmed yet by what I have stashed, but a fabric fast wouldn’t hurt anything. 😉
Ruth says
I’ve been on a no-fabric purchase plan for the last 2.5 years (bindings and backings allowed if they cannot be sourced from the stash). I’m grateful to the stash and am finding that even the bits of fabric I didn’t think I’d ever use are finding their way into the quilts and other projects.
I guess I’m in the never throw any fabric out…
susie says
I can’t bare to destash any of mine……….its so precious…………..I’ll destash every other room of the house though.
Amy Mayen says
Whoa nelly. I just cleaned out 2 cabinets of fabric and I’m gifting several prints to a friend that’s learning to sew. Sometimes I find killer deals and think I should buy in bulk. I’m not sure why I thought I needed 5 yards of lavender eyelet. I have other fabric that is so weird I can’t possibly let go. because in 20 years when it’s in style again I’ll be the only one who has it!! I have hardly bought any fabric all year. I can’t wait until all my fabric fits in 2 cabinets.
Chris says
Honestly I use those for Charity quilts or I give them to others at my quild for charity quilts.
Molli Sparkles says
How can you not use the Comma?! Okay, I haven’t used it either. (Hangs head in shame) but I promise it is coming! Haha. Grandma Sparkles warned me about the JIC problem so I’ve tried to be aware of it. Stop laughing at me! 😛 I thought the previous comment about our stash being our palette was spot on. Although I do realise, if you don’t like painting with purple, why buy a whole bunch of purple paint. Fair call!
DeborahGun says
I am loving the fabric fast for the same reason as you. Buying for specific needs makes so much more sense, and it has got me out of the ‘I need to get this before it sells out, its my favourite, oh no that’s my favourite, no that one!’ I think if you still like a print then keep it, but if you look at it now and think ‘I really like that’ then keep it. Maybe you can challenge yourself to make a black and white quilt (with a pop of colour!!).
Pam Arbour says
Those really are nice fabrics. Since you are already on a fabric fast and have already bought this fabric, rather than getting rid of it, could you stretch your creativity to use it? Maybe use it to try something new? After all, you did pay good money for it! LOL I guess that sounds like one hoarder talking to another! I determined several years ago not to buy more fabric until I had sewn up what I had. I only buy solids (on sale) and twice a year my local quilt shop has a sale with some 75% off fabric and I use that time to purchase new fabric. From reading the posts so far, it looks like most of us are trying to limit our buying, but not wanting to get rid of our current inventory. We probably aren’t too encouraging. I have been going over Sunday Morning Quilts and 15 minutes of play to try to be more effective with my current stash.
Carole says
I destash about once a year. Our local quilt shop organizes a clean-out-the-clutter sidewalk sale for customers. We each get a table to sell off our stuff, and I’ll be doing that in May. Then, everything left that I still can let go will be in the quilt club silent auction in the summer. For most fabrics that are quilting cottons, I’ll just run up something for charity. We do Linus Project, along with quilts for a local hospice, port softies for the local hospital and comfort pillows for the radiology and cancer care centers.
Jodie says
Best time to destash = when moving house! Particularly if it’s long distance or overseas. Fabric takes up space and therefore costs money to ship so it’s kind of forced upon you. I thinned mine out considerably just before we moved, and used the rest to wrap things and pad out boxes in place of newspaper and polystyrene. The advantage of destashing is you then don’t feel too bad about starting to buy the odd new piece here or there 🙂
Judy Blinkenberg says
I have moved twice in the past 3 years and packing up black trash bags of fabric isn’t fun anymore. Recently I have sold some on ebay and have donated non quilting fabric. I know I need more destashing and another move is coming in September. I have already packed up my favorites, now to donate or sell the rest.
Carol a.k.a. Beulah says
I dream of one day being able to destash….I just can’t bring myself to do it! 🙂
I have the triple mark…I am a quilter/fiber artist-art teacher-artist. For the record, I am not a hoarder…but choose to see myself as a collector and wholesale supplier for creativity. 🙂
The few times I have let items slip through my fingers…with in days…I’ve needed the very thing.
So now, I have a Very Organized! collection of supplies! 🙂
Aunt Marti says
I don’t believe in de-stashing. I to vividly remember the days when the only woven fabrics we could buy were mostly polyester; I have a deep and abiding fear that those days will return. As long as I have room, I’m keeping it all!
Aunt Marti says
Please correct my spelling — it should read “too vividly!”
Kathy @ Kwilty Pleasures says
I destash at least once a year. Most foes to charity quilters, some to my Etsy store and some scraps have sent to fellow bloggers for the cost of shipping. I see a lot do destashing going in now via Instagram…I just signed up for it sew maybe that will be an option down the road.
Leanne says
My poor stash is rather too small for worries such as this! Though I love to look at fabric, in person or online, the truth is I can only buy on an as-needed basis. So there’s never a need to destash, though often the need to stash! Your unwanted sure do look pretty, though.
Jeifner says
That may be why I think that somewhere someone has the perfect fabric for me just lingering in their closet 🙂 I think de-stash is great, it takes me about a year to see if I’ll use something or not. I’ve concluded recently there are some I’m not going to use with how I sew. I’m also a fan of stash trades. I’m sure someone would use what I have and vice versa, so with the cost of postage (usually less than the cost of fabric) you can trade and its a win win. You just have to find each other 🙂 On that note, anyone loli g for older tula pieces, ive got some. I have a hard time using some fabrics. A bit like the reader above, “that’s my favorite, no that!” And I do sometimes regret using fabrics sometimes, if its not for me. All that being said, I’m more selective now about what I buy. I try and purchase everything on sale, solids and blenders are supposed to come first, buying larger prints if there’s already a project for them and a fabric calorie counter in general, not a total fast.
Jeifner says
*looking* for Tula prints 🙂