Fabric Destash 2014

I have not been able to stop thinking about this topic since I read it over on Knotty Gnome first, that led me to Making Rebecca Lynne and then over to Tickle and Hide who did a Fabric No Buy in 2013 and lived to tell about it. That was fun to read.

I am not sure why I needed to mull this over.  I have lots of fabric!  I have been sewing for 22 years and there were many years that I was planning and buying but not sewing much.  So I have been making several scrap quilts a year, but really that was happening so I could buy new pretty fabric!  Well, you guessed it, some of that new pretty fabric is now sitting because I can't sew fast enough!

I had already figured out a list of quilts to make for next year so that's it - it's official I am in!  Now I am a really nervous about this because it is like that diet you are going to start and then you eat even more!  So I will have a couple of exceptions with in the exceptions, but I reminded myself there are no police in quilting and if I sew more and spend less then it will be a successful 2014!

So here are the rules from Rebecca Lynne's site

GOALS:

- To use the Stash I already have!

- Finish UFOs without distraction by shifting to other new beautiful fabric.

- Stop the insanity of constantly buying the latest and greatest fabric. 

- Save the $$ I spend on stashing.

- Destash the fabrics that I realize I am never going to use.

FABRIC FAST RULES:

1) No fabric purchases for 6 months beginning January 1, 2014.   Exception is my trip to Paducah in April!

2) At 6 months reevaluate status and decide whether to keep going for full year.  Evaluation July 1, 2014.

3) Create a UFO list and complete them!

4) Exceptions

• Backing: purchasing a backing to finish a quilt top is permissible.  However, attempting to use fabric in your possession for a backing is preferable.  Good with that!
• Books and Magazine purchases are allowed as they are not fabric.  Notions acceptable too.  Ok here too!  I don't buy many books and no magazine subscriptions this next year.  
• Swap Mama Fabric: if hosting a swap you are permitted to by fabric to execute swap duties, but you may not join a swap simply for the sake of being able to buy fabric!  This one might be a little harder - I like those flickr swaps!
• Quilts for Publication: if you are making a quilt for a publication and need certain fabric to execute it correctly then that is a major exception - who can blame you?  I don't really do this but I do have quilts to make as graduation gifts so if something is needed then I will get that to finish quilt.  Along with that is backgrounds.  I have a few on my list that may need a background.  But I must be working on it to buy it.  Not for something for in the future.

So I think I can live with these rules.  I can tell you that this past year I made a point of using my stash and finished 19 projects and 12 of them quilts and 9 of those quilts were scrap quilts.  I used in total about 120 yards of fabric.  I bought fabric for a couple that were gifts and 2 backs.  I also destashed recently at least 10 yards to give to a charity.  Does it look like it? Nope, it does not!  So no reason not do more again in 2014.(since that was my plan anyway!)

I will be posting my list of quilts for 2014 on a separate post.

So who else is doing this?  I am nervous and I really hope my mom buys me the fabric that was on my Christmas list!  Otherwise there could be some fabric shopping after Christmas sales and before January 1.  Wish me luck.