I added 11 yards. 5 for the white fabric I loved and ran out of for Missing Ivy.  I bought more than I needed because I knew I needed some for Celtic Solstice.  The rest of the 6 yards were for fabric I couldn’t say no to and have added to my stash. 🙁 Oh well – it’s pretty and I’ll do better next time. 🙂  

I used a bit too.  I go back and forth on how to count used fabric but I do not usually do small projects to count as finishes and I take forever in making a finished quilt.  If I wait until I finish a quilt, I would never have any used fabric.  Plus I don’t think it’s really accurate.  I always cut more and trim down so I actually use more in each step than what the final quilt size actually is.  Getting through the first 5 steps of Missing Ivy and the first step of Celtic Solstice had me use 8.25 yards.  I forgot to add the usage of Missing Ivy in last week’s report so I’m adding it now.

Stash count: **I started counting 5/23/13…

Used this week: 8.25 yards
Used year to Date: 40.25 yards
Added this Weeks: 11 yards
Added Year to Date: 176.25 yards
Net Added for 2013: 136 yards

see more stash reports at Patchwork Times.

I ran across a blog post a few weeks ago (maybe a few months now) that talked about finding the perfect balance of a stash.  I can’t help but be drawn to pretty fabric.  That’s partially why I quilt.  I love fabric.  It’s the same with pretty paper – which is why I loved to scrapbook for so long.  It may be the beautiful designs and the colors that I love.  No matter the reason, I would love to buy fabric just to revel in it.  Pull it out and enjoy the prettiness.  Pack it away so it doesn’t get dirty and take it out again in a few months to enjoy and put away new purchases.  But it costs a lot of money and I do not have the space for it.  In my perfect living space I’d have my own big craft room where I could display all the pretty fabric and paper I would collect.  Ideally, I would love to have a little cottage dedicated for crafting, sewing, etc.  I know its extravagant but it’s my dream and I could have whatever I want in my dream. 🙂  But that is not the case and I have to stash my fabric in ugly bins that are stacked up on top of each other in my parents’ garage.  And since it is winter, I have to share the garage with my dad’s car.  Basically I do not have a lot of room.  So this year, unlike any other year, I have to be really careful about buying and stashing and using.  So what is that perfect balance?  Right now, my balance is to stay within the bins I have.  I do not have room for any more bins so I can’t outgrow them.  But there definitely isn’t enough in the bins of any one fabric to make a quilt (unless I only make scrappy quilts).  So I buy fabric when I want to make a quilt and my stash is for scrappy quilts or for classes or for practice stuff.  I usually pull fabric from my stash for the Lucky Star BOM.  So why do I count my fabric?  If I do not have much of a stash – what’s the point?  If I’m okay with adding and not using as much, why does it matter whether I count or not?  Because if I don’t watch myself, I’ll go crazy and buy a bunch of fabric I don’t need just because I think it’s pretty.  I use the stash report to stay conscious of not adding to my stash unless I need to. I didn’t do so well this week with the purchase of those extra 6 yards of fabric I don’t know what I’m going to do with.  But overall, I think most of my purchases these last few months have been for a reason.

Wish I was quilting!

Melanie