Who bought your stash???

I bet a lot of you think that YOU bought your stash. . . but are you sure?? Hmmmm.....

Why do I ask what, to some, might seem a silly question? Ok, here goes:

I have been sorting & refolding my fabric --- you've read all about it recently in my weekly Stash Reports. And, to be honest, I don't know where some of this fabric came from!! he he he

Now, I do have eclectic taste, so the fact that I have Mardi Gras inspired fabric mixed in with Civil War repros doesn't bother me. Truth be told I have electric colored fish alongside sweet paisley, but that doesn't bother me.

But I can't figure out why I would have purchased some of the fabric I am finding in my stash and this fabric is not always in small amounts (fat quarters, even half yards I could almost understand) --- like the white cat Christmas print that I have perhaps 4 yards of. Huh?? I've never owned a cat, and while my sister had cats I can't say that I would have purchased this fabric for a quilt for her.

And the really scary looking clown fabric? Ok, THAT I remember buying down in New Orleans way back (gee, was that 1989? Gotta find the shirt I bought to check.). . .but I have no idea why I thought that it should come home with me. It is really pretty scary looking so I wouldn't use it in a "kid quilt". So I have no idea why I still have it.

There is a blogger that I run across occasionally, sorry I don't remember her name, but she talks about having an "evil twin" and I'm beginning to think that I might have the same problem.

But you know what is the funniest thing that I am finding? I still remember where most of this fabric came from! (Ok, to be truthful, this is the OLDER stash. . .once I start working on the tote boxes in the PODS unit all bets are off!! he he he).

Does anyone else have this same problem? Or have I just become a fabric hoarder with no possibility of a cure?

In peace and pieces,

Stash Report -- Week #8

This is a boring report because I am still sorting & folding. But I did increase my numbers:

Fabric Added This Week: 0 yards

Fabric Added Year To Date: 16 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 0 yards

Fabric Given Away This Week: 46.25 yards

Fabric Stash Reduction Year To Date: 98.75


I am almost down 100 yards from the stash which feels really good. I am happy with the fabric that I am keeping. . but since I love multi-colored fabrics I'm not sure how I will ultimately be sorting it.

For those of you that sort your fabric by color, how do you manage multi-colored fabrics? Do you go by background color? Main color (if there is one)? Go by the color that the fabric "reads" from either 10 feet away or by squinting?

I'm half tempted to just pile all the fabrics on the shelves so that I can see everything all together --- which would constantly change once I start using the fabrics because the order would get mixed up; but that could lead down some color combination paths that I would have never thought about.

Hmmm. . . . .can't wait to get the basement done so I can really get into things!

In peace and pieces,

Stash Report -- Week 7

Well, I am in POSITIVE numbers for my stash busting efforts!!! YIPPEE!!!

Unfortunately, it is not the result of a major sewing spree (at least not this week!).

Last Monday the restoration company came to do a clean up of the basement floor. A good chunk of my quilting/craft/sewing, etc. supplies now reside in a PODS unit until we can get the basement fixed (pictures of the "after" cleanup are below):







Ok, so how does this relate to my Stash Report. . . simple. . .I have given away 68.5yards of fabric that I won't be using any time soon.

So, I had previously been 16 yards to the negative I am now 52.5 to the positive!

Fabric Added This Week 0 yards
Fabric Added Year to Date 16 yards

Fabric Used This Week 8 yards
Fabric Given Away This Week 68.5 yards

Fabric Stash Reduction Year to Date 52.5 yards

Would I have rather had something to show for that amount of fabric? You betch ya! But, I am hoping that it will be used --- and it would have just ended up in an "old lady estate sale" if I had kept it because that is really just a "drop in the bucket" when it comes to the stash that I have.

I'm also divesting myself of some craft items that I don't even remember purchasing --- BACK IN 1995 (the receipt was in the bag) --- and will never get around to using.

The fabric that I am keeping I am refolding so that it will fit in a smaller area. . and I will at last be able to sort my fabric by color family, which is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time.

I had wanted to re-do the basement & get it organized. . .I just didn't want to have to do it this way! But I will take advantage of the situation as much as I can by getting better organized and looking at everything that I have collected over the past 20 years that I have lived on my own.

The upside to all of this is that we will finally have the chance to get the basement set up the way we want it to be. My DH has found some stock cabinets that he would like to install to set up a pantry area & an entertainment area. . .in addition to re-doing my sewing area.

So, I have a good stash report and a more positive view of this entire problem so, things are looker brighter!


In peace and pieces,

Stash and Damage Report -- February 8, 2009

The numbers are the same as they were last week. . . .but they will be going up.

My nephew absolutely is nuts for Spiderman. I found a panel & yardage on eBay & had to get it. The panel is a yard & I believe the yardage is about 3 yards. . so I will be adding 4 more yards to my stash.

BUT, I had planned to make a sofa throw for him with the panel & part of the fabric & since it won't be too involved I figured I would be able to get it "in and out" of the stash so fast no one would notice.

Sorry, that ain't gonna happen.

Why, well, a little thing called a sewage line back-up.

Right into our basement.

I noticed water coming up from the laundry room yesterday around 12:30PM. . .called DH, who was 45 minutes away helping out a friend, to tell him that we had a toilet overflow but I had shut the water to the toilet off & had towels down to try to stop it from spreading.

He gets home, goes downstairs & now we both smell sewer. . our toilet is completely dry on the top & sides. . our seal broke from the pressure of the blockage & we have sewer water coming in.

We started hauling stuff out of the laundry roon as quickly as we could. . .it either went into a plastic tub, or on top of a plastic tub. . anything we could do to get it away from the water.

And the water just kept coming in. And the smell came with it. It was so bad that we ended up having to spend last night at a hotel (it was a good thing that we found a pet friendly hotel not far from where we live).

DH has started the clean up. . .he's already gone through 4 wet/vac containers (and that doesn't include the water that was in the 12 towels I threw down at the first sight of water). . .after the water is gone we will have to access the damage & start bleaching everything to kill the bacteria.

I just hope that I can get the insurance company to move quickly. . .the expenses are starting to add up what with renting a POD unit, bleach & cleaning supplies, and seeing what we can salvage.

This was not the way I had planned on starting my week!


In peace and pieces,

Winter Wonderland

We had an all day snow storm on Tuesday. Most of the time the snow was so fine you had to get right up to the window in order to see if it was still snowing.

Since my blog has been a little light on pictures lately I went out yesterday morning & took pictures from around my yard. . . . . .







It's a good thing that I took the pictures yesterday because today the trees are bare of snow and, according to the weathermen, it will be in the 50's by the weekend so all that will be left will be mud.

Hopefully I'll have some crafty pictures to show before the weekend is over.

In peace and pieces,

Week 5 Stash Report

I had hoped to get this posted last night. . .but my DH had to go back to work & I needed to stay on track with the "pre-Spring" cleaning routine that I am trying to set up.

But before I get to my numbers I want to share a picture. . . DH & I went to Lancaster, PA for his birthday weekend at the end of January. Things were a bit hectic because we wanted to get home on Sunday in time to attend church & the congregational meeting (but we didn't get there).

We did alot of antiquing and came home with a Grandmother's clock. Here she is:



It plays Westminster chimes, which I love, and it allowed us to help the economy along a little, he he he.

Ok, now to "own up" to my weakness:

Fabric Added This Week: 10 yards (on order, but I'll take the "hit")

Fabric Added Year to Date: 26 yards

Fabric Used This Week: 1/2 yard (total of 2 FQ's for Birthday Block swap blocks)

Fabric Used Year to Date: (25 1/2) yards

But, while my numbers don't look the way I want them I HAVE been working. . . each week I work on a different project. This week I am back to working on my sister's wedding quilt. Last week was my week to work on the Quilt Retreat Mystery that I started in October 2008. . .I'm half-way through Clue #4 and there are only 7 clues so that should be a flimsy soon, since I think most of the cutting & prep work is complete & the blocks should be coming together shortly.

And, lest you all think I am just "lolly-gagging" around, I have also read 1 book & listened to another . . so that is 2 books down in January; and I've started my 3rd book for the year!

I think I better start taking pictures of quilt stuff so that you will know that I AM working on stuff. . . it's just that showing cut fabric doesn't seem very inspiring. . . but seeing complete blocks or pieces is fun, don't you think.

Perhaps I'll have some pictures to show you later this week.

In peace and pieces,