Date: 11/3/09 9:35 PM

I went looking for a piece of black lining, and came out much worse the wear...
Too many boxes, harboring too much fabric.
I've spent too much money planning on making things I just never got around to.
There is not enough time for me to ever sew up even a quarter of this fabric.
What was I thinking? I must have some sort of compulsive disorder...
It makes me sad that I don't have more time for my hobby.
It makes me mad that I've wasted money on some really crappy fabric just because it was a "deal".
It overwhelms me when I finish a project, because there are too many choices for the next one!
There is a simple solution... I need to win the lottery so that I can quit my job and spend my days sewing up my stash!!!

Sorry, I just had to vent. I created this mess, and know that there are much worse things to complain about. I just found myself surrounded and saying, "How did it get this bad???"

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Reply to Kristine Kay
Date: 11/3/09 9:44 PM

Kristine,
I'm with you. You should see my sewing room No, you shouldn't. Even my best friend, the Home Ec grad, whom I call on when I'm desperate for organizing advice, looked rather pale when she saw the piles of fabric, patterns, notions, etc., etc., that need to be organized.
I don't know if you want any advice, but I would strongly suggest that you get rid of any fabric you don't absolutely love. Life is too short to push around/climb over ugly fabric, or to beat yourself up with it because you made some less-than-wise purchases. Donate it to a good cause and keep only the good stuff. You'll feel all warm and fuzzy for doing a good deed, and you'll enjoy your good fabric with a lighter heart.

Sue

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Reply to Kristine Kay
Date: 11/3/09 9:50 PM

I totally understand how you feel. Fabrics that called your name and you had grand plans for are now "blah". I'm sorting through my stash and putting them into groups of will sew, maybe sew, won't sew. Sell the won'ts and move on. Nothing wrong with the fabric- just not now for me.

Don't get down on yourself. You are getting more savvy by realizing what you have been doing.

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I burn the candle at both ends and if it's not burning fast enough, I blow!

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Reply to moushka
Date: 11/3/09 9:51 PM

Here!! Hear!!
Dump it and free up your creativity!!
Rhonda

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You are most welcome to visit us at:
www.rhotos-rag.blogspot.com/

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Date: 11/3/09 9:59 PM

Thank you, ladies! I bought the most beautiful fabrics in NYC this summer, but haven't made anything from them yet out of guilt (for all the yards and yards I bought prior to my trip)!

I will start sorting/selling soon!

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Reply to Kristine Kay
Date: 11/3/09 10:16 PM

For the stuff you do not sell, if you are anywhere near Manchester MI, there is a group that sells/uses donated fabric. What they can't use or sell, they move on to other groups who will use it. I will see if I can find the contact info should you be interested.

As has been said, get rid of what is weighing you down. It will be freeing and you will be happier to sew. Why not play the rewards game? Sew something from the more recently purchased fabric ~ maybe 2 somethings. Then look thru the older fabric for a piece you like and make that up.

Whatever you do, allow yourself to work with the nicer fabric so that you enjoy what you are sewing.

I can also attest to the fact that once your sewing room is not so overwhelmed with excess stuff, you will enjoy sewing even more.

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"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." Anais Nin

"Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal." unknown

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Date: 11/3/09 10:23 PM

I agree! Let go of the unloved stash. Start a project right away with something you DO love! (even if that just means organizing and admiring your beautiful new fabrics from NY)
You will feel better and have a less cluttered, guilty mind if you have a neater, more managable stash.
After an honest look at your fabric purchasing habits, if you still feel that you have a problem, then write down some ways to change the behavior that is getting you down. I hope that you will find that you really don't have a purchasing problem, but that you have a guilt habit that needs to be changed instead!!
We are all here because sewing is our hobby, love, and creative outlet. Free your guilt, neaten your stash, and get back to the love:)

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Raye Ann

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Date: 11/3/09 10:42 PM

I feel your pain...but I have lots and LOTS of fabrics that I love and so little time to sew...I still keep buying more...I am with you on that lottery thing...Been working on that for years now!!!

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Reply to Kristine Kay
Date: 11/3/09 10:45 PM

I need to do the same thing weed! How did it this fabric start to over run my sewing room. I have been thinking about it and I say dig in and say goodbuy to some fabric. I'm with ya cleaning out time.

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Date: 11/3/09 11:03 PM

Tell me about it As my signature indicates, I am buried under fabric. I have been participating in the 30 minutes a day thread and that has helped immensely. So many things keep popping up to take my time so I don't get to sew. I'm hoping the holiday contest will help me get rid of quite a bit of fabric. I also assume that we will have another stash contest.

I have been working on making nursing cover-ups which take 3/4 yard of fabric and about 45 minutes each. However, found myself in the trap of buying cotton yardage at Walmart because what I have is reserved for another project or not the right fabric. Our church sewing group took on another project of making small tote bags 12 inches square to send to Haiti, so that will help me get rid of some of the small pieces that are not suitable for the cover-ups. Add in sewing for grandchildren and myself, and I am overwhelmed. I just look at the tubs and banker's boxes and shudder.

I love to sew but the problem is finding the time to sew. When I do, I procrastinate or spend hours on PR because I have to move so much to get to my cutting table or have to dig through so much to find what I need.

I am trying to get organized and will get so much more done when I don't have to push things aside to work on the current project -- but if everyone would just stop making demands on my time -- I might actually get somewhere ---plus if I would stop buying new fabric.

I think fabricaholics just need to take the time to sort and throw out. But we hang onto every last little bit because we might find use for it someday -- quilts from tiny pieces, anyone? Yeah, sure. If we can't find the time to use the larger pieces, are we ever going to piece together those tiny ones? Besides, there is the lure of new fabric that is like the smell of chocolate -- completely overwhelming

Edited to change "totes" to tubs -- entirely different -- tubs are so much bigger than totes and I have over a dozen of the big ones and half a dozen smaller ones.
-- Edited on 11/3/09 11:13 PM --

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Fabric total 1/1/09------1115.160
Fabric bought 2009--------159.250
Fabric used 2009------------83.387
Total fabric on hand--------1275.03
2009 stash reduction---------80.125

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