I love fabric, but I don’t love all fabric, and in fact there is fabric that I once loved that I don’t really care for anymore. Like many I hold onto old fabric for various reasons none of which make enough sense to fill a tiny teacup most of the time. In fact most of them are rooted in guilt. Guilt over spending money, or making bad choices or not getting done what I planned when I planned. The energy this brings with it is negative and not inspirational in the least for me.
Of course there are others who collect fabric enough to fill rooms and each piece brings them joy. For them they feel a sense of peace from having such an amazing collection. I am not one of them which some would find ironic since I own a fabric store with hundreds of bolts of amazing fabric
The truth is that in the last 2 years I have brought no more than 5 total yards home for myself/ stash and a few of the yards I even took back due to a customer wanting them and I had not yet used them so why not make someone else happy when for me it just feels like weight. Both emotional and physical.
The Plan
I am getting ready to once again go through my fabrics looking for that~ Spark Joy~ and the rest will be finding their way into scrap bundles and new homes. Some of the fabrics in my stash date back 20+ years… and it is time to let them go.
The phrase ~ Spark Joy~ comes from the writing on Marie Kondo of the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up . Her little book is very popular right now and while some hate it and find it filled with control issues I have found inspiration in the idea of only keeping what I really love. I am applying this idea to my fabrics and further to my whole home. (Read more about the author and idea here)
This is a different way to look at belongings that speaks to our connection to things and asks the question “What really excites us and brings us happiness”.
The Process
The process is pretty simple – I pick up a piece of fabric and I ask myself – Do I feel joyful/inspired looking at or holding this fabric. It is crazy how often my first feeling is sadness at the project I thought I was going to make and never did ( hello 8 yards of expensive fabric for nursery room curtains for the “baby” who’s now 14), or some other feeling of angst or guilt- these fabrics need to leave. But if my heart skips a beat, and I feel that happy buzz – those stay.
The fabrics that are going to stay get some extra love. Perhaps a refolding, or a quick note about an inspiration to do something with it soon.
The Challenge
I did this process with my clothes and it was crazy amazing so I am actually looking forward to doing it with my fabric and crafting supplies and I welcome you to join me in this experiment in finding more room both physically and psychologically in your life if it is something that interests you.
What do you think… does your stash need some room to breathe or are you happy just like it is right now?
I understand the kondo method and have applied it elsewhere. My problem when it comes to my stash is that I like big “loud” prints. Those are my loves. But you can only use so many of those in a quilt and fill in with blenders (which I find extremely boring). And I cant have a stash of large florals. I need the blenders. 🙁 I know she says that the “useful” things bring joy in a different way, but I just gave up km my stash.
There comes a time, if we are honest with ourselves, that we all really need to de-stash whether is is fabric, clothes or other possessions. We only have so much storage space and my motto is why not fill it up with things I really love.
I regularly de-stash with other items in my life and I am now doing so with my fabrics. I have given larges boxes of fabric to women at church, to the local girls club, and as giveaways in an online quilt board. I have even sold some fabric on Ebay as I had a large amount of high end pieces (from years working in the fabric trades). Now I am scrap quilting (like crazy; 4 quilt tops in January) and using older fabrics to teach my sister and niece to quilt.
Some of the quilt tops will make it into finished quilts for family and charity gifts and others will be donated to some other quilters charitable needs. No guilt here as I feel nothing but pleasure clearing out my space of “used to be loved” fabrics.
I’ve been trying to go through the house and reduce, and although I had heard about “keep what you love” philosophy, somehow the way she said “bring you joy” resonated. It means that everything left in the house makes it a joyful place. I think going through the fabric is a good idea, but for me, I am going to save the fabric for next to last (last would be photographs and personal memorabilia). With the ugly quilts movement and things you can make out of snippets, etc., it is difficult to not keep everything. I do try to keep my fabric Kondolyzed though by not buying so much (well this year was an exception) and by using as much as possible.
I need to do this too! I used the kondo’s method on my closet and my sewing room should be next. Too many 1/2 finishe projects, yards of fabric or yarn that is never going to be used and just makes me feel guilty for not using or finishing them. But what to do with the supplies I want to unload? I mine where to donate my old books or clothes, but where to take my yarn and fabric?
I read Marie Kondo’s book and loved it. I agree it gives you a whole new way of looking at things. I cleaned out my walking closet and love it now! I think the worst piece of advice I ever took to heart was that quilter’s need a stash. I regret not just buying for each project as I was actually going to make it, and not for ‘some day’.
I just finished repacking my stash: 20-15 sweater boxes of fabric plus 10-12 shoeboxes full of notions, threads, etc. That’s just quilt fabric, not apparel yardage! If I stop buying now, I’ll be OK, but. . . I need to find charity groups that will take any fabric I wish to donate. I have made bags for Beads of Courage and quilts for Quilts For Kids and would like to find any groups in Florida that I could work with. It’s hard to pass up really discounted fabric when you know it could be turned into useful objects for those in need. I’ve been there myself and know what it’s like!
I seem to move often to de-stash as part of that process, but I too have some fabric that needs to find a new forever home. I am really striving to not buy any new fabric {however, at a quilt show over the weekend a bolt just called out “Buy Me!!” so I had to purchase 2 yards – VBG!} I guess that this would be kondoizing in reverse?
Hi Maddie! I moved in February of this year and this prompted me to clear out the remaining fabric (and many, many other things) which didn’t bring me joy. 🙂 I adore the book and it was a great prompt to only buy/create things which bring me joy. No holding onto things which aren’t beautiful and quality. No “it’ll do” or “almost” stuff. Life, for me, needs to be joyful.
Thanks for asking!!
A few years back, I decided to curate my stash. I think this is similar to your ‘spark joy’ notion. In fact, I expanded the idea of curation to my entire way of life. Undoubtedly the best new year’s plan that I ever embarked on. I feel so strongly about the value of curating that I’ll invite you to read my post from December 2012: http://badskirt.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/curate-2013.html
I’ve been thinking on this…now is not the time for me to bc ulk, but the day is coming. For now, I just need a little order and to use what bubbles up as a catalyst to play for a bit…but the need to dump some is wriggling around, under the surface.
I love the idea, I know I have fabric that I feel guilty about that should already have been made into something but then I have a Kate Spain collection that I love and really want something special made out of it – love planning and playing with it.
I think I will have to buy the book as I need a good de-clutter, de-stash.
I have just done a major stash busting. Replaced some civil war prints with more modern prints. I first gave away around $500 worth. Next round I sold about $2500 worth of fabric. All of it was quilt shop quality. Next step I am donating the rest of it to an organization that makes quilts for the community. I actually took a great loss on what I had originally paid for all of my stash but it was well worth it.
I recently de-stashed as well… I sew for a living, so honestly I just am not motivated to sew for myself anymore, and I had to come to grips with my giant closet full of personal fabrics that I just was never going to use!!! I donated all of my old fabric to my old high school’s home ec department – that’s where I made my first quilt, so hopefully having some awesome fabric to choose from will inspire the next generation! 🙂
I just finished reading Marie Kondo’s book myself and personally plan on implementing this for my home. Unfortunately, I won’t be following this plan with my stash because it ALL sparks joy! That’s why I bought it. To make up for my misgivings, however, I have decided on using my stash for projects before buying more. It’s a win-win situation for me.
I have plenty of fabric that doesn’t bring me joy, but I’m slowly using it up in scrap quilts that do bring me joy. When I buy fabric and bring it home, I am committing to using it. When someone else gives me fabric, I am not committed to using it, but I do my best. My goal is to use more fabric each year than I buy.
I’m absolutely with you on this! I’m well on my way to living a more simple, minimal lifestyle and have had a lot of angst about all the fabric I own. I still love a lot of it but it just doesn’t inspire me or bring me joy. Guilt over the money spent keeps it hanging around.. even when I remind myself of all the hobbies/interest that cost money with no lasting “stuff” hanging around… golf, fishing, going to the movies, or out to a nice dinner. I remind myself that I DID get pleasure out of buying it and dreaming of what I might make some day (the same as you would with lottery tickets). That pleasure alone was worth the expense.. but, even knowing that, I still struggle. But, I’m working on it and glad to know I’m not alone. 🙂
I have been forced to start going thru my stash due to the floor caving in in my sewing room.. lol.. BUT it was way past time to do that & it has made me feel so much better.. yes I regret selling at a reduced price but I have been in my sewing room more and more as I do not feel overwhelmed by it anymore…….. working from my stash for awhile & get it down to where I can enjoy the process again…………….
I don’t have too much in my personal stash that doesn’t bring me joy – but I do have some pieces that should move to the top of the “use me now” stack!! I am grateful for quilters who purge their stashes periodically and donate to charity, though, because our church’s quilt ministry, Piece*Love*Quilt has been a beneficiary and those donations keep us quilting. Old or new, those fabrics and orphan blocks and quilt tops bring a lot of joy to people who need some in their lives. So thank you to all you purgers!!!
Kind of both? My stash definitely needs some room. My sewing room and bedroom are one and the same. My main stash resides in three large Sterilite totes and two under-bed boxes. Then there’s the laundry basket full that I acquired when an elderly widower was donating his late wife’s stash to a quilting group I belong to. And the small tote and cardboard box of fabrics for Quilts of Valor…
But I know in those totes there are fabrics that I thought were cute at one time, or too good of a deal to pass up, that have been in there for several years. Perhaps it’s time to bring them out and give them the test. Those that don’t pass can be bundled prettily for the teacup auction at our quilt guild’s December meeting.