Fabric Fast – Day One

The time has come. I’m really going to do it.  I have pledged to buy no fabric – of any sort – for one whole year.

Some of you suggested six months would be more achievable but I fancy a challenge and I ‘m going to go the whole hog and do the year.  Although I have called this ‘day one’ I am actually going to count it from the beginning of September as I haven’t bought any fabric yet this month and it feels good to be one week in already.

I don’t have as much fabric as a lot of other people but I still think I have too much and, instead of using what I’ve got already I too often buy new supplies when I have perfectly good stuff to hand. My daughter asks why I don’t do as she does and buy the fabric as needed for each new project.  There are many reasons for this, three of them being:  She is a student.  She lives in a small space.   She is more sensible than her mother.

By my reckoning, I have in my possession at the moment, enough fabric to make around 10 dresses, 30 tops and/or skirts, about 20 patchwork quilts, 4 rag quilts, 100 cushions, 10 bags, 50 coin purses, 20 cartonnage boxes and numerous other things I can’t think of at the moment.  When will I have the time to make all this stuff and, if I do, why can’t I use what I’ve got?  After all, I bought it all originally so I must have liked it.  I know familiarity is supposed to breed contempt but if I get the fabric out, open it up, stroke it a little and imagine what I can do with it, maybe my first feelings about it could be rekindled (oo-er Missus!).

A cupboard holding lots of Ikea home furnishing fabric, some oilcloth and a basket of large scraps.  The drawers hold flannel fabric, scraps of linen and some vintage kimono silk.  Nobody can say I’m not eclectic in my choices.

Liberty yardage and patchwork/craft fabric.

Fat quarters, charm packs and jelly rolls.

Dressmaking fabric and some patterned linen.

A few plains (hmmm….. I’m a bit short on plains)  and some more dressmaking fabric.

A basket of cotton flannel, towelling, polar fleece and stretch lace all watched over by a scary baby mannequin and topped with a basket of selvedges (selvedges? Don’t ask.  It seemed like a good idea at the time)

Even my yarn stash – which may be a fast for another day – has pieces of fabric peeping out from beneath.

One of my many scrap bags (others, without skulls, are concealed in the attic).

By next September :

I hope to have more space in my workroom and the stuff that is still there will be arranged more tidily.

I hope to have become more disciplined in what I choose to buy in future.

I hope to have spent less time on the internet lusting after  looking at fabric.

I hope to have completed every project I undertake – be it craft, home decor or dressmaking with fabric already in my possession.

I hope to have more money.

So, I pledge to buy no more fabric of any sort until 1st September 2016.

I will be blogging about my progress from time to time so I’m hoping, now I’ve announced my intention, the shame of failing will keep me on the straight and narrow.

Would you ever consider a ‘fabric fast’ or have you done one in the past?  How did you cope?  Did you over compensate when you finished with a buying spree?

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Why Do I Knit?

Sometimes I wonder why I bother knitting anything.

 I enjoy the actual process but I very rarely end up wearing anything I knit outside of the house.

 For example, I’ve just finished this jacket.  I love the effect of the yarn and the colours.  I quite like the front view.  But I know for a fact I won’t be walking outside of my front door sporting that sailor collar.  Not that I don’t think it’s quite a good design feature.  Not that I haven’t seen photos of other people’s sailor collars and quite liked them.  It’s just not me.

So, as with most of my hand knitted garments – I’ll probably just wear it around the house.  The dogs won’t judge my choice of pattern.  This, I say, just as I’m about to cast on for my knitted cardigan as part of the Outfit Along which starts today.  Oh well – it stops me from falling asleep in front of a film in the evenings.

 Not part of the Outfit Along, obviously, but I will have some time to fit in another project or two and I’ve decided it’s been far too long since I’ve made a quilt.  I owe a friend a gift.  I had this jelly roll from Moda and it’s called La Petite Ecole from the French General range.

I know the colours aren’t bright and breezy but I rather like that sometimes and this blue matches some of the paintwork in her house.

This is the pattern I’ll be following which is from a book called More Layer Cake, Jelly Roll and Charm Quilts by Pam and Nicky Lintott

 

I think my friend will like it – if I can part with it that is!  I’m already envisaging it artfully draped over my own garden bench.

 

Now I’m  off to cast on the stitches for another ‘wearing for the dogs’ benefit’  jumper.  Do you knit (or crochet or sew) and not wear?  Is it the process rather than the finished article that does it for you?  Do tell!