A Destash Treasure and A Challenge

So just last night I wrote about destashing and my eveing at the MMQG Desatsh Yardsale. Not soon after the post hit the web-waves my guild mates reminded me that I forgot one other piece of fabric that I took home that night...the ducks

Yes my friends, that is a duck fabric panel. We had a lot (like pee your pants alot) of laughs over this little gem. But I think I felt the ducks were being dissed, they needed some love. So I vowed to take it it, give it a home and turn it into something.... Mock me if you will but it will be amazing. Well it will be something...

So this post is for my guild mates - especially Dominuqe The Running Thimble, whose house this came from!
Can't you just wait to see what it will become?

Adrienne

To Stash or Destash? That is the question

Last week my sweet guild, Maritime Modern Quilt Guild, had a fun summer meeting. We had a Destash Yard Sale. The premise...you destash your stash, bring said destashed items to the meeting, put a bowl of loonies out for change and other guild members shop! Some of us made a few bucks and some of us spent a few (or many!).

My Yard sale Table

Based on the questions and comments floating around amongst my guild buddies leading up to the sale it became clear to me that not only are we fond of our stashes, we REALLY do not want to give them up! Oh the precious fabric...

When I started to think about destashing I got kind of excited! I mean, I don't LOVE every single piece of fabric in my stash do I?  And let's face it, I could likely sew out of my stash for a couple of years without buying anything. So I could afford to lose a few things right?!

I was brutal! You see, my stash now filled (and by filled I mean tops did not fit) twenty-four boxes and a my scrap drawer was busting - in fact I could no longer close the drawer and it had become a cat bed on many an occasion.

Not being able to close my scrap drawer did not concern Penny at all

So when I left for the sale my scrap drawer was reduced to this and I had four empty fabric boxes. I felt lighter, I felt accomplished, I felt friggin fabulous!

And I didn't buy anything at the sale either. Now that I had gone through my stash I felt like I didn't really need or want - that's right people I said "I did not want" any more fabric right at that moment. In fact the only thing I came home from the sale with was this

Empty boxes, a couple of left over books and one piece of fabric that no one wanted and it turned out I still loved and could not part with. Now I did not sell every bit, but what didn't sell I already knew that I would be giving to a quilty friend who is trying to build her own stash.

But I could tell by the anxiety ridden social media comments that not everyone feels the same about a good clean out. That for many folks the fabric is our family, no matter what. It must stay with us, we must love it and stitch it, or maybe just pet it.

Now let's be real... I still have TWENTY boxes of fabric. So I am by no means judging those who do not want to let things go, but what is it about fabric that keeps us so connected to it? Is it the color, the design, the silky feel of the cotton? Does each piece evoke some memory? Maybe it is combination of all of that.

I'm not sure of the answer to all of these question, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Do you hold tight to you fabric babies, do you only buy what you need and keep your stash small, or do you like a good destash?

And if your answer is - I keep it all and will likely be featured on a fabric inspired  episode of  "Hoarding Buried Alive"...would that be such a bad way to go?

Thanks for dropping by and reading my ramble.
Adrienne