Monday 6 August 2012

Shamed I tell Ya!

Whilst I was in the middle of my Festival madness a call from Laura Jane came, she needed a particular colour and was short in her stash.  She's got a very organised stash!  Always willing to share the load I rummaged, and trust me, it was a rummage, and found some beauts for her ...

I have more red than I thought, but having been inspired by her organisation I felt it was my duty to gently fold these reds up and put them back tidily ... honestly! 

and she had been very kind in a recent post to link to some inspiration too!

so they sat on the side patiently waiting for me to finish off my festival madness...

and this is the aftermath!


now I will say if you are of a very nervous disposition you may want to just give up now and go watch the Olympics ...

as well as tidying up this mess, it was time to tame some of the fabrics that had been building up and taking root in the studio, you know, recent acquisitions (and not so recent, so last year darling!) and the stuff that had been dragged out and not put back!

You see when I got my wonderful studio, my old sewing/quilting space became a fabric pantry ... or for some a minor shopping spree!

Prepare for full disclosure of the mystical stash ...

this is the view through the window ...


not bad?  yeah right!


OK, not pretty is it? 

looks pretty organised as you walk through the door, but really the table is the last thing you see after you fall over the overflowing box of mahoosive backing pieces ...


oh, and my jam jar storage too!

now some of those drawers are pretty organised ...


yes, I might be a bit of a pre-cut junkie!

but others, well, they leave a lot to be desired!


and for the very feint hearted, look away now!


yep, I told you to look away, a whole drawer of brown!

So, I stroked, and smoothed and folded ....


and it felt good!

in fact that's about ALL I could do on Friday evening ...

and I found I had some wonderful fabrics ...


and a lot of gorgeous greens (I can feel a quilt coming on!)

so, there you have it, My Stash, finally revealed for all to see ...

(for those of you in gobsmacked shock, it's time to pick up the jaw,  this is more than 20 years of fabric obsession, note to self ... needs vs want!)

and I am slowly folding, and sorting ... but I need to do the drawers (and make room)  before I can do the other stuff.

There is one dilemma though, I know there is stuff in those drawers I've started and am likely never to finish, let alone have the inclination to even attempt them any more ...

what would you do? 

26 comments:

Katy Cameron said...

Oh my! Yes you should be ashamed lol Missing all those olympics with fit men just to fold fabric... ;o)

memmens said...

Goodness! I don't know what to say! I've been thinking about sorting my stash while the children are off school but it seemed too big a task - now I've seen yours it is nothing! Well done and see how long you can keep it like that!

mammafairy said...

And my husband complains about my stash! Ho ho, can I keep yours on tap for the next whinge? Please!

Mrs Flying Blind... said...

Oh dear lord!!!
I think some of our lovely charity ladies like Jude could help you out with the false-starters xxx

Canadian Abroad said...

I think you should do a destash sale like Katy did - and could you put me down for some reds please, and yellows and oranges too thanks!

Mommarock said...

Have a giveaway if that is an option. Perhaps someone would love to finish it. Perhaps you can make something else out of it. Something smaller. This by the way was a perfectly timed post. I was sitting wondering how to sort my fabrics. Does pink go with red? Where does brown go?? LOL. I felt stupid. I really wanted my craft room to start off looking nice, but really didn't know how to begin it. Now atleast I can begin it on the right foot and build from there.

Beezus said...

Give them away? I always hate it when I come across that long-buried project that I no longer love, and shameful, I know, but sometimes I donate to the Goodwill. Giving away to friends would be a better option, but . . . sometimes I don't want my friends to see a project that I've long since given up on! :)

Sarah said...

A lesson to us all! Mind you, when you work through it all in the sorting you are going to love what you are finding! Enjoy, Trudi!

Judith, Belfast said...

Oh my T! That is a mini shop for sure! Bee Blessed will happily take over any UFO quilt tops you may have fallen out of love with! Jxo

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

do a give away or a destash sale. you will have people lining up for either.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

I went through this exact same dilemma in January, I gave a LOT away... a LOT! Have I regretted a bit of it? NO! Your stash has left me drooling. ;)

Laura said...

I am with you! I just cut up about 22 pieces of fabric in all the colors of the rainbow. I made them into jelly rolls for door prizes for my quilt guild. I will never get rid of all this fabric (ebay?)
I have to make room because new fabric keeps magically appearing. Sigh.

Cindy said...

Oh wow! What an awesome tour of your stash! I just love a drawer filled with happily folded, color sorted fabric. What could make your heart beat faster?

Unknown said...

Wow. Just wow. I have no words. But I would very much like to get lost in there!

Charity donations are the way to go with UFO's... unless theres something really nice, then I'll have it ;-)

QuiltSue said...

How about some giveaways or donating to Project Linus? But not till I've been over for a rootle!

Archie The Wonder Dog said...

Wow, that's some stash!! I'd donate the UFOs to Bee Blessed or similar and then fondle what was left!

Leanne said...

I say give the stuff you don't like to Judith if she will take it. Or a destash sale. Don't let the weight of the old projects slow you down, and good for you for all the tidying.

Lucy | Charm About You said...

WOW that is some stash - The folding looks lovely and glad you did some stroking! I was thinking Bee Blessed too!

Doris said...

Ha! Love it, Trudi! I did this same thing a few months back, and I can run you a pretty good competition on stash... and yet, somehow I always think I need more??

Annabella said...

I like Susan`s idea! I am in awe of your stash. It must feel great to have sorted it out.

Sarah said...

UFOs you're not going to touch, to Jude. Fabric you might want to whittle down to make room for newbies you blog and we buy... And next time you need that lot organised and folded and whatnot you get me down for a visit xxx

Sheila said...

OMG, it's a shop!!
De-stash sale by colour, for sure, and of course as the others have all said, donations to charity too.

Jo said...

Oh my goodness, I don't think I have seen such a lot of fabrics outside the shops. Yep, think you might have a sale, or giveaway or both, and I know you already donate to your local quilt groups, but maybe more to be disposed of that way. As for unfinished items, go through and think honestly if you will ever complete them, if not give away.

Nicky said...

Teehee I think Hadley could house the browns!

Kathleen said...

You could cut up some of the smaller pieces into 2 or 3 inch squares in preparation for a yet unknown project, preparation is part of the battle in completing an item. I have heard of a swap of sorts that you send your UFO of into another sewers/ quilters space and have them work on it and then they pass it along to the next person. It continues like that until it finally comes back to you nearly finished or completed. In return you would be working on an UFO that you have received. Not sure if I am explaining this right, do you get what I am saying?

Pippa Parsons said...

wow, you've given me a great idea for my frame when it's not in use, I tend to just put little bits on it or bits of fabric, dh is measuring up for cutting mats now :)will give me more usable space, thanks very much