Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Confessions of a fabriholic!

You have maybe heard me mention the absolute mess that is masquarading as my quilt studio. At the end of last summer, I started getting a creative whirlwind which turned into a creative tornado. I was busy working on Christmas gifts and when I happened to drop a stack of fabrics from my arms, I left it thinking I would go back to clear it up later. Then I started throwing more and more alongside it to also clear up later. Well, I have shocked my friends who know me and have seen my room as it is out of control.

I am a fabriholic. It is a terrible disease! This is my floor to ceiling cupboard that holds part of my stash. I have cut myself off from buying any fabric until I use up much of my stash. The problem is when I do get space in this cupboard, I already have stash laying around ready to take its place. How did I ever get this out of control when it came to buying fabric. As a quilter, you see a fabric and just have to have it even if it is only a fat quarter. So I have pretty much gone cold turkey. I say pretty much as once in a while I still cannot resist a fat quarter here or a half meter there. But now I have decided that not an inch of fabric is allowed in this house until I have cleared the stash to one cupboard. GULP!


I am taking time each day to sit on the floor and go through stacks. As you can see there are many stacks. Some are projects which need organizing but some are stacks of patterns or stitching charts. I want to be ruthless and say to myself that if I don't love a pattern, I won't use it so pass it on. This is not an easy thing to do as most of you addicted to stitching or quilting will know!


Today is my mother's birthday and you can read more about her here. Wishing you a very happy birthday mother!

19 comments:

Nancy said...

Wow, you really doooo not need any fabric. Guess I won't bring you any. I have to bring it for the memory quilt though.
Love Mom

Kristen said...

Oh I love your collection! I would love to have those choices in making quilts! :)

Carolien said...

Congratulations on your mother's birthday, Heidi!
And there will be an end to that stash, I'm sure!

Hugs, Carolien

angelasweby said...

Oh my goodness, Heidi! I simply HAD to enlarge your photo to see at very close quarters your fat quarters...haha!

Your cupboard has featured many times in a wonderful dream I have of finding an old house for sale which had previously belonged to an eccentric and compulsive stitcher - it could well have been you...haha! It's a wonderful dream which I have, by the way, while fully awake...haha!

Having seen your stock of fabric, my collection which would probably fill one half of one of your shelves needs some serious stocking up. Hopefully you can help me in this arduous task by taking us to some irresistible fabric shops when we visit you in May :>)

Lots of happy birthday wishes to Nancy.
Hugs, Angela

lena-lou said...

Happy birthday to your Mum, fancy telling how old she is ;-)) LOL

I can't quite believe how much fabric you do have!!! If I had somewhere to put it I might acquire that much instead I have a drawer full. I am content with my collection (well, that is until I go to the fat quarter shop then I want them all again ;-)
Have a happy Easter weekend

Karen said...

Heidi - I feel your pain, LOL. I did a serious go through last summer and it felt sooo good. My quilting peeps took a lot of it and I donated the rest. I still could go through my patterns and stitcheries. I also have some kits, but I still like them and just can't part with them yet. I'm trying very hard to be good. But then I just joined another Little Jo's club that starts in April. What's wrong with me, LOL.

Happy Birthday to your Mom.
Happy Easter - Karen

Anonymous said...

Hallo Heidi,
Nog gefeliciteerd met je moeder. En wat heerlijk moet het zijn om gewoon voor je kast te zitten en te genieten van de mooie kleuren!!
Groetjes Sonja

Nancy said...

Heidi, your stash cupboard looks like so much fun! I would love to dive in and look at all of it. Gorgeous tulips you have pictured!

Sweet Cottage Dreams said...

ROFL cause I have the same addiction!!! We need to organize a FA group! Miss Jean is smitten, too.

At least you have a nice and BIG closet to stash your goodies in. I have five storage tubs, eight drawers and a cabinet crammed full. Understand your pain, sister!!

Hugs to all,

From ALL of us!

Pondside said...

Well that made me laugh!!! My husband maintains that I have to 'age' my fabric before using it! I can't resist old lace, tatting, trim etc and have boxes of it in the attic. Your closet is perfect - we should all have one of those to store our secret vice!

Joanne said...

Heidi, it was fun to read this post. That's where I was the last couple of years and then I finally gave away huge boxes and boxes of fabric to friends and family, and took more to the donation areas. After working in a fabric store for a few years back in Arizona, I had enough to fill an entire room, lol (peer pressure, as you can imagine, from all my coworkers forcing me to buy more and more!). Last year I finally had it down to just that one bookcase full of fabrics I knew I would use and left some empty spaces (which are now filled again from visiting my favorite quilt shop). I won't mention the two huge closets though that are full of cross stitch charts, yarn, quilting books, books on crocheting and knitting, sewing, patterns, etc. :)
Hugs, Joanne

Elizabethd said...

Hello Heidi, I've just been introduced to your blog by a friend in Canada, though I live in France. I'm a quilter too, and with a friend run a small group, teaching beginners quilting and patchwork.

Meredith said...

So nice and tidy. Way to go. As far as having too much fabric all I can tell you is I have enough. Maybe I will post my current stash photo -one day. It fills a closet and now it seems to have grown.

Anonymous said...

Oh my what wonderful fabrics! I always love going through my fabrics and "stuff" in my attempt to "organize"...I always find things in there that get my creativity going and then of course I have to go out and by more :-)

Deb said...

NOoooooo! Don't throw any of that gorgeous stash away! Go quickly to Kim's Threadheads Unite blog and see how she made a quilt out of all her horrible scrap stash that she would otherwise get rid of!!! I love your fabbies and completely understand your disorder...ugh...disease.
Love one problem child to another, :[
Deb

Dani - tkdchick said...

Wow that closet of fabric is to die for!

Elizabethd said...

Heidi,I tried to leave an e mail but it wont let me. I wondered where you were going to be in Brittany? Thanks for popping over to my 'blog'.

Terri said...

I say save it all and get a bigger closet! You know the minute you get rid of something you'll find a project it would be perfect for and regret your impulsivness!

Have a blessed Easter my friend!
Love,
Terri

Elizabethd said...

Thanks Heidi, Dinan is about an hour from us!
Its my PC that wont let me access your e mail for some reason, I wish I was technical enough to understand why.
You could get me on eliz_abethd@yahoo.co.uk