Three more Stash Report Sundays and three more Design Wall Mondays and then 2009 is history. That means it’s seriously time to start making plans for 2010. For those who have no desire to report your uses and additions, skip this post. You don’t need to write why you don’t do it or why you think we’re wasting our time doing it.
Stash Reports have helped me tremendously and as long as there’s anyone out there wanting to track your usage and purchases, I’ll keep doing them but I’m not going to number the weeks this time. I think twice about fabric purchases because I know I’m going to have to report them.
Here’s how it works for those who have asked. Each Sunday, I host the Sunday Stash Reports link box. On your own blog, you make a post about what you’ve used for the week or what you’ve added, then in the link box you post a link to that specific post.
How do you know how much yardage you’ve used? If you’re using a pattern, just go by the yardage requirements listed. If you’re using Electric Quilt, use the yardage listed there. If you’re making a scrappy quilt, just guess .. if you’re using 100 – 4″ squares, you know you can get 10 squares across the width of the fabric. You need 10 – 4″ strips so that’s 40″ of fabric. Rough estimates are good. There are no quilt police checking your totals. No reason for anyone to cheat . . these reports are for our own good and for us to encourage each other.
This is truly not about not buying fabric. It’s about using the stash. If you need fabric to finish a quilt, or if you can use 5 pieces from your stash and you need 1 more piece to make it work . . buy that piece and get on with the project. If working from your stash doesn’t thrill you . . then this isn’t the project for you. For me, I’m so energized to be able to pull fabrics from the stash and make a quilt. It feels good to know that the fabrics I’ve been buying for years are working for me and that I’m reducing the stash. Quilting is about fun though! Really . . if using the stash isn’t what makes you happy, then don’t torture yourself.
You can join any time. If you miss a week . . or a month . . no big deal. No one’s keeping track.
If you don’t have a blog . . get one! 🙂 No, if you don’t want one, you don’t have to have one. You can leave your numbers in a comment. Whatever works for you is just fine with me.
Any questions about the Stash Reports?
About Design Wall Mondays . . it’s helped me and many of you have reported that it’s helped you get things done and get something new up on the design wall. It’s ok if you post the same picture weeks in a row. It’s all about what’s on your design wall! No one expects anyone to have something new on the design wall every week but if you’re going for weeks and weeks without any changes, we may need to encourage you a bit.
For Design Wall Monday, all you have to do is take a picture of your design wall (or bed or floor . . whatever you use), post it on your blog or on a photo hosting site, share the link in the link box on Monday.
Questions about Design Wall Monday?
Both of these will send blog traffic to your site and that’s a very good way to make new friends in blogland!
Think about joining us if either of these sound like something you would like to do.
Tamera says
Thanks for the explanation, Judy! I’m so looking forward to participating in BOTH activities!
Glenda in Florida says
I don’t have a blog, but I love visiting every link posted for the stash report. I do try to use my stash, and enjoy visiting all the blogs. My personal goal for the past several years has been to have at least 50% of the fabric used in any quilt come from the stash. I frequently make it 100% on small charity quilts–and that’s a good thing!
pdudgeon says
yep, i’m signing up again for the Stash Busters. my production this year was pretty good, but not as good as the previous year when i was counting everything.
I’m starting out with a pretty good stash this time, having learned to buy all the fabric for the quilt and not just for the top, LOL. Not buying backing fabric almost killed me the first time, but i learned well!
Spreadsheets, here i come!
KatieQ says
I faithfully check the stash report and design wall links every week. I would like to participate in 2010, but I’m not quite ready to take the step into blogland. Maybe by the 1st of the year I’ll cross that thresh hold. If not, I will post my numbers in the commebnts.
Cheryl says
I will be joining the design wall next year and maybe the stash report. Thanks Judy for doing the reports.
Cheryl M.
Liz says
I’ll be joining in the fun! I check everyone’s reports and enjoy the comments leave on my posts. And, it has helped me in organizing and controlling the stash.
For those of you who do not have a blog – it is quite easy and the basic blog is free (at least at wordpress). While some of us post everyday, others post once or twice a week.
Liz says
Judy, are you going to do a Mr. Linky thing for showing our cleaned up stash areas – I think you issued a challenge back in September to take a picture of the stash then, clean it up and then retake a picture before the new year. I’ve gone through my stash and already posted my pictures, but I am interested in seeing everyone elses… After all, not all of us gets our quilting room and stash published in a magazine 😉
Lynn E says
I do read the stash reports and would like to particpate, but dread counting my stash yardage. Do you have a quick way to count based on cubic feet of closet or cabinet? I’d like to at least be in the ballpark without getting out every piece and measuring it. I’m thinking I could count one shelf thoroughly and estimate from that…what have others done?
Pam in KC says
Lynn — I don’t report my stash total in my reports because I had no idea what was in my stash when I started. I simply started with the status quo and counted what I brought into the house and what I used. I can tell you that my stash has grown — I brought in 282 yards, but have only used 98 yards. There’s still 3 more weeks so the usage # will go up.
When I receive scraps I figure 1 pound equals 4 yards. In September I also counted the yardage in one of my storage boxes that was full and used that as a guesstimate on total yardage in my stash. It wasn’t a pretty #. I’m guessing between 900 and 1000 yards — or enough fabric to make 50 large quilts with backs!
Even though I now have a guesstimate, I’ll still start my report at 0 on Jan 3rd.
Liz says
Earlier in the year, I did try counting up my yardage – I stopped before completing the project, it was too embarrassing! However, as I am checking out my boxes of fabric, I am measuring to include in a spreadsheet and taking pictures for a slideshow. That way, I don’t have to dig in the box to know what’s there.
I came up with a formula for my spreadsheet
column A – number (such as 1 for one piece of fabric)
column B – length (such as 36″ for a yard)
column C – width (such as 44″ for typical width)
column D – A*B*C or square inches
column E – D/1584 (which is sq in on yard or 36* 44)
Hope this helps those who are new to spreadsheets.
With this formula, I can put in the number of blocks or strips, the size and I get the yardage.
Lynn E says
*Blush* I only started reading quilt blogs about 4 months ago and the stash report numbers were so large by then that I just assumed it was total stash….lol. I know I’ve been in denial about how much fabric I’m buying for too long. Hopefully it’ll open my eyes to track this way 🙂
Susan says
I will be back for the Design Wall Monday.
This has helped me progress on a quilt without it staying on the wall for ages.
I have enjoyed seeing others walls
Susan
Dianne B. in England says
These two weekly reports have been so helpful to me in getting my stash organised and thinking creatively about future projects — and then actually sewing instead of just thinking about it. I will happily participate in 2010! Thank you, Judy. 🙂
Judy D says
I’m excited to join in on the stash report. And I love doing design wall Monday. I reserve Monday morning for blog reading. 😉
I need to learn to do a spread sheet so in your search box I wrote in spread sheet and found all kinds of info. Now I can’t wait to use the Google spread sheets to track my stuff. I have a page full of scribbled notes so shouldn’t have to much trouble. I think I’ll start with my UFO list that I do every January 1. Thanks for making this fun!
Sue H says
I have really enjoyed doing the stash reporting, and it has helped me focus on using stash. And it makes my husband chortle (yes, chortle) when I bring fabric purchases into the house because he knows I’m accountable for it! It’s also changed what I buy. I buy more semi-solids because they work together so well. I used to be attracted to the “focus fabrics” because they’re so beautiful and would call out to me. I consider it to be buying fewer “stars” and more “supporting cast”. And the design wall reporting has turned Monday into my favorite day! Thank you, Judy, for hosting these reports.
Julie says
I may be in the minority, but I’d like to see the stash weeks numbered again. It helps me determine where we are in the process, weeks to go, etc. I joined “blogerland” a few weeks ago only for the design wall this year and will add the stash reports starting in January. My DS and DIL were really impressed that I had a blog – nothing to it, I just followed the prompts. Thanks for helping me get this sewing room under control!
Pam in KC says
I’ll be back next year. Tracking my fabric, and more importantly my spending, was an eye opener this year. As for the design wall, that’s cool tool. My husband was joking with my last night that my wall was going to be bare Monday if I didn’t get it in gear. I’ll show him. I’ll take a picture of my quilt crumpled on my sewing table while I’m working on it.
Instead of # the stash reports, how about dating them?
Kathy says
Thanks for doing this, Judy! I was faithfully posting my stash-busting progress every Sunday until about August when I went into a blogging hibernation. Not sure why that happened, but my posts were very few, so I didn’t have anything to link to. However, this absolutely helped me not to buy so much fabric. I would look at fabric in the shops or at shows a whole new way, knowing it would get added to the “fabric in” post. In the end, I wasn’t able to bust any stash, but I kept my purchases to a minimum and ended up pretty much even. This is a huge improvement for me. I’ll be back with you at the beginning of the year. Thanks again!
katie z. says
Judy, I definitely enjoy the Sunday Stash Reports and will keep doing them next year if you host! I’ve used (and bough!) more fabric than I ever thought I did in a year, and it’s so much fun reading about everyone’s exploits!
Mary-Kay says
I’m in for the stash reports. I don’t do the design wall Mondays but I always check out everyone’s posts. It’s really neat to see how people progress on their quilts. And then it makes you think about that pile of unfinished quilts in the corner. One day…….
Arlyn Parker says
I love “Design Wall Mondays”-I look at every one. (maybe not all on Monday, but before the next week’s are up) I’m considering starting a blog just to participate.
Thanks so much for doing this!
Robin says
I don’t have a blog but I enjoy lurking around on others just to see what they are working on and living vicariously through their fabric purchases, stash and sewing rooms. 🙂
Jo says
I also use the net change as a way to measure my stash control.
I really enjoy the stash reports, but found out I need to change how I am reporting. I wasn’t counting fabric as destashed until the project was completed – figuring just pulling it out of the closet might encourage too many new starts.
Looking forward to continuing next year, and may join the design wall as well. That way, at least I’d post once a week!
Jo
Cleary Kipe says
I will be joining in both again next year. For stash Report i’m going to be includeing the fabric I have for making things for the SCA.
Happy Holidays,
Cleary K.
Judith says
I love the stashreport and it helps me to see how much stash comes in and goes out and not to get to much distractes and buy to much. If I get to 0 meter busted I am not sad, but already happy that my stash hasn’t grown in that year. This was the first year I did do the stashreports and I have bought a lot less than the year before.
bettina walia says
have been watching everyones’ design wall so i might jump in and start that in jan
thanks for all the fun facts and reports posted by everyone good inspiration
Gari says
I have really enjoyed Design Wall Monday, both to encourage me to keep things moving in the studio and to find inspiration from others. I am glad you will be continuing it.
Amy-InfinityQuilter says
I’ll definitely being doing the stash report again this year. I’ve already started making goals for 2010. My numbers were better than last year. I’m hoping to do even better next year.
Jerzydeb says
I’ll be joining in both next year ! I met so many new friends from Design Wall Monday this year – so many new blogs to read – so many inspirational quilters out there !
Jane says
Judy,
I’ve been watching this thread about stash report in this past year, have been very impressed so I’d love to play along in 2010.
Not sure of how to start, but I will be reading and trying it out. Thanks for hosting this and have a very Merry Christmas.
Jane