GAB Studio

Hello my friends!

Before 2024 even started, my goal this year was to stop spending so much money and actually build a savings account up.

If you read my last post, you also know that I had to take my dog to the emergency vet, which hit me both emotionally and FINANCIALLY. While this did not spur my want to do a stash bust, it definitely solidified that I would not be buying anything this new year!

All of this said. this year we are going to take down how big my fabric stash is… And it’s a lot…

Over the years, I have taken stuff that my mom no longer wanted as a kid, and then learned about the fun (and danger) of making money and having a salary. More than this, I have learned the free will of buying whatever the heck I want! I say this because, looking at my stash, 95% of it was thrifted from my local reuse store, Scraplanta. Not only is it affordable, it is SSUPER affordable. You can go in with a grocery store sized bag and fill it up with fabric pieces on the given shelf for $10! Or a box for $20! Run, don’t walk. Not only have a gotten fabric here, but I have multiplied my pattern and notion collection as well, but that’s another haul for another day…

Here is an overview of my fabric shelves:

This first shelf is my cotton fabrics stash. Some of them were too pretty to pass up and some had too much fabric available to pass up. This sounds a bit silly, but when you find a lot of something at a second hard store instead of a wonky cut quarter yard of fabric, it is exciting thinking of the prospective non-pieced together projects that you can make!

From the top (literally, the top of the shelf): I have my interfacing and quilting batting. I wanted to put these on the top so that they could breathe and not be smooshed down on the shelves where it would have taken up an inordinate amount of space. The next 3 shelves are pieces that are bigger than a fat quarter but nothing over a yard. Back to one of my original statements, I got over zealous in this section but some were too cute to pass up and they allowed me to think about a prospective scrap quilt sometime down the road. I’m a gal who loves color! Below that and in the little bins, I have squares and triangles that I have found/cut myself for a colorful quilt to make sometime in the future once I find the energy to do that. Below that, I have big pieces of cotton (some bedsheets as well) fabric that are bigger than a yard. This just allows me to see bigger pieces that I could make a big project from! Finally, on the bottom, I have all of my paper patterns in little plastic folders and in some kind of order according to project type (dress, skirt, shirt, jackets, bottom, etc.).

Embarrassingly, on the other identical shelf that I have in my craft room, I have all of my apparel fabrics that I am learning everyday how to use.

On top of the shelf, in the white bins, I have one full of lace-y fabrics and the other is full of very thick, upholstery and canvas fabrics. In the pink bin, I have dozens of old t-shirts that I will one day have enough confidence to turn into a t-shirt quilt. I don’t trust myself enough yet, there’s no going back once those guys are cut! Below that, I have the miscellaneous shelf of stuff that does not really fit into the other categories. This is the same as the fourth shelf, but we’re working on making that a little better. On the next row (second shelf), I have all of my stretchy fabrics. Below that I have my silky and sheer fabrics (maybe a tulle or two). Below that I have the aforementioned “un-identified”s. And below that, on the very bottom of the shelf, I have all of my fleece (ALL from Joann remnants! Never paid full price for fleece, I refuse…) and bigger pieces of apparel fabric that wont fit anywhere else.

As you can see, I have a lot to work with. One of my main ways that I want to work through this fabric stash is making as many patterns that I already own. Over the years, I have collected quite a number, and a multiplied that when I started going to and volunteering at Scraplanta, as well as the occasional Etsy PDF pattern purchase. This collection has also gotten too big and I need to actually start MAKING stuff instead of BUYING them!

All of this said, 2024 IS THE YEAR OF NOT BUYING (NON-NECESSARY) SEWING SUPPLIES!!! I need SOMEONE to hold me accountable! Right now, that would be my credit card debt… But once that is paid off, someone(thing) else will need to hold me accountable! I will obviously go get thread or notions that I might need for some projects, but even then, I would love to find stuff to work through my current stash of notions first!

It wont be easy but I am determined!

Here’s to a year of fun and a year of saving some money 🙂

Let me know if you guys have any ideas, tips, tricks, or advice for me or anyone else doing the same thing!

xo, Nee