Destashing...

As noted in the Baltimore DeStash blog post, I gave away 45.5 yards and as a I rumbled through my fabric collection, I realized that I was ready to let go of quite a bit more of my collection.

There are several reasons for this:
1. I've run out of storage space.
2. My daughter who has always eagerly anticipated getting my fabric collection looked at me a couple of weeks ago and told me that this was too much for her to handle getting rid of...what?!
3. I've admitted to myself that I'm NEVAH going back to Corporate America especially since I love my day job and hope to retire from this amazing workplace.

So while I only donated 45.5 yards to Baltimore Destash, I made arrangements with someone from a local high school to donate 150 yards of my "corporate fabrics." I did make sure to include some knits, poly blends and shirtings, fabrics young people would like to sew.

The bags sitting in the dining room waiting to leave!

 

One of the fabric shelves rearranged and with room on them!

Honestly this was a larger task than I'd anticipated. While I thought I would be ruthless going through the shelves, I was actually more attached to some of the fabrics than I realized. *sigh* So initially it took a lot to comprehend that even though it's beautiful fabric and I love it...it needed to go. As I said, I love my fabric collection but it's supposed to be a resource that I use and am inspired by...not just a place for fabric to come and die.  

First bag of donated fabrics

Now I know some of you have never understood the collection and why it was necessary to my creative well-being. I'm sure you're also thinking you were right about me having too much but in all honesty, the bulk of the collection is going nowhere. I'm just pruning and making it more usable for me and future sews, sorta like what a good plant owner does to their plants. I'm also determined that I can access all of the fabric that presently lives here which I was unable to do before losing the 200+ yards from the collection.  As I type that I totally understand that this is the amount of fabric in some sewists stashes.

Second bag of donated fabrics - including some 

beige/brown fabrics not shown

While I was determined to get some of my fabric piles from behind the cutting table onto the shelves that didn't happen. I did gain a lot of space on the shelves but not an entire shelf as I had envisioned.  I've had denim sitting in a corner on a box that I would rather have shelved, so I know what I have. While that didn't happen, I think I've found another portion of the cave that I can clean up and move the denim. Now to take some precious sewing time to make it happen.

Last pile of fabrics before bagging

I wanted a shirting space since I'm inspired to sew more shirts and shirtdresses now. I would like those pieces to be more visible and not scattered across the shelves. I did manage to accomplish that!

Included in the donation bags are some ITY knits because I'm admitting that I truly hate ITY knits on my plus size body and am donating quite a bit of them.  See this is about knowing who I am at this stage of my life and doing something about it...hahahahaha!

My challenge going forward is not to add huge amounts of fabric to the collection. I need to seriously use what I have on hand because there is some beautiful fabric on the shelves. Now I'm not saying that I won't buy pieces, I'm just not buying because it's pretty, because I'm emotional (mad, sad, stressed out), because there's space on the shelves for more or just because. 

I want my fabric buying to be as strategic as it's been in the last 18 months, things that I want in my wardrobe now...not in the future. So not only am I pruning the collection but I'm changing my buying habits too. My goal is for the collection to be a third to half less of it's present size by the time I retire. Long term goals yes but still in line with this post I wrote several years ago. 

Here are my monthly fabric in/out totals for June and July:

June:
Fabric in 35 yards
Fabric out 53.5 yards
As of June I had 16 more yards out than in 

July:
Fabric in 13 yards
Fabric out 169.5 yards (153 yds donated + 16.5 yds sewn)
Total yards out for July = 156.5

Finally I'm 172.5 yards more out than in for the year - thank goodness for that donation! I've given away 200 yards of fabric this year and am looking at another local high school to make another donation too. One of the things I loved in high school was the fabric pile that was donated for when I didn't have money to buy fabric. Hopefully I can provide that for another budding sewist.

Now I just need a couple months of no fabric in with only fabric out stats and I will feel like I'm truly accomplishing my goal of sewing down the collection. Here's hoping I can accomplish that since I truly love fabric sooooooooo much!

BTW, I'm also letting go of about 30 pairs of heels that I couldn't release earlier too.  I wear heels to church only so I just need some basic pairs. Plus my sneaker collection needs somewhere to rest besides my bedroom floor...life changes, y'know. 

So how about you? As your life changes does your fabric or pattern collection? Do you hold onto fabric or patterns that you're no longer sewing? Have you thought about donating these to others?  This is my Question of the Day...so talk back to me and tell me your thoughts!

...as always more later!

The Baltimore Destash

Renee of MissCeliespants, posted this to Instagram and I was soooo in.

Cause honestly, I've reached fabric storage capacity and giving to this destash would provide me with a little (very little) relief.  At first I asked if I could just ship some fabric to her but y'all shipping is EXPENSIVE cause fabric is heavy! I did send my patterns ahead cause carting fabric and patterns on public transportation was a little more than I could handle.

Then I got with Gaylen because she wanted to attend too and it became a weekend!

I started out spending Thursday - Saturday night at the B&B with Gaylen and yet again if you haven't booked some days there or signed up for a SewCamp, what are you waiting for!?! LOL! I've been to the B&B in the winter and in the spring (cold and damp spring and a snow covered ground spring) but I've never been there in the summer.

Y'all I know why Gaylen left Seattle for PA.  It is stunningly beautiful in PA during the summer!  

There are acres and acres of farmland!

There are buggies driven by the Amish everywhere

Bridge on the road to Baltimore

Another buggy - different style

One more buggy - Sunday visiting

Okay enough about that cause I know y'all just wanna hear about the Destash! Well there were 55 women there who'd brought things from their own fabric/pattern/book & yarn collections.  All of the interesting details about how the Destash worked are here in Renee's post.

Me I was thrilled to meet up with some sewists I hadn't seen in a minute or some that I've talked to via email and social media for years but never met in person.  Then there were the lurkers (y'all know who you are! LOL!) that read my blog, that I also was thrilled to meet in person!

Gaylen and Towanda

(I've talked to Towanda via email/blogs/IG since 2001

and this is the first time we've met face to face!)

Robin Denning and myself

(Robin and I are old friends but this is the first time

I've seen her in about two years!)

Me and Towanda

Coralee, me and Gaylen

(Someone called us the "Three Amigos" and 

it does seem that way after the last Sew Camp)

Martha (IG: Garichild), me, Dee (IG: sewhotmommi) and Tee

I've followed Tee in blogland forever...and Martha well she's my fellow

Sewn Magazine sistah!

Renee, me, Tremayne

and Angela - IG: Ladyregister

Alexandra from Alexandrasews

Renee & Crystal, Renee, me and Crystal

Crystal and Tee and Najah and Crystal

(I stole this pic from Crystal's IG account)

This is just one part of the dinner crew

Gaylen, Jane, Sarah, Carly, Renee, Martha, me and Susie (?)

Okay I know that's not right. Please leave your name in the comments.

I'm so ashamed because I talked to you all afternoon! *hanging head*

Y'all dinner was everything.  We talked so much and so loudly at times that the other patrons looked at us! But it was sooooooo good! I'm thrilled that I got to spend time with you wonderful women!  

Finally, I was really good. I spent most of my time socializing rather than going through the fabric piles - except when I pulled some fabric for Dee (sewhotmommi) - so this is all I brought home from the Destash.

A vintage Vera Wang bridal pattern, a yard of knit fabric

The second edition of Fabulous Fit after mine was shared with someone else

Now in all honesty, I did bring some other fabric home - two pieces from Gaylen's stash and two amazing quilting cottons from Zooks Fabrics - all is pictured below.

A wool knit panel piece and a cotton print from Gaylen

Two quilting cottons from Zooks fabrics for sleeveless shirts

I love fabric and I'm not gonna lie and say that I'm never buying fabric again...however I am being more careful about what I add to the collection. The shirtings will get made either this summer or in the early fall.

It was a fabulous weekend full of friendship, love of fabric and all things sewing. I'm so grateful I was able to attend and highly encourage every sewist who can to attend an event like this...or make one happen in your area.

...as always more later!