Fabric Diet Check In – Week 1

Okay everyone,
it’s confession time! Did you make it through the first week with no fabric purchases? Or did you succumb to your favorite fabric for fear that it will no longer be available in 8 weeks (Kelly?!)? Fess up! Don’t worry…I’ll keep track of who stayed on the path and who was lead astray by the beauties of fabric.

Did you do a swap or get a gift of great fabric? Did a package that you ordered before we started come and ease your need to buy more fabric (for this week!)?

I must say it was a mixed bag for me. I’ll say that I WAS successful in not purchasing any fabric. But boy do I want to! I’m surprised at how fabrics call to me from the computer. I’m not even seeing them in person (I can’t handle that much temptation!) but I’m still finding things that I love. Part of my way of coping was to list in great detail the fabrics that I like for my future partner in Make Mine Modern. It made me happy to know that I might be getting some through that avenue.

But I really think that I have found more online fabric stores this week than ever before. The computer is tempting me!!! Irony has been my companion. But I’m using my favorites button like crazy and it will be interesting to see what I still NEED to have after the 8 weeks are up.

I am working on a quilt from my blocks from the Pretty in Pink Bee (more on that later) and I have been pulling from my stash and seaming fabrics together in an effort to use just my stash and not purchase anything new. It’s amazing how happy it makes me to finally use some of these fabrics. But I was just looking at it today trying to figure out what fabric to use for a border…and let me tell you…the one I want to use I do not have. But guess what? Who cares? I have so many beautiful fabrics, I will find something else! I’m going to “Make it work!” Tim Gun Style.

Kelly and I decided that this needed to be the motto for this fabric diet. In an effort to just use our stash, we need to “Make it Work!”. Now if you don’t know who Tim Gun is then you are probably not from the US. If you are from the US and you read this blog and you still don’t know who Tim Gun then let me know and I can point you in the direction of a classy man who always encourages his students to figure out their problems with what they have on hand and “Make it Work”.

So tell us how you did! We’re here to support, be jealous of any purchases, and then later ask you to swap something with us. 😉

 

57 thoughts on “Fabric Diet Check In – Week 1”

  1. I made it through week one! Amazing! I didn't get around to ordering the fabric I wanted to before the end of the year. I kept the page open with the order all done up for four days before I decided I could live without and deleted it. I did buy a wool shirt at a thrift store this week, but DH has taken it to wear so I don't have to call it purchasing fabric 🙂

  2. I did what Janet did- I bought a flannel pillowcase from a thrift store (we call them 'op shops' in Australia!) to use to line my new laptop sleeve. Does that count? I didn't have anything like it in my stash so surely its okay!!! 😉

  3. I didn't buy any this week, but the backing fabric I ordered before New Years' finally arrived. 2.5 yards of Kona Seafoam. It's a really nice color, and I surprisingly love it!

  4. I made it through Week 1!! I even went to a quilt shop on Tuesday and managed to stick to my list and only buy batting and applique pins 🙂
    I received a couple of fabric orders this week that I placed just before Christmas, so at least I had some nice new fabric to snuggle with… don't know what I'll do for the next 7 weeks!!!

  5. Nope, failed miserably. Bought a bunch of Kona solids I needed to start a few gifts, another hungry caterpillar print to go with the panels I have for a gift, and 3 yards of It's a Hoot trees in dusk and the schoolhouse tunic pattern – going to try to see if it will work as a nice nursing outfit.

    Super fail. 😛

  6. I was really good. No fabric purchased this week! One of the orders I placed in December arrived yesterday. Only a small part of it was fabric as I want to have a go at making a summer skirt. When I looked at what I'd ordered I wondered if a metre of fabric was enough then realised I would be falling off the fabric wagon if bought more!

    The most tempting thing for me has been when online fabric shops I used have sent me preferential sale rates for being an existing customer. Thankfully I'm not near any fabric stores so can only be tempted online!

  7. i can relate!!!
    i'm so proud…i haven't poked any 'buy now' buttons in online shops (although i have to admit that i filled my shopping cart in some of them…but then hit the delete button!!!!). and there wasn't even any of the long-awaited envelopes from the us that still have to find their way to my house (they're purchases from about a month ago!).
    i think i'm (at least for this week) on the 'nice' list…oh, wait, christmas is over 🙂

  8. This week was pretty easy for me as we're still getting back into the routine after the Christmas break and I've only just started sewing again, so no purchases here. I don't have any big projects on the go or even planned so I should be able to work with my stash for now. We'll see how it goes!
    PS. I've never heard of Tim Gun either, but I am from the UK – I like the motto though!

  9. Failed!!! 1 metre of a Neptune fabric to stash the other few bits I've been collecting. Honey roll of Hello Betty, I've been coveting that range for a while, and it was 1/2 price!!! *sigh* I really do want to be good, lol

  10. I have no clue who Tim Gunn is but I am interested to know 🙂
    I did not purchase any fabric this week but I am really wanting to that is for sure.

    1. I have read 34 of the comments so far and you are the first to spell Tim Gunn's name correctly with two n's. Pet peeve of mine! I wish everyone would proof comments and posts before hitting the publish button. Carefully! It is easy to read right past your own mistakes. I don't say this to sound snarky (is that a word or did I make it up?) but mistakes reflect on one's care and attention to detail. Most people hesitate at a mistake, misspelled word, left out word and go back and read again because it doesn't make sense. That takes precious time that we could be using to sew, don't you think! I hope you all had good success on the fabric diet. I am reading through Angela's blog in Aug./Sept. of '12 so it is well over by now. All the online stores were hating your guts but I am sure your significant others were appreciating your efforts.
      I am enjoying your blog, Angela and still liking that North Carolina Star – wanting to try it. N

  11. I know who Tim Gun is – big fan of Project Catwalk – and I have done very well this week although unintentionally. I actually drove to Mandy's studio this morning to pick up various solids I need to complete WIPs and Mandy had to rush off unexpectedly so I ddn't get what I came for. So, for week one, I'm in as long as Mandy doesn't come home via the studio and bring my order to the school run which would mean I would have to come back and fess up.

  12. Woo hoo to all those that made it. I am proud to say that I am in that group. I did receive the last piece needed for a Betty Boop quilt, can't wait to start on it. The toughest part for me is everyone else (those not on the diet) sharing their purchases and a couple of sites that have blogs to share their new fabrics. Heres hoping we can all make it to next week!

  13. I made it through this week! Mainly because I went on New Year's Eve and bought enough Kona white to get me through the eight weeks – I can't afford to run out of my main "go-to" fabric! But if I do run out, I'll be good and turn to another solid….. You'll be able to see the quilt I made from stash fabric later today on confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com! (Haven't finished sewing the binding, but as soon as I do, those pics go up!)

  14. whoot whoot! I made it! No purchases, but I am doing about 4 swaps right now. It's how I cope. The Ruby Star Rising prints are calling my name, but I'm trying to remind myself I can always find them somewhere later, even if I have to swap for them. The Farmdale for $5/yard was hard to resist too! Also, I'm using this no fabric buying time to use some of my hoarded fabric–like my Henna Garden collection and Wonderland. It feels great to cut up some of the fabric I've been staring at for a while! I may even break out the FMF!

    Make It Work!

  15. Yay! Week One? Tick!

    I'm still waiting on some fabric I ordered before Christmas from the US, so that will be a lovely treat when it arrives.

    After all the manic pre-Christmas quilting I've also started re-folding and organising my stash … which has only reinforced why this is such a great initiative!

    I must be a masochist, because I'm still drooling over fabric, but I'm finding it quite easy to resist … so far …

    Well done everyone! And thanks for the support!

  16. I made it this week too!

    but that could be because I just got my sewing space back up after the christmas holidays.

    I even have been using my scraps in making mug rugs. (I never heard of them til this week too) Im loving it.

    I'm making them for that facebook challenge that has been going around but some people requested colours I didnt really have so I put a call out to my friends to see if they had some and went though the box of stuff I was given and ready to pass on.

    so far so good!

  17. I made it through the week! Unfortunately, I forgot that I committed to buying a fat quarter bundle from someone before agreeing to the diet, so I'll fail miserably next week 🙂

  18. I made it through this week! Although it was very difficult. Especially when I had to go to JoAnn's Fabrics to pick up knitting needles. I didn't even go on the fabric side of the store since I knew I wouldn't be able to resist. It helped to have my husband there who is aware of the Fabric Diet and is very supportive of it :).

  19. No idea who Tim Gun is.

    I didn't purchase any fabric, unless you count my BOM fabric that I am obiligated to buy, so I don't count that, besides it hasn't shown up in my mailbox yet nor has the fabric I ordered on DEc 31st.

    I was very happy to make a baby quilt using what I had. I found in my stash all the fabric and joined some batting together and used yarn I already had. I could have bought something new but I didn't!

  20. I made it too, other than a Christmas purchase, but that was Christmas money so I dont think that counts?? Right?
    I am waiting for the rest of my Christmas presents to get here and hopefully they will come today!! Seems like its been forever already, I ordered them last week!
    Anyways, I was good 🙂

  21. I made it! Even with all those online shops having post-holiday sales. Injust clicked delete on those emails!

    I am wondering, though, about Ruby Star Rising. Is it going to be super popular and run out, a la Heather Ross style?

    Also still trying to complete my Henna Garden collection with the pumpkin color. Can't find it!

  22. First week is a failure for me…I 'had' to buy more Kona White as I ran out of background fabric for my colour wheel quilt. I've decided that finishing this WIP veto'd my fabric diet. But I'm committed for the next 7 weeks!

  23. Week 1–fail. I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my 12 Days of Xmas, then realized I needed a second charm pack (who buys 1 charm pack? such a dope) to make it work. Found one on uber sale on etsy. Now it's back to one day at a time!

  24. Success!!! I might add it feels pretty good and it has sharpened up even more of my math skills for the GRE– because I am having to make it work with what I have and that meant re-working a lot of my original dimensions. I did get a package I had ordered before I started and my mom did get me some Hushabye but in all fairness I told her to mail it at the end of February!

  25. I just discovered your site and the challenge. Count me in. Luckily I've been too busy this week to purchase any fabric. I'm also going on a yarn and fiber diet. There are quite a few projects that I need to finish before I add more goodies to my stash.

  26. Every time I went to my quilting forum someone else was posting about some fantastic sale! It was really hard not to buy, but I did manage to make a bunch of hexies for my scrap quilt from the scrap bin. I did add a page to my blog with links to the fabrics I get to buy at the end of the diet!

  27. I gave in after finally finding some voile I already tried to find several times. Then I had to get some other fabrics as well to justify shipping from US (I am a poor girl, I know). But I am giving away some yards, so it could count as zero, right? Right???

  28. it was hard but i did it! it was especially bad when true up's sales alert came out earlier today.. i did receive a number of yummy packages of fabrics that i ordered for myself as christmas presents this week, so that made it easier too. i still have a few more packages out there from the christmas binge (shipping to canada has been reaaaally slow), so i think i should make it next week too, lol!

  29. Well…. I didn't buy any new fun fabric, but I did have to buy some batting and solid sashing for a quilt…I don't count that! And MAYBE there was a cute basic grey dot on clearance…mighta got a wee bit of that 🙂

  30. Remember the bird fabric you showed in one of your posts last month from Hancock Fabric? I HAD to go to my local store to see if they had it, especially since Hancock's New Year Sale included 50% off quilting fabric AND I had an 11% off coupon emailed to me. Well, I found both varieties, and since I was in a good mood, I bought a few half yards of other fabric as well. Made off with 2.5 yards for a little more than $8. That's the way to start the year with a bang, but I don't anticipate any more fabric purchases in the near future. Back on the wagon!

  31. I made it!!! Helps that Mom gave me a half yard set of Tula Pink Parisville in Mist for Christmas. I have been awaiting Lovely at the Fat Quarter Shop…and it just arrived. MUST BE STRONG!!! Surely there will still be some left in March!!! Sigh.
    This next week could be tough, I have to go into a quilt shop to buy batting. Whimper.

    Blessings,

    KT

  32. The only fabric I bought was coordinating solids for commission quilts (those don't count, right?). It is tough though, but I'm desperately trying to make it work.

  33. I had a couple of yards already on their way to my door, but other than that I was really good and didn't buy anything. I even de-stashed some in my etsy shop. I'm feeling quite virtuous. (We'll see what I sound like in 2 months…)

  34. I'm still waiting on two fabric orders (pre-2011) and a giveaway package so I'll be well taken care of for a while now!

    I did some more culling of the stash as well – Craigslist posting is in the works….

    Feels gooood!

  35. I made it through this week… but will need to buy some white (as I'm completely out, largest scrap is about 1"x6" of white) ans some pink for sashing one of my quilts. (also waiting for a 2010 purchase to arrive…)

    I did cut out some of my stash and get some sewing done too!

  36. I MADE IT!!! But I am still waiting on a delivery of a previous order before I joined up here. I think I'm going to have to extend the time on this one – perhaps six months as I've thought about all the cash I could save from fabric purchases in that time… Thanks for the inspiration.

  37. I did it! I haven't been sewing much this week though, and I tried to stay away from looking at any fabric online. Plus, I still feel guilty over my purchases over Christmas. ;0)

  38. no fabric here!! but i was actually working up a blog post about my fabric/craft supply temptations right now. ha! and then i realized i hadn't checked in over here. i'm also trying not to buy any craft supplies in general and joann's was literally calling my name by showing it as a craft for their giant letters… "lisa" there it was right in the sales ad. those meanies!!!

  39. I made it through the week without buying any fabric. But, my goodness, did all of the shops have to email me about their sales? I need to learn to delete sooner because sales really tempt me. So far so good, though.

  40. I completly failed: my favourite LQS is closing:-( I nearly started to cry so i just wnt in one last time to something : solids and some cute woodland print, Congrats to all who made it ! Next week i will be better (hopefully)

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