Once again, it is time to check in and report how you are doing on reducing your stash. Did you finish a project? Did you succumb to the freebie table at guild? Was a bit of retail therapy required? For new readers, every month we check in on the first Friday of the month. The goal is to have more ‘out’ than ‘in’ at the end of the year. No, you don’t have to inventory your stash, just keep track of what comes in and what goes out each month. I keep a clipboard in my sewing room with fabric in and out in columns, and make notes when I bring in fabric (purchased, gifted or nabbed from the free table at guild) and completed projects to count as out. Fabric out is counted when the project is completed, quilted and bound, or otherwise finished and ready to use, out the door, sold or given away. The idea is awareness, and no judgement when fabric from the sale rack jumps into your bag, the perfect print shows up on a giveaway table, or retail therapy is needed.
I succumbed to the sale at Fat Quarter Shop last month on Memorial weekend and bought 2 yards of British flag fabric on clearance. Then, when I put out a call for British scraps, a local friend, Dawn, gifted me with 5 yards of the royal print on the right.
The plan is to add these to the light blue print I found some time ago and make some kind of quilted item for our MINI club’s silent auction in December.
My only fabric out this month was for the lullaby quilt I put together last week, just to have a finish. Counting top, backing and binding, using my square inches method, I have 2-1/4 yards out.
As a reminder, and for new readers, here is how I estimate yardage out with quilts made from scraps. I measure the top width and height, multiply them together, to get the total square inches. For example, a 60×70 top is 4200 square inches. One yard of fabric is generally 40 inches wide x 36 inches or 1440 square inches. So, divide 4200 by 1440, and you get 2.91666, and I’d call that 3 yards. That is for the top, count the same for the back, and then add what you use for binding. I don’t bother with trying to count the seam allowances, although you could add 1/4 yard to the total accommodate those if you wish. Is it precise? No, but it is close enough for Stashbusters.
So, here are my totals for June.
June Fabric IN = +7
June Fabric OUT = –2-1/4
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = +4-3/4 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -82-1/4 yards out
Your turn. If you need to remind yourself where you are year to date, click on Stashbusters June and scroll down to the comments to find yours. And don’t worry if you miss a month, or you’ve totally lost track. You can jump back in at any time, start over if you need to, it is totally up to you. The idea is awareness, no deadlines or strict rules apply. You can copy and paste the lines below into the comment box, then fill in your totals. Oh, and there is no deadline to report either, anytime this month is good.
June Fabric IN = +
June Fabric OUT = –
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =
How did you do this month?
From My Carolina Home 
This month was a slow one for me. Only a couple small donation things.
June Fabric IN = +0
June Fabric OUT = –6.25
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =-6.25
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =-94.625
Carole,
Congrats! You are making good progress and your are stashing with intent. Well done!
I was travelling this month but because it was for a wedding, I had one large finish – the wedding quilt. With travelling, there was once again no buying. Yahoo!
June Fabric IN = 0
June Fabric OUT = –15 1/8
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -15 1/8
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -105 1/4
Happy Dance! Thanks for the encouragement to track my fabric. It is very satisfying to bust my stash! Have a wonderful month! Jan
Carole, this is Brenda, the one who just won the book in the drawing. When I saw that you are making a London/England themed quilt, I scurried to my stash to find 4 pieces that I have had for the longest time but never came up with a way to do what I had in mind. I want to send them to you, if it is okay. It has reds, blacks and creams, with crowns, and London//England themes. They look like they would fit in with what you already have. Email me if it is okay for me to send them to you.
Wow 84 yards of fabric?! That celebration worthy in my books.
My sewing area is currently taken up by our foster kittens so no progress from me!
June Fabric IN = +9
June Fabric OUT = – 7.5
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = 1.5
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -5.5
Thank you so much for the “how to” to calculate the yardage out! I’m going to jump in mid year. I’ve been trying to use stash for several years and cannot see any headway. Maybe if I keep better track, it will show more clearly! Fingers crossed!! So I’ll post at the end of July or the beginning of August for July.
I haven’t been keeping track for several months, but you encouraged me to jump back in so here I am.
June in: 2 yards for sashing and borders on the Rainbow Neighborhood
June out: a couple of finishes that equal about 3 yards
So YTD: -.5 yds!
I’ve gone back and figured out June.
June Fabric In: 6 yds MSQC order Neutrals
June Fabric Out: -15.25 yds – 4 projects completed
YTD: -9.25 yards
I have been finishing some projects. 2 small quilts, a table runner and a project from a class I took. Total 10.5 yds out. Had to buy 3 yard one yd pieces from Etsy as wasn’t sure about the right color for a border, and a trip to a friends house to look for that fabric border fabric before going to Etsy and couldn’t leave without buying something plus the free table at guild =4.5 yds in.
YTD: 25 yds out Wahoo!
I didn’t think I’d done a good job meeting my net zero goal, but looking back over my list there were a lot out the door. I finished a placemat, 2 quilted pillows, 3 lap, & 1 twin quilt, and 2 drawstring goody bags with zipper pouches & fabric covered mini-comp notebooks (also 4 pairs of fingerless gloves & a baby layette that won’t count for fabric but help with the yarn stash!). And 2 flimsies were completed but won’t count until they’re quilted. It’s a quiet, showery, very humid day today. Time to get cracking on July’s list.
How did you do this month? I went on vacation and did some shop hopping. I mean, vacation stash enhancements don’t count. Right? 😉
June Fabric IN = + 37.75y
June Fabric OUT = – 9.5y
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = + 28.25y
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -135y
I have 2 remaining in the binding pile and finished 1 on Wednesday!
Happy stitching ya’ll 🙂
I’ve not done the math but I need to bind 1 small quilt. I threw together 7 flimsys for a local camp next year. Put together 2 projects from my forgotten bins and got one quilted and bound.
My most productive month in a very long time.
My June totals also reflect May as I didn’t report. and didn’t get much sewing done other than some dog scarves! Been in a slump. I am afraid my July totals will head in the plus direction. My favorite shop in Kerrville, Texas- Creations is calling it quits. They have been in business for years and have decided to retire. They always had the best fabrics. It was always a nice day trip for us.
June Fabric IN = + 1 yd
June Fabric OUT = –4 yds
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = 3 yds out
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In- 19.5, or – Out) = 43
Just found out we have “sewing” all summer so “whooped ” up 2 easy quilts, and one with pieced blocks, but when it’s hot I take my dog for a walk at Hobby Lobby (ask your store first – but many of the clerks keep dog treats in their pockets) anyway found a few yards on sale…..Thanks!
Out – 9 yards
In – 4 (can’t miss a deal on solids!)
June total: -5
I finally finished one of my projects, Bonnie Hunters Carolina Chain pattern. It’s a large quilt and used a lot of scraps.
I also have fabric in, though. We were on vacation in Alaska and I couldn’t resist a couple of kits and some Alaska themed fabric.
June Out – 15-1/4 yards
June In + 7 yards
June net – 8-1/4 yards Out
YTD +17-1/4 In
June Fabric IN = +4
June Fabric OUT = –12
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =-8
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =+16.5
I joined a box of the month subscription in a weak moment! Actually, its part of my birthday present from my hubby. I finished the quilt for the guest room bed, so have a negative for the month. Making good progress on a queen size for my son.
I didn’t do much that added to fabric in or out in June, but I worked on sewing blocks together for quilts and putting borders on a UFO. I think July will probably end that way also.
Stashbusters July Check In
June Fabric IN = + 0
June Fabric OUT = –1/4 yard
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) -1/4
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = 15
It was a low volume sewing month (a one week vacay also!). I finished a graduation quilt for my grandson and used every scrap for top, back, binding, plus a throw pillow. No left-overs. I also made four red, white and blue table runners in various sizes, all from purchased fabrics. No left-overs here either, so it was a wash.
June Fabric IN +3
June Fabric OUT = 6
June Net Total =3
Year to Date = -21
I am pretty pleased with this month, even though I went to my now former quilt store and did a last purchase. There is a fabric shop this month with 2 quilty friends I am meeting up with, but I have a few needs, so I will try to restrain myself! I also sold quite a few things at a sale, but haven’t figured out if I should count them, but I was pleased about that!
Fabric in this month: 9 (7.5 yards at my closing LQS 🙁 )
Fabric out this month: 11
Fabric in this year: 46.25
Fabric out this year: 52.25
NET Fabric: -6 yards
Still nothing out this month…but some came in.
June Fabric IN = +12.25
June Fabric OUT = –0
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =IN+12.25
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =OUT-56.75
Good progress on finishing some WIPS. But still more to go. How does it happen that I just keep starting new projects while others are languishing on the unfinished pile? Hum…… Tee-Hee-Hee! I am sure that no one else has this problem. Wink, wink
June Fabric IN = + 13 yards (backing for quilts in progress.)
June Fabric OUT = –38.75 yards (finishes! Yay!)
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =20.75 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = 74.3 yards OUT!!!
June Fabric IN =0
June Fabric OUT = -4
June Net Total = -4
Year to Date = -45.83
This was not a very productive month for me, but July is off to a good start.
Only finished two table runners this month, but I also didn’t do any fabric shopping at all so in the end it was more going out than coming in at least.
0 yds in
2 1/2 yds out
Total – 2 1/2 yds.
Year total – 5 3/4 yds
NO new fabric in, but donated some out—no totals of yards. Started my June off with #32 Scrappy Irish Chain (with 640 2.5″ squares, plus background!!–no dent in my tubs of squares!); #33 Pinwheels and Patches patriotic; then the paramedics took me to the hospital during one of our QOV sew days, so now lots of medical follow up for me. #34 is Scrappy mini crosses (with 1.5″ squares!); #35 is a 2013 UFO Block of the month Grandmothers Sampler in patriotic surrounding a panel. #36 was the same 2013 Block of the month done in batiks and black set on point. Each of the blocks had 40-50 pieces, and only 12 blocks didn’t make anything sizeable, so had to improvise, cause I wasn’t making more of them! I had finished the original store BOM a while back. I always do more colorways as it doesn’t take long to make one block a month, and once you have the pattern figured out, it is easy to create more! So, five Quilts of Valor at 10 yards each with backing means I used 50 yards this month (plus more used in current quilt alongs and block of the months, but they aren’t finished yet), making year to date total used 360 yards! WHEW!
Still no finishes for me while rebuilding the house after the March fire. Two pieces of good news: most fabric was recovered with only about 36 finished blocks non-salvaged and the reconstruction/ repairs started in June. Here are my updated stats which includes May since I missed that check-in.
May fabric in: 0 yds.
June fabric in: 3.25 yds.
May fabric out: 0 yds.
June fabric out: 0 yds.
May & June net: + 3.25 yds.
YTD total: + 23.75 yds.
I am looking forward to the fall when we anticipate returning to our home and then I can finish a few small quilts for the local Comfort Quilts group with whom I sew.
Connie W.
2023 STASH TOTALS
Used last week: 0 m
Used year to date: 53.5 m
Scraps out 2.5 m
(1 bag=/.5 k=.5m)
Scraps In 0 m
Added last week: 0 m
Year to date: 52 m bolt 27m, bucket batiks 15m
Net added in 2023 2.5 meter
I am doing great but and that is a big one, I am getting a stash legacy this afternoon , so that will be a lot in. A friend’s neighbor wants to gift her stash out and we are going this afternoon!!! Wish me fabric!
June Fabric IN = +5.5
June Fabric OUT = –0.75
June Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = +4.75
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +4.25
Rats! I’m on the Plus-Side again.
Not too much for me in June. It was a slow month.
June fabric in- 0 yds.
June fabric out- .50 yds.
June total- 2.50 yds.
YTD total- 9.75 yds.