Time to report our totals for the month of May. For new readers, this is easy to do, just report what you have brought in and sent out over the past month, keeping a year to date total. No, you do not have to take inventory of your stash. There is only one rule, report as ‘out’ only what is completely finished, quilted and bound. For small items like purses or totes, they have to be finished and ready for use or gifting. The challenge is to finish projects, have them in use, ready to give as a gift, or out the door, not to create new UFOs for the closet. Fabric out can also be given away, or donated somewhere.
Remember, it is fine to buy fabric now and then. As Murphy’s Law of Quilting tells us, for every project, you’ll probably need to buy something. It might be another print, or some blender or background neutrals, or backing. This challenge just to keep us mindful to get what we need, but not go overboard.
This month didn’t see a lot of fabric out, only the two Project Linus quilts. Each one is 2-1/2 yards for top, backing and binding for a total of 5 yards out.
Well, now for confession. I went to a special sale of a woman’s stash that was so large, it was a bit overwhelming. The woman had been collecting fabric for nearly 20 years, and the family was having the sale to raise money to help her. There were literally thousands of yards of fabric, hundreds of books, magazines and patterns. Much of the fabric was in pieces of 3 yards up to 10 yards. It was selling for $5 per pound! Since there are about 3 yards in a pound, it was so inexpensive I couldn’t pass it up. It was the ideal time to get backing and blenders.
I wish I had actually bought more. I passed up a number of nice yardage prints that would have made great backings. But I did come home with 20 yards of off-white tone on tones, along with 18 books, 12 magazines, 4 patterns, some felted wool, and a cute mini quilt holder.
Then, a package arrived from sweet reader Brenda, with more fabric. She sent some black and white prints that she thought might help with my Paris quilt. And she threw in a panel.
She had also asked if I could use a wine panel and print. I said, sure, why not, might make a good raffle quilt for a local charity. I didn’t realize how much she was going to send! All total, the package contained 12-1/2 yards!!
OK, so that leaves me here with my totals for the month.
May Fabric IN = + 32-1/2 yards (oh my!!)
May Fabric OUT = – 5
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = + 27-1/2
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +11-1/4
I have got to get sewing!!
Now it is your turn! Report fabric ‘in’ as a plus, and fabric ‘out’ as a minus. The goal is to have any amount in the year to date in the minus at the end of the year. If you need to remind yourself of where your year to date totals are, click on Stashbusters May Check In and scroll to your comment. But come back to this post to report your totals for today. Copy the info below, paste into the comment box and fill in your totals.
May Fabric IN = +
May Fabric OUT = –
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =
How’d you do this month?
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From My Carolina Home 
I was able to finish up several projects from earlier this year.
I finally finished up 5+ projects from earlier this year.
May Fabric IN = +0
May Fabric OUT = –54.75
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -54.75
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -138
Wow, awesome job!! You are an inspiration!
Production stalled in May. Like Carole I was busy setting up a quilt show so that took away my quilting time but I did manage to complete 2 bog coats & a dozen lined drawstring gift bags. Those finishes were cancelled out by the batiks I picked up at the show. So no change for me in May.
May
In: +2 yards fabric from trip
Out: -2.5 yards baby quilt
Monthly Total: -0.5
Yearly total: 12.5
We went on a trip to the Black Hills in May and I was able to stop in 2 different quilt shops. I kept my purchasing small but wanted to make sure I was doing my part to stimulate the local economy. 😉 I have been doing a lot of binding for the ladies in my quilt group that can’t for various reasons. It has kept me from doing my own projects but hopefully I can back to it by the end of the month.
Well, I can see why you took advantage of that sale! Fabulous, and so is Brenda. Last year I went to an estate sale where the deceased was a quilter and part owner of a quilting fabric store. I thought of you — selling by the bag full and you can put a LOT in a grocery bag! But a wonderful way to amass fabrics at the right price! And I know you’ll make wonderful things, both to donate and give as well as share.
I have been able to stay on track with finishing at least one UFO quilt monthly which really helps in the fabric out department. Also finished an FFA auction quit for my niece started last month. It sold for $250 so I am very proud of that.
May Fabric In = +3 yds May Fabric Out = -15.5 yds May Net Total = -12.5 yds Year to Date Total = – 41.5 yds
Your auction quilt did very well, congratulations!!
Great job on your stashbusting, too!
Well done! yes, a sale like that is hard to resist, plus it was certainly for a good cause. The woman must have been crushed to let her fabric go though.
the Linus quilts are adorable. I just sent my daughter several yards of fun fabrics to make pillow cases for the local hospital in the Richmond area. I was happy to let it go …. mainly to get my daughter sewing on the Hello Kitty Janome machine I gave her. A treasure of a machine and a sturdy one too.
Have a fun week-end.
A few years ago one of my fellow quilt guild members died unexpectedly. When I saw your picture of the special sale, it reminded me of my fellow guild members fabric sale. I just finished a quilt using fabric I bought at her sale and will remember her when I use it!
I am happy for you that you found background and backing yardage at a good price. I’m sure the family putting on the sale is grateful too.
I visited a couple of my favorite fabric sources and bought fabric for a cushion cover, tote bag, a pillow back, aprons and a few yards to fill a void in my stash.
I only completed one rather fussy quilt this month. Between vacation, outdoor work, events with family, sewing time was scarce. Looking forward to more sewing time this month!
May Fabric IN = +12 May Fabric OUT = -6 May Net Total = +6 Year to Date =-77
Thanks for giving us a forum to keep track of our stashes!
Jo Anne
May Fabric IN = + 0
May Fabric OUT = – 9
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -9
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -46.5
You did well to not get more at the sale. Would have been hard to pass up getting more! And the fabric sent to you- great fabrics. Love the wine panel! I was able to finish and gift the quilt for our neighbors new arrival. I always make baby quilts a decent size so they can be used for awhile.
May fabric In – 0; May fabric Out- 4; May Net total. – 4
YTD: Out 7.75
Slowly but surely going in the right direction!!!
May Fabric IN = + 0 (Yeah!)
May Fabric OUT = –11.75 (Out the door!)
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = 11.75 out for May
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = (27.25 out of my hands)
I have been trying to pick up my pace and stop making tops and begin to finish some tops so they can be passed on either as donations or to individuals as a warm hug from me.
I did that many years ago and came home with a box of fabric. Same circumstance. I’m HOPING to not leave this for my kids. Because of losing a Hobby Lobby and the swarms of cicadas, I’ve stayed home and waded through panels, odd pieces, and got about 12 yards out the door (well on Wednesday when I turn them in.) But I can hardly see the difference, (big sigh). I also dye the white on white, the background takes the color, the “white” rejects it. Fun. Thanks.
Wonderful job of helping the fellow quilter and filling in stash needs at the same time, Carole. That was a “win-win” for everyone involved.
May Fabric In: 0 yards;
May Fabric Out: 13 yards;
May Total: -13 yards;
YTD Totals: -23.6 yards.
Connie W.
Well…I still don’t have a machine to do quilting with, so my tops and back continue to stack up. It may take me all next year to quilt them! So, the only thing out was a skirt I made to just knock around the house in. However, no fabric made its way into the house. I was tempted by all the Memorial Day sales, but not enough to buy anything.
May Fabric IN = + 0
May Fabric OUT = – .75 yd
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = – .75 yd
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -41.25yds
Well, May made up for April. My quilt #29 for this year was a cars quilt, #30 is Scrappy Log Cabin by Carol Thelan made of 1200 2.5″ squares!!! Amazing to think that the boxes are still full of 2.5″ squares….#31 is Strips and Salsa online tutorial from GE Designs, #32 was a UFO of Red Hearts, #33 Sunny Stars using leftover 4 patches and HST, #34 was Doors and Windows done in horses for a QOV special request, #35 was Windmill (pattern tester) done in Air Force fabric, #36 Scrappy Picnic Quilt from Pat Sloan or Moda, #37 was a UFO Scrappy Friends, #38 Locked in Friendship (another pattern test), #39 was Carpenter Star Big Block, and #40 was scrappy block 1 & 2 done with 546 2.5″ batik squares, plus background squares and rectangles. So 12 quilts and backs (all for Quilts of Valor) is 120 yards used. Nothing new brought in. Year to date total is (drumroll) 400 yards used in only 5 months! Whew!
I do not see how you get this much piecing and quilting done in a month! You must not sleep!
Wish I had elves who helped out! I do sleep about 8 hours a night, but am a stay at home caregiver, so do my sewing while he naps, etc, and my cutting and pressing while I watch his reruns!! I already have 1 completion for June, and one laid out and ready to sew together, and two more with blocks in the making. Besides, our Veterans need our thanks and they love the quilts. Trying to use up my lifetime supply of fabric!! God put me on this earth to do a certain number of things, right now I am so far behind, I will never die!! HAHA
You are amazing!
I didn’t get that much done in May, BUT I do finally have all my scraps tamed, and the sewing room cleaned, so production in June has already exceeded May!
May In: 3 yards
May Out: 2.75 yards
May Net Total: +.25 yard
Year to Date: -4.22 yards
May Fabric IN = + 7 yd
May Fabric OUT = – 3.25 yd
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = + 3.75
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = + 9.75 yds
My quilter sent me 5 of about 20 UFOs that I had left at her house but they didn’t arrive until June. Next month will wipe out that plus amount if I can stay away from ‘needing’ any more fabric. lol They are already designated. Took some stress away.
May Fabric IN = + 189.25
May Fabric OUT = – 37.75
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = +151.75
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =+87.1
I was on vacation out East and shop hopped with a friend. Avg cost of IN: $5.47/y which is the only reason I purchased fabric!
I started with 5 in the binding pile so I’m getting close to break even on that buy 🙂
May in = 9 yd
May out = 7 yd
YTD totals = 13.5 in + 2 = 15.2 yd.
…need to finish more projects!
I’m working on a finish that will give me lots “out” at the end of June. But to finish I had to buy backing fabric – in fact I bought enough for two backings!
May In: 8 yds
May Out: .5 yd
Ytd In: 13 yds
Ytd Out: 7 yds
May Fabric IN = + 0 yd
May Fabric OUT = – 0 yd
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = + 0
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = + 4.25 yds
This month I’m working on appliqué bird blocks. These take time and my time is limited as we are still making our lamps for the craft show we do in Ohio each year in Oct. Christmas in the Woods. We take over 100 lamps with us, very time consuming. This will be our last year then I’ll finally have more time to quilt!
I had a good sewing month for May. No yardage in and 11.5 yards out. The bulk of the yardage out was a UFO that has been laying around for over a year. I participated in a sampler quilt-along last year which resulted in 32 blocks of various sizes. The event ended last May, and I have been waffling the finishing details, from choosing sashing to how to quilt it. The original project was meant to be a bed-sized quilt. I’m just not into such a large size these days. I like more of the lap or throw size for quilts and smaller pieces for wall hangings. I finally kicked myself into gear and decided to get this project finished. Instead of the oversized quilt, I broke the blocks up into smaller projects: 2 throw pillows, 1 table mat, 1 throw sized quilt, 1 wall hanging, 1 hot pad. 6 projects in all…and all blocks were used, including 6 stragglers on the back of the throw. I pulled sashings, backings and bindings from my stash, so not only was this a UFO finish, but it was also a major stashbuster also. A Win-Win!!
May Fabric IN = +0
May Fabric OUT = –11.50
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -11.50
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -14.50
Awesome job and a brilliant solution for too many blocks in one quilt!!
I finished several projects in May—some just needed binding. Will see what June brings as far as fabric in because it’s the Wisconsin shop hop.
May in—9.5 yards
May out—18.25
Year to date in —27.5
Year to date out—21.25
Balance—still down 6.25 yards
You definitely can’t pass up a sale like that. Bargain!
Another good month where I purchased some backs, and finished some small projects. I should have a few quilts next month so I am expecting to see a nice “dip” in June.
Fabric in this month: 3 yards
Fabric in this year: 9 yards
Fabric out this month: 7.75 yards
Fabric out this year: 45.5 yards
NET Fabric: -36.5 yards
Carole, you are still doing great YTD even with the additions. And what a bargain you got on those backs!
Finally! I have a month with nothing in, although it was hard to resist Memorial Day Sales. They were not offering near the bargains you found though ; I could not have resisted that sale you found.
May in 0
May out -9.75
May net -9.75
YTD net +23.25
Oops! I almost forgot to check-in for Stash Busters. I hope late is considered better than never.
Carole, the estate sale you went to was a great bargain, and I think you were smart to stock up on basics at such a good price.
May was my guild’s show, too, and I enjoyed working at it. I also enjoyed supporting the wonderful vendors, because we want them to come back for the next show. My purchases for this month were all from the quilt show. I still don’t have *any* out for this year, but I did finish quilting a wall hanging, and it will be in my out column when I finish binding it in June.
May Fabric IN = +8.5 yards
May Fabric OUT = –0
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) =+8.5
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =+38.5 yards
I’m a little late due to vacation. Home now and ready to start up the machine for June.
May Fabric IN = +0
May Fabric OUT = –4
May Net Total ( + In, or – Out) = -4
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =+0.5
So sorry for such a late post comment. Have had health issues for a while.
May fabric IN: +2 yds. In
May fabric OUT: – 1.50 yds. Out
MayTOTAL: – .50 yd. Out
YTD TOTAL: -6.25 yds. stash Out