Can you believe that another month has gone by? Time to check in for our Stashbuster challenge. Once again, there is no judgement when the sale table calls, an adorable print shows up in the quilt shop, a vendor’s offerings at the quilt show is uniquely appealing, or retail therapy is needed. 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 complete things for gifts, to donate, or to use, and wrap up the projects in progress, not to create more UFOs. Yes, you can give away fabric and UFOs! Anything that leaves your sewing room never to return counts.
I did great on fabric ‘in’ this month, just a one angel fat quarter, two small pieces of food print fabric (about 1/8 yard each) and one quarter yard of silver stars on navy for a project from our local quilt shop. Total in = 3/4 yard.
Fabric out was huge. I have been going through the fabric bins and asking myself, do I love it or not? Well, a lot I could live without. So, when fellow blogger Deanna put out a call for large piece scraps or charms for a project to teach a group of kids to sew, I knew that would be the perfect place to send some. I packed up a box, weighing in at 11 pounds! It was shipped mid month, and she received it last week. Then, I filled a bag with more to go to the guild re-home table, along with two UFOs that I have totally lost interest in. Total fabric out given away = 40 yards!!
As far as finished projects, I have just a couple. The first produce bag I made that I didn’t like and two thread catchers made about a 1/2 yard out.
I finished the second produce bag, and I know what I need to do now to make these better. I needed to turn the top print edged inside one more time to enclose the raw edges before I sew the seam. Then the French seam on the mesh below is the right width. I am also going to sew in a channel for the drawstring, to make it more finished. Anyway, estimating a quarter yard of fabric, not including the mesh.
Here are my totals for this month:
April Fabric IN = + 3/4 yard
April Fabric OUT = –40-3/4
April Net Total = -40 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = Out! -20-1/2 yards
Your Turn! Copy and past this form into your comment and fill in your totals. Indicate on the totals if the number is in (+) or out (-). If you need a reminder where you were last month, click on Stashbusters April and scroll down to your comment.
March Fabric IN = +
March Fabric OUT = –
March Net Total =
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =
How’d you do this month?
*********************
Just in time to order for a Mother’s Day gift, or treat yourself! Milk Street is having a sale on select items up to 80% off!! No code necessary, sale prices are online. Click on Milk Street Mother’s Day Sale, sale ends Sunday night at midnight.
Fat Quarter Shop has new specials for May! Get 20% off the Basic of the Month Bella Solids by Moda, 30% Off the Notions of the Month from Olfa, 30% off Patterns of the Month from Elizabeth Hartman Patterns (paper only) and see the Book of the Month – The Strawberry Garden Quilt Book by Fig Tree Quilts. Check out Today’s Flash Sale and see the Precuts of the Week, plus The Cross Stitch Sale of the Month from Q Snaps!
Sign up for the free Patriotic webinar on Sulky.com! Join us LIVE on May 13, 2025 at 2pm ET as we take you through the steps to create a pieced, patriotic-themed quilted panel using a gridded stabilizer technique. This innovative piecing technique allows you to create perfect points, rows and columns every time. Arrange the precut fabrics to showcase a heart or flag that has patriotic flair. Then quilt the finished piece and display it as a mini quilt, wall hanging, table topper, fusible appliqué and more.Use the panel in myriad ways – as a focal piece on the back of a jacket, as a garden flag, as the center of a larger quilt, or as a table topper & more! As a thank you for registering, you’ll receive a FREE “America” machine embroidery design from Sulky, which you can use to embellish all sorts of patriotic-themed projects. Get the kit on sale now for $39.99 which has a 42 piece charm pack, stabilizer, threads and more!
From My Carolina Home 
Carole, you did great this month!
April was another month of no reporting activity for me. I’ve started sewing again. Cutting and pressing are still hard on my thumb, but I have two tops ready to quilt. I did some retail therapy but the fabrics haven’t made it to my sewing room as I can’t wash / press them yet; that will make a big addition in May…
April Fabric IN = +0
April Fabric OUT = –0
April Net Total = +/-0
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -54.75
Yesterday in class I had some early finishers who needed something to do. I put them to work sorting fabric. “Wow! Where did all of this come from?” “They just GAVE it to you?!” I explained that I had some good sewing friends. As they continued the treasure hunt, exclaiming over beautiful colors and fun designs one said, “You have REALLY good friends!” Yes, I do. Thank you again.
Awesome!! Thank you for that report on how the fabrics were received, warmed my heart!!
Happy May Day (one day late). I accepted a wash-basket-sized lot of batting & fabric donated to our sewing group. It was promptly turned into a twin quilt, win-win, but not included in my inventory. For April another twin, a throw, & a project bag were completed. There’s a throw-size flimsy ready to pin baste & 4 of 6 rows in a Block-a-Week project ready, but that won’t finish until July. The stash is diminishing but it takes so long!
April Fabric IN = + 5.5 (Making a graduation quilt for a nephew plus a piece from the give away table.)
April Fabric OUT = –25.5 yards
April Net Total =-20 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = – 27.5 Back on track to meet my personal goal of 100 yards out for 2025. Multiple tops waiting for backing along with some UFOs awaiting my attention. Then there are always WIP and the quilt or two on my dream list. Yup, in deedy do, I can reach the 100 out goal.
Unbelievable! Well, well, well done, Carole!
March Fabric IN = + 8.5 YDS
March Fabric OUT = – 14 YDS
March Net Total = – 5.5 YDS
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = – 41.5 YDS
Visit to Key West this month. Of course, I had to pick up something from the darling fabric shop there. Hoping to get more sewing in this month. I like your giveaway idea Carole. Looking at my totes I sure need to give it a go.
How’d you do this month? I had a fabulous month. I spent 2 weeks in TN. I shop hopped with a girlfriend for 3 days and oh my did we hit sale/clearance tables. My average cost is $5.06/yard. $3.60 was our best find and $8 was the max.
March Fabric IN = +300
March Fabric OUT = –22.76
March Net Total = +277.24
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +165
I am very happy with my “stash enhancements”. Oh, my TN friend wins! But I forget her total 😉
Clearly, spring has arrived. Much of my time and attention went to yard work. I knew that April numbers would be low. I was somewhat amazed when I checked my logs and found that nothing was finished and nothing was brought into the stash. One quilt is ready for hand sewing the binding, but most evenings I am either still outdoors or too tired to pick it up. So, I continue with
Y-T-D total: -31.05 yds.
Carole, your numbers and kindness in donating fabric are inspiring!
Connie W.
Carole-you did great! I also moved some fabric on to another home. I moved projects closer to completion but that will likely be in June.
April In +5
April Out -23.5
April net Out-18.5
Net Year to date-9.5
I am so impressed with the work so many of you are doing. This month I finally completed my two scrap quilts and I love them. They are bright, but not “busy”, in pastel or medium prints white on a white background. One is twin size, and one is full size (14 yards) I sent two children’s quilts to a foster care program (6 yards) and one mug rug (1/4) yd. I bought I printed panel, that I couldn’t resist
Total for April 2025:
Yards in 2
Yards out 20 1/4
This was another good month for me. I’m getting a lot of tops quilted from last year. 3 more completions have been added to my total. That makes 5 in the last 2 months and one waiting on the longarm. This is a “no buy” year, so no quilting fabric came in. I did order a few yards of garment fabric, but it’s not here yet, and I’m not sure I’m adding it in since it will go straight into garments. Congrats to everyone on your progress and acquisitions…
April fabric in… 0
April fabric out… -31.5 yds
Total for 2025… -52 yds
Forty yards out!!!! You go girl! 🙂 I did finally finish the graduation quilt. Still looking for threads to tie, but the binding is finished. The Roman shades are done too, probable installation set for next week. I made some burp cloths too, all out of flannel remnants, so they are ready for baby gifts.
April In 4.5 yards
April Out 9.9 yards
April Net Total -5.4
Year to Date -13.1 yards
March Fabric IN = +7
March Fabric OUT = –2.5
March Net Total = +4.5
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +15.5
March Fabric IN = +4 yds
March Fabric OUT = – 0 yds
March Net Total = +4 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +54 yds
I got a mental block against the project on my longarm and it held up quilting fabric for and finishing a new project (byAnnie Tools of the Trade – the large size) for which I had joined a “slow along”. I haven’t finished that, so all I have is the 7 yds in. But that’s OK. Each month is a new chance to finish things, right?!? 🙂
April Fabric IN = +7 yard
April Fabric OUT = 0
April Net Total = +7 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In or – Out) = +11.8 yd