It’s check in time! Can you believe that another month has gone by? Only two more check-ins left before the end of the year 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 are 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 went a bit nuts at the re-home table at retreat. Fabric In = 7 yards of panels, fat quarters, and fabric won in a door prize drawing. I picked up so much! I may donate some of it back, but the best way to decide is to bring it home first. That’s my story and I am sticking to it. I also got some buttons, fusible web, another book, some cording trim and a great set of thread snips.
Then, at the October guild meeting, I found this panel along with a few books and magazines. I thought the panel might be a good start for a charity quilt for the shelter. Fabric in = 1/2 yard
For Fall Fortnight, Benartex sent 17 fat quarters to make the projects. Fabric in = 4-1/4 yards. The precut packages don’t count as they were prizes and have been shipped.
Pumpkin Spice Wall Hangings took 3/4 yard for top, backing and binding for each. I made two of these, one in Give Thanks fabric, and one scrappy. Total out = 1-1/2 yards.
Wonderful Time runners fabric out = 1-1/4 yards for 2 runners for top, backing and binding. This is the scrappy one, and the other was in the Give Thanks line.
I made 3 more Fall Hex Table Toppers for Fall Fortnight and the Fiber Fair. Total = 1-1/2 yards for top, backing and binding for all three.
Micro Mitts count for a total of 1/2 yard fabric out.
Little Farmer Lullaby Quilt = 1 yard fabric out.
October Fabric IN = +11-3/4 yards
October Fabric OUT = –5-3/4 yards
October Net Total = +6 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +4-1/4 yards.
Yikes! I need to donate some at the next guild meeting! Or get busy sewing again.
If you need to see your year-to-date from last month, click on Stashbusters October and scroll to the comments. Copy the form below into the comment box and add your totals.
October Fabric IN = +
October Fabric OUT = –
October Net Total =
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) =
How did you do this past month?
From My Carolina Home 
Yes, but how could you resist? And since your projects are mostly smaller yield for use, who cares — they are all wonderful!
No fabric in for me this month. That helped a lot. I have a new charity project – making tote bags for an oncology office. They fill them with items patients may need while at their chemo appointments.
October Fabric IN = +0
October Fabric OUT = –18 yds
October Net Total = – 18 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = – 93 yds
I think I’m going to make my goal for this year of 100 yards out! Yeah!
Awesome! What a good cause. If I may ask, what pattern are you using?
Go go go for 100 yds out!
Six quilts finished for October. I almost broke even, but I didn’t finish binding the last quilt I’d hoped to finish in October. The last stitch went in on November 1, so there’s a head start on this month’s count.
6 finishes – that’s great! 🙂
Looks like you scored big on your rehome table!
Purchased bargains backings and stash hole fillers. These will allow me to finish more quilts that I’ve started.
Completed binding and labels on a charity quilt and a sampler quilt. Feels good to finish!
October Fabric IN +23 October Fabric OUT = – 20 October Net Total = +3 Year to Date -79.75
Thank you for keeping us on track with Stashbusters! The monthly reports keep me from making purchases that don’t fit into my quilt finishing visions.
Jo Anne
Hard to resist those goodies, and redonating is always a good option!
Prior YTD Fabric Used = 49.5 yards
Prior YTD Fabric Bought = 48 yards
Current Month Fabric Used = 5.5 yards
Current Month Fabric Bought = 3 yards
Net Fabric = -4
Finally I am down!
Can’t manage to count, but have been using my embroidery machine a lot in the last month.
I think I finally finished adding to my stash from the friend’s estate. I am at max capacity right now. I have a few projects kitted and I’m afraid when I go to put the extra fabric back in my cabinets, it isn’t going to fit! Yikes! NO MORE FABRIC! Need quilts to leave! That will be my goal for November and December is to get the longarm going again. So, this month’s stash enhancement put me back in the black…but, I guess the positive is I have added over 70yds of fabric at no cost to me. That’s a win-win!
October Fabric IN = + 40.5 yds
October Fabric OUT = – 0
October Net Total = + 40.5 yds
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = + 13.75 yds
I just hit the same “no more room for fabric” roadblock. So yup, time to hang out with the longarm instead of other things. LOL And hey, free 70 yds – can’t pass that up!
October was a busy sewing month for me. I participated in the Endless Combinations contest and ended up making 12 articles of clothing! 6 shirts, 1 skirt, 3 pairs of pants and 2 jackets.
October In 0 yards
October Out 19.125 yards
October Net Total -19.125
Year to Date -49.275
The giveaway table at retreat is a great place to “shop” for fabric. If, once you get it home and look at it closer, you find you can’t use it, it’s easy to pass it on at the next retreat. You finished a lot of smaller projects this month; they add up!
I finally finished a quilt in October that I have been working on for a long time. Queen size, hand quilted, a gift for a friend. I’m ecstatic it’s finished, and my friend really likes it.
October Fabric IN = +3.5 yards
October Fabric OUT = –11.75 yards
October Net Total = -8.25 yards
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +53.75 yards
Those are wonderful projects spreading seasonal cheer to so many, Carole. Here are my October stats:
October Fabric In: 0 yds.;
October Fabric Out: 17.8 yds.;
October Net Total: -17.8 yds.;
Year-to-Date Net: -98.8 yds.
I’m doing the Happy Dance after seeing that YTD total!
Connie W.
That is a truly amazing YTD total!
October was a good month. I managed to avoid bringing any fabric in as I certainly have an abundance already.
October Fabric IN = +0
October Fabric OUT = –39.5
October Net Total = – 39.5
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = -80
I have a few more quilt tops to finish and the quilt. I hope to get them done before year end but the holidays may make that challenging.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
well… things get finished faster in my dreams than my fingers can actually make happen! With travel and some eye surgery I have not had as much out (sure didn’t keep it from coming in though!) and I see that July was my last posting so I will catch up here.
August and September
In +44 Out -16.75 Net +27.25
Net YTD +29.75
October In +39.5 Out -18.25
Net for October +21.25
Net YTD+51
Yikes! I need to get my almost finished things finished, give some fabric away and make a few pillowcases to offset some of that!
It’s funny (or something!) how fabric just keeps coming in…LOL. Hope you’ve recovered well, and have fun with changing almost finished to finished!
oops – meant this to be a reply to Sarah!
I bough fabric for the cutest little ghost pillow I saw on the Bernina blog, finished that, and finished binding a small quilt. Yay for progress! With any luck I’ll get to around 0 net change by the end of the year. Thank you so much, Carole, for helping me stay on track with my fabric balance!
October Fabric IN = +1.25
October Fabric OUT = –4.40
October Net Total = –3.15
Year to Date (net total for the year, + In, or – Out) = +5.9
I don’t have a pattern. Just winging it. It’s just a simple lined tote. I wanted to do something with a faux leather bottom, but the manager wanted simple. I would be happy to post some directions or email them to you. I know there are a lot of simple tote bags patterns available online. Happy stitching.