How Much Fabric is Too Much?

For those who have been to my apartment, you know I have a little fabric here and there (I am praying this is the post my husband skips reading).  I was helping a friend with the decorations for a social event here at my husband's school.  I off-handily mentioned we could whip up some table runners that would go along with the theme.  I was sure I had some fabric literally laying around that we could use; I think she really thought I was joking until I went over to my craft room reached into a pile of mess on the floor and pulled out a light pink fabric with blue flowers on it. About a month ago I received a large box of material from my mother that had been stored in some horribly smelling place so I washed it all about 10 times with a bottle of vinegar, a box of oxiclean and box of baking soda to get the allergens out (I was having slight breathing problems when I was next to it).  Now that it is clean, I have to iron and store it all.

My craft room looks a mess with fabric peeking out of every place.  I do have a lot and yet I am finding that I have too much of one fabric.  I have 10 yards of a brick red check fabric that I have been dying to use for years but I can't seem to match it to anything.  So when is it having too much fabric?  I have a friend who says I need to just sort through my fabric and give it away, but I use fabric, I paid for it and it I give it away I may never be able to get anymore.  We are talking about birthday and christmas presents from my teens onward from my mother (it is easier to have her buy me fabric than fashionable clothes I will never wear).  Every Christmas I buy fabric, wrap it and pretend its from my various family members.  I have used quite a bit of fabric over the years.  But now I have to pack up my belongings this winter for us to move in the spring.

Everyone looks at me a little funny when I say Nugget shall share our room and the fabric will have its own room.  So I am going to follow the example of one of my favorite bloggers, Judy at Patchwork Times, and start figuring out how much fabric I have, how much I use on a weekly basis, and how much fabric is still leaking its way into our household.  She calls it a "Stash Report" and it will be appearing here weekly on Mondays starting this next week.  I am going to try to post 3 times a week on Monday (stash reports), Wednesdays (works in progress), and Fridays (finished projects for the week).  Stay tuned and see you tomorrow!