07 August, 2016

buying less to make more

I've been feeling overwhelmed with everything lately, I think it's because I keep buying stuff and planning on making things but never seeing any gains from it.

So one day as I was making the long slow walk to school for school-pick, I suddenly realised that if I put an embargo on buying and focused on planned making then I should start to see results hence, start to feel better & ease the burden of clutter that seems to be overtaking me.

Ok, sounds easy but the more I thought about the harder it became. So I decided to start a write lists as opposed to making ones on the computer as I can tuck them into my pocket, tape them to walls etc and to easily refer back to them and not get distracted by emails announcing new patterns or sales.

So, what do I have and what do I need to make this year?

I'll go through my laptop & cupboards to find out what patterns I have and list all the ones that I need to make, the ones I want to make and the ones that just look like fun to make.

I'll sit down and plan the rest of the years gifts to include family birthdays, unplanned/unexpected friends birthdays, teachers gifts and of course that looming date that is Christmas.

How do you cope with your craft project planning?
Do you have a stash of fabric/yarn that is just getting bigger & bigger?
Are you losing yourself to your unfinished projects and never coming up for air too?


Some things that I know are coming up that I've been "thinking" about are:

~ Mums birthday in August -- I've almost finished her bag, it's like this one but in her colours.
~ Laney's birthday in September - I can't settle on one thing to make her, I keep flitting ideas about
~ Pete's birthday in October - gah, I hate making things for blokes because what the heck do they like?
~ Joe's birthday in December - I settled on a brilliant idea for Joe then promptly forgot what it was ...
~ Mum & her partner Roly's Christmas present - I thought I'd make them a quilt
~ Santa presents (for their stockings) for Joe & Laney

I keep buying pdf sewing patterns, I.DON'T.WHY.  I mean, I have heaps already but I get tempted with a new release or a sale. Call me a sucker for a good sale!  Anyway, I am (fingers crossed) going to try my very best to NOT buy any more patterns until I've made at least 5 in my current stash. There are some exceptions of course, a couple of bloggy friends have some patterns that are being released soon, so I'd like to support them & buy them and there is a pattern that I've been eyeing off for ever (well actually two), so I might cave-in and buy those.  

...arghhh, send help now because have you seen this:::::::

One month free and you get to keep one class forever whether you stay with them past the trial month.  Hmm, I foresee some fun sewing coming up!

Ok, I give up and I'm off to have a cup of tea so please tell me how you keep your sanity in the meantime!

11 comments:

  1. I know how you feel! I'm trying not to buy anymore fabric (unless I need it to finish a project I've already started). I wrote a list yesterday of my current projects and where each one is at! I can't start a new project till some of these are finished!

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    1. I keep finding half started things all over the house, I need to gather them all up and start a new list

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  2. We both know mine is out of control! I see new fabric I gotta ha and not just for quilts but for wearing! I findi like my shirts out of quilting cotton, 3 yards a shirt I could buy a new no time shirt for that. But wants make them so 2 new shirts in Sept or no more fabric until I make them! I am going to mind that class you wanna take! Maybe we should start a club!

    I love creativebug! I pay the money fee and my shirt pattern class came from there!

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    1. a club for those whose Stash is consuming us!

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  3. I see myself in this post...especially those PDF patterns that I continue to buy 😒. My yarn and fabric stashes are ridiculously large and overwhelming. I've given some away to a few charities who make stuff for needy people and am trying to make things out of what I've already got...a delightful challenge.

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    1. I found a bunch of taffeta in my stash. Taffeta. When the heck did I buy taffeta!

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  4. Mel : One Crafty Mumma12 August, 2016

    I think we've been here and struggle with it - so many pretties to buy for creating with! When I did my 'no buying yarn' thingy for the first half of the year, I pined for new yarn for a bit, then I just didn't look at yarn after that (no temptation!) and then eventually it felt really good to not be buying anything and saving my pennies for other things. Now the ban has been lifted, I'm only buying as I use, but I'm also conscious that I STILL have a big stash to use up, even after 6ish months of not buying anything. I've realised that it takes a really long time to get through yarn! Are you seeing that I really don't have an answer, but being determined to whittle down your stash and keep those pennies for your pocket instead, really does help. Well, it helped me. :)

    What about a flash instagram sale for some yarn or fabric or crafting bundles?

    I also found a really big sort out helped me. I used to have sooo much fabric, scrapbooking supplies and crafty stuff. I pretty much made the biggest mess of my life and pulled everything out on the floor and sorted through every inch of it, parting with a lot that I knew I would never use to friends, the op shop, etc.. It took a good few weeks to go through everything, but gosh it felt good afterwards.

    Either way, you're definitely not alone!

    Mwah! Mel x

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  5. Craft should probably be off limits unless you are certified responsible adult :) as it is seriously addictive and quite expensive in most cases. So hard to limit oneself as to what might be needed for all the future projects. Terrified of becoming a crafty hoarder I have set down one rule - one craft at a time. It helped. Though I constantly discover how having a stash of some other craft related items helps with what I am doing at the moment. Working with polymer clay I am using embroidery threads, acrylic paints and beads.

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  6. I try hard now NOT to buy anything shiny and new unless it has a definite purpose. There are some exception - underwear fabric and elastuc, when it is on sale I buy it. I have 2 small people and myself for make underwear for, so it gets well used. Tshirt fabric when it is down to $2p/m gets bought. I try and buy next years winter weights (cord etc) when they have the end of season sale :) Same for flannellete for pj's. I make all our clothes (clothes for 1 teen, 2 smalls and me!) plus all our gifts etc so I can justify having a bit of fabric around. When my Middle one was a baby, there was a good sale so DH said buy a lot. Cord was $2 a metre, I think we bought 14m and I have this winter used the last - Middle child is 7 - so that was a LOT of baby overalls and pants as they grew ;)
    I may not be helping you........
    With yarn, it doesn't go off. And again, I have so many people to knit for...I shop the stash first (in fabric and yarn) and if I really don't have what I need, or can't improvise or make do, then I purchase. From someone else's stash if I can, or otherwise new.
    Maybe CraftyRie you could swap some of your excess fabric with someone else?
    At the end of the day, none of it goes off, just storage becomes the issue.....LOL!!

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