Quilt from my stash year - 2008

Well, I've done it. I made a New Year's resolution that I pray I can keep. My stash situation is getting critical. People like me should never get all their material in one place. It was a lot better when I could go into various places, under beds, in the guest room, in the sewing room and look at my fabric. I pulled out one, maybe two storage boxes and got what I wanted without ever having to deal with to total. Alas, mine is all stored in the attic in one place while my new house is being built. I can't get away from the fact that I could make quilts for a refugee camp.

My creative self says: "But I have to have a palette of fabric in order for the creative juices to start. I've got to have choices! I don't know what I will feel like making in a week or a month. I love to go through my stash and let the fabric speak to me. It's part of the process."

My practical self rears its ugly head...the one that says, "You couldn't live long enough to use all this fabric! We need a reality check here!"

So here's this deal: I only quilt from my stash this year. (Actually, I am doing the same with my cross stitch and knitting, but that's another blog.) I finish up some of the things that I am working on and try to make a dent in what I have. Here are my rules:

1. Each project should have at least 75% stash fabric. It's best if I can get the backing out of the stash fabric also, but I can fudge here a little. Making pieced backings from stash is encouraged. (This actually might turn out to be fun!)

2. Quick to finish projects have priority. That includes projects already started. I have some wonderful projects started, but I sometimes don't want to take the time to figure out where I was when I quit. Instead of thinking of that aspect, I am going to convince myself that I am almost cheating because I already have a head start! (OK, it's semantics, but I'm all for whatever works.)

3. I have 3 big quilts that are close to being done: a whole-cloth quilt for my son, a double Irish chain, a quilt for my daughter in peach and blue and a pink and blue quilt that is actually for ME! One of those three quilts must be done in 2008!

4. If I get a specific request for something small and don't have anything that will do, I can buy just the supplies I need for that project, but I'm not allowed to put it on the back burner. I have to finish it before going on to anything else.

5. I've got to get some of my Christmas presents done before November 1! (Why? Because I always run out of time and that is why some things become UFOs. If I can get them done before November, they stand a real chance of getting done.)

6. I get one "Get out of Jail Free" card. I can blow it one time. That ought to provide for the time when the deal is just too good to pass up.

7. If I manage to do this all year, I can have a great big reward. I don't know what it will be yet, but surely something will come up that will provide some real incentive.