Welcome to Week 5 of the Use Your Stash QAL! Thank you for your patience with the delay last week as I recovered from being very sick.
First things first - I wanted to share with you that all participants of this QAL can get discounted long arm quilting from our following sponsers:
The Quilting Mill: 20% off longarm quilting not including batting or return shipping (US only) + 20% off digital pantographs for longarm quilters (international) until 3/31/23
This week's social media prompt is this:
What does responsible fabric purchasing look like to you? Does it mean purchasing more second hand fabric? Only fabric for known projects? Or only what you can fit in a certain space?
This week we're discussing Responsible Fabric Purchasing. It's unrealistic for us to imagine that we will work on using up our stashes during this quilt a long and then never replenish our stash or purchase more fabric! I believe the key to making sure our stashes don't get out of hand and that we aren't over-consuming is to have a set of guidelines that can help push us towards more responsible fabric purchasing. Here are some of the ‘rules’ that I've found work well for me when it comes to keeping fabric purchasing under control and responsible!
1. Know yourself. Are you the kind of quilter who loves to buy fabric for a new project? Look at the last few projects you've made (outside of this QAL). What percentage of them have been from your stash, vs with new fabric purchases? If you regularly pull from your stash to make projects, and fabric doesn't tend to stay for long in your space before being used, then congrats - you are a Stash Quilter who can probably continue to purchase fabric for your stash guilt free! However, most of us tend to purchase new fabric for each project. If you fall into that category, think very hard about what you actually need. Do you need a stash at all? Maybe just a few solid colors that you use frequently. Before making any fabric purchase, ask yourself how will feel if in a year you open a drawer and see this fabric in your stash. Will you be excited to use it? Regret buying it?
2. Say goodbye to FOMO. Fear of missing out is what has lead me to buy a lot of fabric I never wound up using. It can be hard when you see a collection you like and know that it might sell out quickly. This is where it's important to really know your own habits. If you buy that adorable FQ collection, what are the odds you will use it in the next six months? Do you already have a plan for how to use it? Is it actually even fabric that would work well for the types of quilts you like to make? All of that said, there are just some collections that are too darn special to pass up. I've personally decided to give myself permission for one spontaneous FOMO fabric purchase a year. This lets me have a bit of fun with fabric I don't want to miss out on, but keeps the purchasing under control. I also am more likely to actually use this fabric, because I've chosen it very carefully!
3. Walk away from sales. Unless you just happen to stumble across a fabric sale for something you truly need, steer clear of those sale signs. How many times have you snapped up something that was an excellent deal, only to have it still taking up space years later? I've been very guilty of this in the past, and once I stopped shopping sales I wound up saving a substantial amount of money and space. Note that this is not saying you shouldn't shop sales if you're looking for something specific - I understand that fabric sales can make an expensive hobby more affordable. This advice is in the context of spontaneous sales purchases when you are trying to limit. your consumption.
4. Shop intentionally. When you finally have a specific project you are shopping for, keep a few things in mind when shopping:
- Stay focused. Try to limit browsing as much as possible to eliminate impulse purchases. Narrow down what you're looking for beforehand, and search only for that.
- Shop second hand/vintage first. Check out thrift stores and second hand destash sites to see if you can find what you're looking for before hitting the fabric store.
- Pay for shipping. How many of us have bought more than we need to get that coveted free shipping? But, if it takes $20 and a lot more fabric than you intended to buy… is the shipping really free?
5. Do your research when it comes to sustainability and organic cotton. Many companies are now offering organic cotton for those who are concerned about conventional cotton and pesticides, which is wonderful - more options are great! However, like many industries, organic cotton can be greenwashed. For instance, it's very easy to find the claim on the internet that organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional cotton. Many groups have determined that the study this claim is based on is very flawed, and not an accurate representation of real world scenarios. For this and similar claims, I personally liked reading the the 2021 Cotton Report to get a better understanding of the most recent study data around cotton when it comes to sustainability.
Likewise, make sure you know what different labels mean. I personally care more about looking for the Oeko-Tex certified cotton rather than organic cotton. Oeko-Tex certification means that fabric has passed a post-production test and is free from a specific set of harmful substances. These are very personal decisions that should be made intentionally based on your own preferences. 
