A fresh start for 2019 means going through my fabric stack.
I purchased every piece with good intention. I either had an idea for the way I wanted to use it, or the fabric was simply too beautiful to leave at the store. Textile lovers know that our fabric stashes can grow to legendary proportions, one yard at a time, for those reasons and so many more. It’s hard to resist the call of a gorgeous fat quarter bundle.
But personal tastes and styles change. Other times the vision of that perfect pattern never manifested in reality. So a couple of years ago, I decided it was time to let go of some of the fabrics I’d loved so much. I performed a major clean out. I won’t lie. It was hard. It was very hard to let go of yardage I’d purchased with such good intentions. Hard to let go after I had allocated each purchase from my quilting budget.
As I looked at all the fabric that I was ready to part with, instead of being sad, I found myself excited at the prospect of where it was going and knowing that each carefully chosen piece still had joy to bring to somebody else. What began as a simple closet clean out turned into something much more meaningful. I donated the fabric to a local charity that makes quilts to help spread some kindness across the community.
They used the fabric to help make quilts for those in need. They used the fabric to help build soft, fluffy beds for fur-babies in shelters. The fabric went to good use and purpose.
I’ve kept that experience close to my heart, and I have made it an annual tradition to review what I’ve got and think critically about what I truly will use. If it no longer fits into the vision of future projects, I ask myself if the fabric can bring abundance and kindness to others. The answer is always yes. And that yes fills me with a renewed sense of creativity, joy, and love for the quilting community I am apart of.
What are some of your annual traditions?