Stash Busting

One of the members of my Fabricaholics Anonymous group asked me if I am a serious stash buster, and how I manage. Made me think…. a lot. Am I a serious stash buster? What exactly IS a stash buster? (Hear that Ghostbuster music in the background?)

OK, what a stash buster is really depends on who you ask. To me it is someone who seriously tries to make quilts from the fabric on hand rather than running out to buy new for each project. Yes, that’s what I am, and that description fits me.

How I manage, easy for me to answer that part, I live three hours away from a decent quilt shop. OK, let me correct that. There is a quilt shop ten minutes away from me, I don’t and won’t shop there. There is another quilt shop about twenty minutes away from me, and I have and I will shop there when needed. As a matter of fact, I LOVE this quilt shop. The people who work there are knowledgeable and friendly, the fabrics are lovely and desirable, and the owner is just about the nicest person you could ever want to meet. (And she also just happens to be a terrific Relay For Life supporter too, but I would shop there even if she wasn’t. That she is is just icing on the cake!)

old photo of stash
However, I have a great stash because I did buy when I had the chance, and am glad for it. Now when I need anything I can simply browse my stash, thusly stash busting, right? That means I rarely shop locally, unless I really need something in a hurry.

And when I am at a retreat and I need something, I shop there. For instance at the last retreat Ann and I ran short of strips for our retreat project, so we ran out to the Shack and Zooks and bought batiks. Very little came home uncut, less than two yards total, so that’s stash busting, right?

Last year was a slow year for me quilting wise, but I think I did more busting than buying. I know I bought six yards of a pale blue fabric for a special project at the Spring Retreat, and the batiks I bought in November, along with nine yards of a wide batik backing for that November project quilt, and that’s it, that’s all I bought. I started four new quilts last year, and except for the little extra I had to get in November, it all came from my stash.

Yes, I think I am a serious stash buster, and would be even more if I could get up and down the stairs better, but that will be soon, I hope.