Conundrum…

Let’s talk fabric. You may find that along with roving (and other things) it’s a weakness of mine, but also a necessary evil for my work. I need to figure out how to tame the monster in this new configuration and as I go forward with a smaller footprint. I’m trying to *gasp* work my way down and use what I have on hand and not buy to “just have on hand for future projects”. This can be frustrating when you get into the middle of making something need a certain color for a pocket, or accent, fill in the blank and don’t have it. Then you have to stop in the middle of your groove until you can get to a store to find the right fabric to finish that project and change gears mid-project to move on to something else at that moment. Oh well…

I digress… so I need to find something to put my fabrics in that I can either tuck under the table my sewing machine and serger are on, or some sort of boxes/bins that I can store upstairs for the time being and bring down as needed. I’m thinking something open and airy so I can somewhat see what is in there as well as allowing the fabric to breathe would be better than enclosed boxes. They will be away from sunlight so I don’t have to worry about fading. I came across the following at a certain craft store that I’m considering –

The baskets to the left would go in and out if I stored fabric in those and eventually when we move might be stored on shelves in the room. The little cabinet to the right would go under the table in the room now I think. The drawer fronts are chalkboard and I can put solids in one drawer, separate by colors, whatever I decide and label them. I can see me ending up with at least 2 of those if not more! LOL If I use the lidded baskets on the left who knows how many I would end up there – it could be quite a few of those.

So, out of sight, out of mind and I would forget what I have, not use it and end up buying more fabrics so the baskets would be a bad idea? Or is that better because it keeps me from jamming more “stuff” in the studio and making it cluttered? You do get to a point where you can’t see the forest for the trees you have so much in there.

I know I’m fortunate to be faced with such a problem. There was a time when we could not afford craft materials for me when the kids were little and my husband was in the military. The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society has (had?) a program called Baby’s First Seabag and part of the items given to first time parents were baby layettes and afghans that were hand knit and crocheted by volunteers. You could go pick up the yarn “kits” to make the items and then drop off the afghans and layettes to go into the bags. In about 4-5 years I had over 5,000 volunteer hours with them. I also designed custom counted cross stitch pieces for a local gift shop and would stitch for them. I had to create and the only way I could make things was if the supplies were paid for like that. I couldn’t afford my own “stash” like I have now. So I am thankful and maybe that’s part of why I have gone so overboard with some things, because I didn’t have it and I’m afraid I’ll run out. LOL

No matter, I’m now dealing with trying to figure out how to wrangle my fabrics, how to whittle the stash down to a “manageable” level, and how to organize it to find what I need easier when I need a particular fabric.