My Crafty Buget Failure

Monday, August 18, 2008

Tomorrow marks the end of my no fabric buying strategy. I was trying to only spend $15 a week. I started at the beginning of June. After overspending in July, I worked out that I couldn't buy any more until August 18. I have failed miserably.

In the interim, I have succumbed to the allure of:
5 balls of wool
An Amy Butler Card Kit
1m of boarder fabric for the jelly roll quilt
1m of batting for the days of the week quilt
5m of background & backing for the stars quilt (AND despite being the same name it wasn't an exact match)
3m of merino & wool knits at the global fabric sale
2m of stretch silk at the global fabric sale too
buttons, threads, magnets and steam a seam for various projects

FAR TOO MUCH !!

So after a but of re-jigging, it looks like I spend about 3 x the estimated amount on fabric each week. 2 x would have been amusing but this is getting a bit out of hand.

My problem is that I buy too much fabric and I possibly have too much fabric.

I am starting with piecing fabric I already have, along with the remnants and undersized blocks, to make the back of the seeing stars quilt.

Ideas and miracle cures to the craft budgeting problems would be warmly welcomed.

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4 comments

  1. No miracle budgeting cures from me sorry. Just commiserations that you're not alone. My craft buying habit is also out of control...

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  2. Hi
    Depends if you really want to stick to a budget or not GRIN.

    If you want to be a stay at home mum then calculate how many hours you have to be away from little E each time before you spend.

    I play these sorts of calculations before I spend - but then I am a stay at home, home schooling mum living on one income in a two income world GRIN.

    I like to make scrap quilts - this way I buy a little fat quarter or two and don't feel deprived when I visit a quilt shop.

    Love Leanne

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  3. it so hard not to buy when these companies keep come out with the most beautiful fabric. we'll blame it on them.

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  4. All I can suggest is spend a day with your stash and have a sort. Work out what you are never going to use, what you might use and what you are definately going to use. Now plan out the definately use pile into projects and attach an approximate time factor to them - i.e. - 9 fats and 2 metres of backing = 1 quilt, 3 months. Also guess at the extras you might need? Batting? Sashing?. Now turn to your 'never going to use pile' and list it on Trademe. Use this money to pay for the necessaries to finish up your projects in the pipeline. By the time you have finished all that you might decide to use or destash the maybe pile. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete

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