Fabric Moratorium 2026
 

I'm a couple of days late (oops!) but welcome, everyone, to another year of focusing on reducing stash in the Fabric Moratorium 2026 thread!

I'm back once again to moderate this thread to the best of my ability and once again I'm "making do" with "scraps" from last year's message! I would like to add that while I might moderate the thread, it is nothing much without your contributions of ideas, links, reflections and pictures, whether you speak up regularly or just pop in now and then. We're always happy to have you come hang out with us here, whether you're actively stash-busting or just checking to see if this thread might be for you. :-)

I'm the owner of a stash that has fluctuated in size over the last several years. I love being able to make a beautiful quilt out of what I have, but I also have a serious weak spot for thrift stores and the free table at my guild meetings. I have loved the stash-busting ideas, support, and company on this thread since I discovered it a number of years ago and am looking forward to continuing this journey with you. Everyone is welcome, no matter where you would place yourself on the fabric-collecting spectrum! Some of us measure our stash-busting in tens of yards - others chip away at stash a fat quarter at a time.

The following is still heavily borrowed from Iceblossom's intro from 2022 because it covers pretty much everything. :-)

We have general guidelines, but please just do whatever makes sense for you. Although we call it the "Fabric Moratorium" the main idea is to avoid adding to our stash and hopefully reducing it, so any efforts in that direction are worth celebrating.

Here are some general guidelines:

Try not to purchase fabric "just for your stash" from January 1 until U.S. Black Friday (November 27, 2026).

When you start a new project or are looking for something that "goes" with what you're working on, shop your stash first. If you don't have anything that will work, then feel free to make a purchase. Hopefully at least some of the fabric for every new project will come from your existing stash.

As the year progresses, post your updates here so we can encourage, commiserate with, and support you! Post tips on how you organize and use your stash, ideas, and projects you are planning or have completed using your stash, as well as your questions or deep thoughts about stash, purchases, and fabric in general. :-)

Also let us know about falling off the wagon, as everyone enjoys a great story about excuses to purchase fabric! Exemptions are an acknowledged part of our journey here, whether it's to celebrate a birthday or to commemorate a trip or event, but sometimes fabric purchases or acquisitions happen "just because." They all make good stories and there is always someone ready to boost you back onto the wagon when you're ready to continue your stash-busting journey.

Pictures are always wonderful!

As stated, these are just guidelines; there are no Moratorium Police here! Please do whatever makes sense for you and your stash. Just start using all that gorgeous fabric in your stash; after all, that's what you bought it for!

Here's to a fantastic stash-busting 2026!

Gemm, I am happy to join in again. I am not one with a wildly expansive stash, but I most certainly have more stash than I can use in the next how ever long I will be allowed to have a sewing machine or to use a needle. Most of my stash comes from donations from others quilters. This is because I find it difficult to say "no". I am learning how to say "Thank you, but I have so much fabric already. Please pass these beauties to someone else." I am not a shopper unless it is for a specific project, yay.. How does all of this fabric get into my sewing room? Beyond my comprehension.

For the past four years I have set a personal goal of 100 yards of fabric out of my possession each year. This allows me plenty of "wiggle room" should I donate fabric, pass on projects to someone else or make more quilts. Most often the goal is met by finishing UFOs and making donation quilts. Yes, lots of UFOs! I have met my goal three out of four years and that feels real good, but I still can't get all of my fabric into one double size closet which was my long term goal when I moved to my current home ten years ago.. Maybe this year, but that would be a BIG accomplishment.

Looking forward to the miracle of empty bins and boxes for all of us this year of 2026. :)

I'm in again and thanks for hosting! Last year I removed 56.5 yards from my stash and only purchased 3.75 yards. Like WMUTeach, I am finishing lots of older UFOs and community quilts for donations. Even with all the fabric that left this year, I really don't see a big loss in fabrics. How is it possible to remove enough fabric to make a complete 45" x 55" quilt top, back and binding and not see any difference in the amount of fabric. Maybe it's because I have soooooo much? Maybe this year I will notice a difference.

Well, I don't expect to purchase any fabric this year as I have my projects already lined up with all the fabrics collected from the stash. I still have a large stash as yet and have purchased/ordered very few pieces, mainly backings since 2018. But you never know what I might find at the thrift shop this year but I do try to miss that section when I do hit the thrift shop these days.

Good luck with everyone else on their goals for 2026.

Glad to have company on the wagon already!

I notice that you all (WMU, Lena and Snooze) are also part of the UFO thread - it's great how well these two threads (along with the organization thread) complement each other - it's almost like this is the the support team and cheering section for the organized sport of UFO Completion. :-)

(Okay, it's a bit of a stretch but it made me giggle, and that not a bad thing!)

I'm in again. I will admit that I brought more fabric into my stash than went out. So 2026 will be a clean start (again). My newest project, Bonnie Hunter's 2025 mystery, is being done with fabric pulled from my stash - but I did add to my purples to add some more variety.

How nice to get the thread started again! Thanks Gemm for trying to keep us on track.

I feel more and more like an enabler but I am still trying really hard to reduce my stash. But my therapist says to be kind to myself and others so... into each life some fabric must fall. It's ok, we are still good people! That said, I am clear in my thinking that I have plenty of space for storage and more than enough fabric -- the problem is that I still have more than enough fabric for the space. Simple solution is to take more out of stash than I buy so here I am.

With my moving and year of limited vision, I lost a lot of mojo :( Sometimes I question the why am I quilting but then it comes back, because I want to! Before I always had more projects than time and was mentally planned ahead years in advance of I want to do this or that, and make room for unexpected marriages or whatever celebration or comfort objects needed. But my well dried up and it still needs to be refilled. Is a work in process, but it feels good to have a bit of the joy coming back instead of sullen indifference.

I know that I have certain collections of fabrics I want to work with. Some because I have more of whatever it is than fits in the tote. I know that I have some artistic things I want to explore. I seem to be going through another period of using dark as neutral. I went for a few years (long ago now - 20-30 years? worth a re-visit) that I called my Almost-Amish period. Before the vision loss I had a series of Civil War fabric type projects in mind, need to look at those ideas again, they fell to the bottom of the list but I have sooo much fabric! Plus, I bought more lights to use with the darks and I don't really love it, but it will be easy to work with and then give away...

I want to participate and I like the goal of 100 yards of fabric out! I kept track of thread use last year: 105 spools between longarm/embroidery/regular domestic sewing machines. So count me in and Happy New Year.

No more fabric shopping for me
 

Yes, that's right. No more shopping. And this is the reason why. Last week I got a "bee in my bonnet" so to speak and started to organize my sewing room(s).

Because of what I found hiding, I decided to make a New Year's resolution. I will NOT buy any fabric for 12 months. Why? Because I found partial jelly rolls, charms, layer cakes, and fat quarters hiding in various containers, shelves, and drawers.
Did I mention yardage and wide backs? I even have enough neutrals for backgrounds. Oh, I forgot to mention containers of SCRAPS!!! OMG!!!

Now I just have to find a way to keep away from the free fabric at Project Linus.

I was afraid I could be a hoarder BUT I can walk through my house and no piles that reach the ceiling, and I can sleep on my bed under covers...LOL

Wish me luck.

Fun - the wagon is filling up, but there's always room for more, of course!

I've been thinking about what is needed for me to get fabric out of my stash, and I realize there are a few stumbling blocks that often seem to get in the way of starting fabric-busting projects for me:
1) I see something that could be easily turned into a quilt, such as a panel that just needs a border, backing and binding, but I'm just not in love with it as a project, so it gets put to the side (multiple times for a couple of them) and the fabric remains.
2) I can see the beginnings of a really fun project in a small pile of fabrics that will play well together but there's a good chance that I will run short of those colours/fabrics so will feel the need to go out to get more of something which really isn't the point so the fabric gets tucked away again.
3) I get excited about a potential project based on a fabric or selection of fabrics but then I spend too much time trying to find the perfect pattern to make with it and end up with inspiration overload (overthinking is also one of my "gifts") and there goes the fabric, back in the box!
Honourable Mention: I have a pesky box of a few UFOs that are still in my stash. I do like piecing tops. Finishing quilts is not quite as much fun or physically manageable sometimes and it's very easy to say "I'll work on that later."

I can see some fairly obvious solutions to these issues (mostly just "jump in there and get started"-type ones) and I hope to be able to do just that, but I thought actually putting them down in writing might help me (and others, perhaps) see and avoid the tripping hazards this year. It would be so nice to get some quilted projects done and out the door.

Best of luck to everyone in achieving your goals!