Artist's Model Surrounded by Fabric Stash

Only one new packet of fabric arrived in the mail this week – a huge improvement for me. In the past I’d often text photos to a girlfriend showing heaps of little packages, all delivered on a single day, to ask which I should open first. I’m cutting back – slowly, but surely – because I’m beginning to understand the why’s of fabric stashing. There’s also an issue with my drawers. The bottoms are coming out from having too many things crammed in, the reinforcement options are tedious, and I can’t use a screwdriver to save my life. But I digress.

Speaking honestly – if someone reinforced those drawers for me, I’m not sure I could resist stuffing a few more things in there. Not because I need more, but because shopping and dreaming about sewing are sometimes more fun than actually sewing. And I’m not alone in feeling this way:

Fabric shopping is amazing: I get home from a long and exhausting day at work. I could sew now to feel relaxed, empowered, fulfilled and productive and just generally good about myself. Instead I decide to flop on the couch with a glass of wine, get inspired by Instagram makers, feel bad about neglecting my hobby and then decide to check out some cute fabric online shops for a little inspiration. Browsing through endless creative possibilities I finally feel connected to my favourite pastime again, I get the happy sewing feels, I get a rush and decide to spend just a little more than I planned to spend after I decided to skip not spending anything altogether. Seeing the order hitting my inbox makes me happy. I will sew again, very soon, I promise.

This quote is from a post on “Thisblogisnotforyou”. Its author, Charlie, does Psychology professionally by day and hoards fabric in her spare time. So she “gets it” on every level. If her little story sounds familiar, you owe it to yourself to check out the full post HERE. In the meantime, step away from that Buy it Now button and thread up a needle instead.

2 thoughts on “The Fabric Shopping Trap

  1. AW: I have loved “following” this blog ever since 2021, and have wondered – and worried, a little – lately, that things have slowed nearly? to a halt. Are you okay? I never mind re-reading, re-looking, and savoring your lovely writing, sewing, teaching, and visualizing skills, but I do hope that your ambitious undertaking has not “stove you in” (I think that’s some kind of nautical term for exhaustion or something). Please feel free to comment or not, but YOU ARE MISSED! Very best regards from A Faithful Follower!

    1. Thanks for checking in, Trisha! A blog is a huge time committment and I have a lot of balls in the air at any given moment. Sadly the blog has suffered, although I haven’t given up hope of finding more time for it in the future. Rest assured that I’m well, busy writing other things (!) and enjoying my days as much as ever. I hope you are as well!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No feed found.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to create a feed.