Use The Good Stuff

As I said in my goal setting post, when choosing fabric from my stash, I have a tendency to save the good fabric for later, at the expense of the current project.  I know it makes no sense at all, and this year, I want to work on this.

So one of my 2016 goals - my most important goal - is a four-word sentence:  "Use the Good Stuff".  It's that simple.

This does not mean that I can't ever use less liked fabric.  There are times when it's perfectly OK: a scrap quilt, a project for someone whose tastes are different than mine, and so on.  But if a fabric is the perfect choice for a project and I find it is "too good" I have to use it.  If I don't use it because I am saving it for some vague future project that I feel is worthier, I am robbing myself of an opportunity to play with gorgeous fabric while I still like it.  Who knows if I will still like it when I find the perfect project?

So, to hold myself accountable, I commit to blog about my fabric choices, and in particular, for each project, to clearly state whether I chose the "best" fabric or not.  I may still do a bit of "saving for later" but at least, I am going to fess up.  Recognizing you have a problem is the first step, isn't it?

So here's a first report, a positive one.  I must admit that, technically, this project was done a couple days before I made the commitment, but I am still counting it as a success.

Use the Good Stuff Report #1:

While my mom was visiting (and after she ironed and folded hundreds of meters of fabric), she hinted that she would like another infinity scarf, softer than the last one I made her (with Art Gallery fabric which I find quite soft myself).  I did not have any voile on hand, so I took a big breath and offered her to choose a piece from my very precious Liberty stash.

So much goodness in here.  And it's even nicer to touch than to look at...

She picked a fabric, and I made the scarf.  Her part of the bargain (because, you know, ironing and folding hundreds of meters of fabric and raising me into a productive adult wasn't enough...) was that she would pose for a picture and agree to let me post it.

So here is my beautiful mom, and her beautiful Liberty Infinity Scarf.

I can't think of a better use for this piece of fabric, and my mom is definitely worthy of using the good stuff.

I am linking up with Jenn's (A Quarter Inch from the Edge) "Year of the Stash", even though this is not a full manifesto.  I don't think I need a full manifesto.  I only really need one rule.  Use the Good Stuff.  If I keep passing on using the good stuff, I fail.  If I think about my fabric choices and chose to Use the Good Stuff, I will have a successful year of stash sewing.

Are you enthusiastically cutting into your gorgeous fabric, or do you have a hard time using the good stuff?