I keep intending to comment on this. :) It sounds like you've got a pretty good attitude about your stash now, and a lot of it has come with experience. Knowing what you are actually likely to use and what truly is a good deal, and having a time frame, are all really good disciplines. I don't think you have a problem at all!
Random thought, here: There's a cultural "minimalist" movement right now, and although I'm not really part of it, I think subconsciously I've felt guilty for the size of the stash I have. But you know what? A fabric stash isn't a weakness or a failing; it's a strength! It's really important for CADD, for quick projects, for the unforeseen, and even for inspiration. Maybe a better approach isn't focused on the size of the stash, but on how appropriate the contents are for the sewer's budget, plans, and inclinations. Yours fits that just perfectly, to me!
I'm not in quite the same boat with my own stash. Part of that might be my own experience, which *may* be wider than yours. I've got stashes for 1860s clothes, for 1940s clothes, for modern clothes, and for other costuming things. Plus the random stuff that just about any stash accumulates. My stash has been static in several areas for a while - really, all areas except the costuming one - because I'm not reenacting very much, and the Tyranny of the Urgent means I don't get to the modern stuff or 1940s stuff I really could use. That's really not a stash issue; it's tied to my over-commitment tendency and ambitious CoCo plans for the last two years.
But within that, the actual costuming stash is pretty healthy. At CoCo this year I didn't buy much fabric, either. Actually, all of it was bought specifically to beef up my costuming stash: bolt ends of silk (taffeta and faille) in basic but pretty colors. My 18th century and Regency costuming in particular uses a lot of silk, and there's a real need for both bits of color and for basics. I've also got a good amount of basics for linings and underthings. And I learned a lot time ago the foolishness of buying okay stuff just because it's a good deal. (I still have stuff from the summer I worked at Joann's in college!) So overall, I think I'm doing good, too. :)
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carisma_sensei
no subject
Date: 2014-09-23 06:05 pm (UTC)Random thought, here: There's a cultural "minimalist" movement right now, and although I'm not really part of it, I think subconsciously I've felt guilty for the size of the stash I have. But you know what? A fabric stash isn't a weakness or a failing; it's a strength! It's really important for CADD, for quick projects, for the unforeseen, and even for inspiration. Maybe a better approach isn't focused on the size of the stash, but on how appropriate the contents are for the sewer's budget, plans, and inclinations. Yours fits that just perfectly, to me!
I'm not in quite the same boat with my own stash. Part of that might be my own experience, which *may* be wider than yours. I've got stashes for 1860s clothes, for 1940s clothes, for modern clothes, and for other costuming things. Plus the random stuff that just about any stash accumulates. My stash has been static in several areas for a while - really, all areas except the costuming one - because I'm not reenacting very much, and the Tyranny of the Urgent means I don't get to the modern stuff or 1940s stuff I really could use. That's really not a stash issue; it's tied to my over-commitment tendency and ambitious CoCo plans for the last two years.
But within that, the actual costuming stash is pretty healthy. At CoCo this year I didn't buy much fabric, either. Actually, all of it was bought specifically to beef up my costuming stash: bolt ends of silk (taffeta and faille) in basic but pretty colors. My 18th century and Regency costuming in particular uses a lot of silk, and there's a real need for both bits of color and for basics. I've also got a good amount of basics for linings and underthings. And I learned a lot time ago the foolishness of buying okay stuff just because it's a good deal. (I still have stuff from the summer I worked at Joann's in college!) So overall, I think I'm doing good, too. :)