Welcome to Week Three, Day 15 of the sewing space declutter challenge. This week is all about your projects, fabric and batting.
Today we are working on kits, that is fabric that you have set aside, that might or might not have a pattern, for a specific use. You might have purchased it from a store or simply put it together for yourself.
The big distinction between kits and UFOs is that the fabric has not been cut. That is you have not committed your fabric to a particular project. There’s still time to pull out and put them back into your stash.
So you need to ask yourself why haven’t you made it yet? Have you fallen out of love? Are you worried that you don’t have the skills? Do you still like the colours? Is the cutting process too daunting? What is the likelihood that you will choose to make it in the next year? And, most importantly:
Do you WANT to make it?
If the answer is negative then you have two choices. Sell it, or put the fabric back into your stash. There is no harm, no foul. It was an idea that just fizzled and you are free to move on to the next big idea.
The cousins of kits are precuts. These delightful prepacks are fabric, all from the same designer, from the same line, so all the colours coordinate. It should be easy peasy to use them right. Each layer cake has enough to make one quilt, a charm pack makes a baby quilt. A half yard bundle can make over 4 quilts. And these precuts pay a premium for these precuts…and I showed you how much in this video.
Precuts are challenging for a couple of reasons. Each type has different dimensions so storing them takes space. And though they are pre-cut, they are not the easiest to work with as they are both messy and often inaccurate. So how many quilts can you make with the precuts that you have? How many quilts do you want to make with them?
I know how tempting they are. I dislike precuts and still I found myself with 4 jelly rolls, 4 layer cakes and several charm packs. Luckily, I have some stashbuster ideas for this year.
I have stored some of my kits. But, this is the worst spot as they are out of sight out of mind. So this year I am breaking them out. Anything that does not fit into the new space automatically goes back into my stash.
You might find kits for other crafts. Do you still want to make them?
So grab your timer and dive in. And don't forget to share any surprises or wins online with the hashtag #declutterchallenge2025.
See you tomorrow for Day 16.
Comments