Today it’s all about patterns.
And not all patterns are equal. Some we have in hard copy, and some we download. Some we pay a fair amount for, and some are free. So you might have several different categories depending on how you value them.
And we often have a voracious appetite for them, grabbing them from as many places as possible. But if you have been making for a while, there will be so many that you outgrow. Or realize that your tastes are for a different type of quilt, or you tried that technique and it’s just not your thing.
And if you value them, you need to have access to them so they’ll inspire you. So it’s back to that shelf space. How much of a shelf do you want them to take up?
Now is the time to look through them and eliminate those that no longer inspire you. Have your recycling and donation bins ready. Any patterns that you have previously made, put into a separate pile. We will deal with those tomorrow for Day 6.
The question that you should be asking yourself, and you need to be very careful here as it’s tricky, is
Do I want to make this pattern?
Not, Can you make it? Do you want to make it? With the limited amount of hours that you have available for quilting, is this a quilt that you want to make? Does it excite you? Will it bring you joy? And this might put your brain into a loop. So write it down these questions so you can see it and pull yourself out of the mental spiral.
We often get distracted by it being only a sheet of paper so it’s not taking up space or more than likely trying to find a home for it. Who could I make this quilt for? And suddenly you put another project on the to-do list without pausing to ask if you really like the pattern.
Personally, I love the design process of making a quilt. This is my happy place. All the quilty math, the block placement and playing with colours and prints. So now I realize that I don't need a lot of patterns as I can figure it out myself.
But please do not judge your space from mine. You might love the piecing stage of making a quilt. Just give you the fabric requirements and you are good to go. So your pattern stack will be thicker than mine.
There is a second part to this challenge. And that is the patterns on your computer. If you have purchased any patterns in the past two years, chances are that they came in a PDF.
Take a moment to be sure that you have downloaded them. Organize them into one folder. You might put a link to this file on your desktop so it’s easy to drop any new purchases in. Rename files if necessary so they are easier to read or search for. Consider making sub-folders by designer or series. This might trigger thoughts of other downloads. Instead of searching for them now, put them in your brain dump.
And when you’re done reward yourself by working on your WIP or UFO.
So was this an easy day or a hard day? Share your progress in the comments, FaceBook group or on Instagram to inspire others. We are all in this together. Don’t forget to use hashtag. #DeclutterChallenge2025
I’ll see you tomorrow for Day Six