I Buy Quilting Supplies Then Don’t Use Them

A popular quilting meme quips, “Buying fabric and quilting are actually two separate hobbies”. That expression sounds funny, but when you are elbow deep in supplies and you haven’t produced anything in months (years?), then it stops being so funny. This is surprisingly common problem for many creatives but why does it happen and what can we do about it?

Buying supplies is an easy way to engage in our hobby… without actually doing the hard part. We convince ourselves that we can’t get started on something until we have all of the requisite supplies, but they are acquired, the urgency of working on the project is abated. The itch is scratched, and we feel the need to move on to something else. To avoid this trap, try reminding yourself why you fell in love with this project in the first place. Imagine the finished result and how beautiful or useful it will be. Think about the satisfaction of using it or the joy of displaying or gifting the finished work. These feelings can help motivate you to actually work on your project.

For my part, I know I hoard crafting and sewing supplies because when I grew up, there were no “big box” crafting or sewing stores. Supplies were few and far between. There was a tiny sewing section in a cheap department store named Rich’s, a place that made K-Mart look like Bloomingdales. I was also a kid, with no money and no way to get to the store in the first place. Today, I often marvel at the wonder of the lowly Walmart sewing section. If I had access to just that as a kid, I would have lost my mind. I know that today I buy fabrics or supplies just because they are cool or I “might use them someday” or the much dreaded “it will be gone when I come back”. To avoid buying unnecessary things, I try to limit myself to buying supplies only for a project I am currently working on or imminently about to start. It also helps to remember that fabric you think is super cool today is going to be trendy and out of fashion long before you get around to using it.

Another way to avoid unnecessary buying is to keep your fabric and supplies organized so that when creativity does strike, you can actually find the needed supplies. Nothing makes me more insane than to know I have something but am not able to find it. And, yes, I have re-bought the same stuff many times just because I could not find the original supplies that I knew I previously bought.

Finally, in taming your supply horde it helps to learn to live with impatience. In this “add to cart” culture that we live in, it’s easy to rack up a huge stash. Trying living with the desire for a while. If you still want it in a few days or even tomorrow, then go ahead and buy it. I have found that many times the desire either goes away… or is replaced by a new one!

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