I know, I know, I feel your pain. My collection of fabric is always increasing and it never seems to go down. You have a great stash of fabric in your cupboard. Instead of a seamstress you have become a fabric collector or worse, a fabric hoarder. This is fine, however, there are some risks of storing your fabric for too long. Did you know that your fabric can get spoilt? That is why you should be sewing that fabric.
My fabric cupboard is full of what ifs, maybe this will work and just in cases. Right next to this is so pretty and it was so cheap that I couldn’t help it! Today I am going to convince you to start using the fabric you already own instead of buying more stuff.
Reasons why you should be sewing that fabric
Because I know you need that little extra push to grab your sewing machine and start sewing that fabric. These are my 5 dangers and 2 reasons to start sewing it:
1. It will get creased
Lame excuse, I know, but it is true! When you buy new fabric it comes in impecable rolls, all crisp and beautiful. Then, you bring it home folded in a bag and maybe you decide to store your fabric properly, which is the right choice. However, more often than not it stays in the bag and gets forgotten in a corner until you decide to use it.
Furthermore, I have some special fabrics with pleather or with glitter. Some of these fabrics shouldn’t be creased, ever. Once they get a crease it will never come off or it will damage the fabric! That is a waste of money and you don’t want it.
2. It takes too much space
I don’t know about you but I am always complaining about space. No wonder, I have a total of 3 cupboards full of fabric! Like me, you could be using that space to store other things. Your house doesn’t need to look like a shop. Use the space for something else.
I have recently bought a lot of units from Ikea to store all my sewing supplies and fabrics and I can’t wait to put it all together! They are great if you want to organize all your fabric.
3. It can get stained or damaged
We said before that your fabric can be damaged with something as simple as a crease. I do store some of my fabric in an open cupboard partially shaded but I am full aware that I should keep it behind a door to keep it safe of dust and dirt. It is so easy to stain a fabric just with dirty hands or because of an accident. If you have children around the task is even more difficult!
More often than I would have liked I have found some fabric that I bought years before stained or partially damaged. Maybe a bug got to it, or it was under direct sun that changed the colour of the fabric. You need to be specially careful with pleather and upholstery fabric as it literally desintegrates with time. Also, white fabric tends to become yellow after a while. The longer you store it, the higher the risk.
4. It will become out of fashion
Believe it or not, fabric can become unfashionable. Like everything else, fabric is seasonal and every few months a new collection is released. A print that was fashionable and chic last month can look horrendous in just a few weeks. Not to say, that quality of fabric prints is always improving and standards of what is a good print can vary with time.
I have some old fabric my mother bought years and years ago. Really. I don’t know what she was thinking. I would never ever wear something made with those atrocious prints. Eek.
5. You may not find it again if you run out
Remember what I said about fashionable fabric? This is a direct consequence of it. There is nothing worse than comitting on a garment just to find out that you didn’t buy enough materials. Even when you think it will be easy because your fabric is rather common, noone can guarantee the hue and finish of the fabric will be exactly the same unless you get the piece from exactly the same roll. Do not risk it, or at least be sure you have some extra centimeters if you are not going to finish your project any time soon.
6. It will give you an accomplished feeling
There isn’t a better feeling than an accomplished task. It is hard to get there but it makes you feel so good inside. It feels amazing when someone compliments you and you can say, I did this. Put your self-esteem up and start finishing those great projects that you have in mind. I’m sure there is a lot in your head and there is no time to spare!
I bought 6 meters of this blue fabric because it was on offer 
I used it in 4 different cosplays and was happy when I finally run out
7. It gives you a great excuse to buy more fabric
Very often I stop myself from buying new fabric just thinking of how much fabric I already own and how little space I have left. Don’t feel guilty any more. Reduce your stash of fabric to a reasonable amount and you will never ever feel guilty again. At least not until you buy another batch of 20 meters of fabric and you start all over again of course. Oh my…
Has your fabric stash decreased now? Are you finishing all your projects? Don’t worry I can tell you where to buy fabric in the UK and maybe you can buy fabric for cosplay while you are browsing. Let me know in the comments what you are sewing with those piles of fabric! And if you run out of projects make sure to check my patterns in my Etsy shop. Happy sewing!
