Fabric Fandango and pattern stash sums

Some weeks ago I put myself on a severely restricted fabric diet. Absolutely no more fabric purchases until I have substantially reduced the extensive yardage in my stash. I was doing well, really I was …… until last Saturday afternoon. But it wasn't my fault, they made me do it. Yes, you know who you are!

On Saturday I was part of the large crowd of enthusiastic and very wonderful sewing people who descended upon London's Goldhawk Road for a gentle afternoon of restrained fabric buying. No, let me be honest, it was a wild, abandoned fabric-fest. At such a thrilling event to have purchased nothing would have been completely impossible. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

This Fabric Fandango was organised by the very lovely and talented Karen, from Did You Make That (do visit her blog for the full story, pictures and a list of the participants). Three cheers for Karen - we all had a fabulous and fun time. There were about forty of us - I was thrilled to meet so many other wonderful sewists!

So, a glimpse of my purchases.


All cottons, all bright and beautiful - I was clearly in tropical vacation mode. All I need to do now is to plan a vacation and to sew them into something nice! In the meantime, they do look lovely sitting amongst the very large pile of fabrics that I own.

Perhaps at this point I should also mention my pattern stash which has now also become seriously overstocked. I am considering doing the following calculation. Total number of patterns I own but have not yet sewn divided by the number of garments that I usually sew per year. The total would be the number of years it will take to actually use all of the patterns that I have purchased (assuming, of course, that during that time I don't buy any more patterns and I don't sew a pattern twice - pretty unlikely, eh?)

I daren't do that calculation because a quick look at my pattern collection tells me that I'm going to have to be sewing for an awful long time. Have you ever done this calculation when looking at your own pattern collection? Were you happy with the answer, or did it alarm you?

Before I go, a big hello to everyone who aided and abetted my fabric purchases on Saturday. I loved spending time with you and I'm looking forward to the next time! Thanks Karen, you're a star xxx.