Each year people decide on a resolution, or even sometimes more than one but usually around mid January that resolution has fallen by the wayside. One reason for this is we always go big, we are going to lose 30kg of weight, rather than simply, I'm going to lose weight, or I'm going to stop eating sugar rather than eat less sugar. As crafters it's usually, I'm not going to buy so many supplies, I'm going to use up the ones I have, or I'm going to finish my work in progress pieces etc.
So this year I was thinking lets have a resolution challenge, we keep the resolution small, it can be anything you want, like a personal goal like losing weight or a crafting goal, it's up to you, but keep it manageable and we will go month by month. Each month you simply post how well you have managed for this month, maybe it's been a good month, maybe not so good, either way you will have the support of the group. Hopefully after a few months we will still be going strong and the small achievements will grow.
For myself, I really want to use up some of my supplies, now I know that I will not refrain from buying new supplies because I know I'm a perfectionist, if I make a bag and use up some fabric I already have, great, but if I only have silver hardware and I know it would look better with black hardware, I'm going to buy the black hardware. So my resolve is not to not buy new supplies but to concentrate on using things I already have, so it would still be a win if I used fabric from my stash and bought new hardware. Hopefully it will cut down on how much I buy by only buying for a project I have in mind rather than buying because it was on sale or I just liked it. There is another side to this resolution too, I also have tools for crafting that I've never used, for instance I have a wood burning tool. I resolve to use those tools and see if I like that craft or not and if I don't use the tool by this time next year I will get rid of them, either as a prize for something here or to a charity.
If anyone wants to join me in the resolutions challenge I will make a new area on the forum where we can post each month how we have done. Let me know if you want to join and I will add your name below.
Sarah
Linda
Liz
Maritrez
I want to reduce my stash this year , some of it has not been used in years , so help me stick to my resolution
I shall join the resolutions, this year I intend to finish a project completely be for I start another one . The project I am doing at the moment is a winter jumper for my sister, I intend to finish this in about another week or two and will post a picture on the finished item in the new resolutions thread. When you start it Sarah., thanks for this thread it will help me keep going on one project at a time.
Good for you Sarah. I loved doing a very similar personal challenge myself last year and it really is so beneficial and amazing what stash you find you already have, or making ingenious ways to do things. I must admit I feel very smug when I start a new project and manage to use what I already have. The most effort for me, is taking the time to work out and look though what I already have. Hence I'm continuing with it this year. Also if I decide to start a big/long project I always take my time deciding what I will do, as I never ever leave a project without completing it. So its worth me taking the extra time to make sure its something I want to do eg a new quilt, I have to make sure its a design I will enjoy. Good luck. x