Mark your Calenders, it's Time to Cut the Precious.

Have you seen on the Gorgeous Fabric blog that March 22nd is "International cut into that fabric day?"

This topic hits close to home since my stash holds many a "precious" that I do nothing but hoard/pet while gloating over it.  Occasionally I try to pair a pattern with a "precious" but then decide that pattern not good enough for my baby. "Only the best nonexistent future patterns for you precious. Now get back into your bin where it's safe."  Most controlling fabric mom ever.

It's all well and good to stash some fabric for a rainy day, but saving certain fabrics for the future indefinitely is a waste of money.  You bought that fabric to wear after all, so how can you get up the courage to cut it up? Well here's a couple ways I've tricked myself into using "the precious."

- Educate yourself.  If you're holding off on sewing a difficult fabric until your skills improve, then improve those skills!  Google for techniques on the internet. So many people take the time to do beautiful tutorials to share their knowledge.  Ask a friend or even take a craftsy course if you got a couple bucks to spend.

- Make a muslin or use a TNT pattern.  We don't want to ruin that perfect fabric and the easiest way to do that is with bad fit.  Work out all your fitting problems in muslin or use a pattern that you've already ironed the kinks out of.  Knowing that the garment will fit you properly will ease your mind as your shears make that first cut.

-  Imagine your fabric's future. Think about what will happen to your precious fabric if you don't use it. Odds are that people who do not value your hobby will dispose of your stash.  It's precious to you, but to everyone else it's crap you've cluttered up the house with. Is my future grown son going to lovenly move 6 rubberneck tubs of fabric to a climate controlled location? No, no he's probably going to throw them in the back of a dump truck on the way to the local incinerator. It fills me with horror too.  So sew your good stuff up now before your future children can do horrible things to them.

- Get out the alcohol. Layout out your fabric, check to see if it has a directional pattern, and layout all the pattern pieces how you want to cut them.  Then take a nice stiff drink, sometimes you just need something it steel the nerves.  Just don't have two stiff drinks or your cutting might get questionable.

To show that I'm not all talk, I did put scissors to one of my precious fabrics this weekend.

When my son was an infant I bought this quilting cotton from Tessuti in Australia and had it shipped all the way to me. This happens to be one of my favorite bird prints and past Heather bought it in two colorways. It's been sitting in the stash for years now because I didn't want to waste it on something that would never get worn. Sewdollyclackett got me thinking about Simpicity 2444 again and how much I love that dress.  Hey wait, I can sew the birds into a 2444!  Sometimes it really is that simple....I say as I shake a bit knowing this is no longer yardage.  It's going to be fine, FINE!

Actually I'm pretty OK with this because it's all for Dolly Clackett and I'm pretty sure I've just earned a new show purchase. Guess I'd better go find something else to cut on Saturday. Gulp.