Too Much of A Good Thing

Hi, my name is Simone and I am a recovering fabric junkie.

There was a time when I purchased whatever fabric caught my fancy. If I walked out of a store without a yard or two of my "dream" cloth I would obsess about it and the things I could make with it until overwhelmed by desire I had to return and buy a "dress length". 

I purchased with intent and expectation. I purchased fabric to make items to sell, to make my own clothing, to make gifts for friends and family and eventually to make art (I make fabric collages). I purchased so much fabric I could never get around to using all that I owned. Organizing became a nightmare and much of it ended up stored and forgotten but that didn't stop my lust or buying because there was always more fabric to be had.

I could blame it on working in the garment district where fabric was cheap and accessible or Wal-Mart's amazing and now defunct (I cried myself to sleep many a night over that one!) fabric department because since leaving my job near Broadway and the demise of Wal-Mart's fabric department my fabric buying has all but stopped and I have forced myself to address my stash.

Despite my hoarding I was never cheap with my stash. I shared but even after sharing I still have way more than I could or can realistically use on my own. It has taken me a long while to let go of my fabric lust. I no longer have the desire to own every piece of fabric that catches my fancy. The new dream is to use all the fabric I own and own all the fabric I can use. Don't get me wrong, my apartment isn't over flowing with fabric. I have culled much of it, assigning specific garment intent to some by placing a sewing pattern with it or passing much of it on to friends and strangers (free cycle, craigslist, Housing Works) but there still more to let go.

This go round I tend to release my stash to as many artists as possible by donating it to Materials for the Arts, an organization that provides thousands of New York City's arts and cultural organizations, public schools and community arts programs with the supplies they need to run and expand their programs.

Click on title to go their website