{Net Zero Fabric} How I'm using the fabric tracker

 

January has the remarkable ability to speed along and move at a snail's pace, but here we are with less than a week left in the first month of the year. I thought I would give a quick overview of how I have been using the fabric tracker now that it actually holds data. 

In the main tracker portion of the spreadsheet, each row becomes a unit of fabric that comes in or moves out of my stash. In the screengrab above, I show three different fabric bundles I've sold through my destash. First and foremost, I am NOT making any money from selling these fabrics. I've listed just about everything below market rate and underestimate shipping regularly. Though I'm getting better about shipping estimates, I mostly want to move this fabric out and have priced it accordingly. 

First, I record the date the fabric moves - in or out - followed by a short description. So far, since this is just destashed fabrics, I wonder how critical or helpful the description will be in the future. But when it comes to bringing in fabric and then watching it move out of my stash, recording the material will be informative. The project - destash - is self-explanatory. I enter the yardage out, and the 'net' is calculated for me. In the cost column, for the destash fabrics, I'm recording the shipping cost. The gross sale captures the amount I received for the fabric, less any PayPal fees. When I send a money request through PayPal, some buyers choose to pay like I'm a business (aka small fee), and some choose to pay like a friend (no fee). I'm good with either option since I am excited to have any fabric moving out of my house. Again, the 'net' is calculated for me.  

Fabric in Limbo

In my tracker, I added a box to hold the information on the fabric I've started using in new projects. I realized that if I want to record the fabric I use up, I need to know how much I'm starting with. This means as I pull fabrics for a specific project (above, I show my Positivities Quilt BOM), I weigh the fabric before I start cutting and sewing. If I pull more fabrics as the project goes along, I'll add the weight to the 'in limbo' category. And, when the project is completed, I'll weigh the leftover fabric and find the difference (aka the fabric used up). Currently, this little box has been my biggest motivator to get sewing. I've got my eye on several small projects I can complete to move the fabrics out of limbo and down into the tracker. Older works in progress don't have the starting weight and aren't captured in limbo. For these, as I complete them, I'll estimate the fabrics used up. It's not an exact science, and I'm okay with that.   

*Not my work* - Mug rug inspiration for a side swap - aka a small project to complete!

What I am NOT doing

I am not worrying about being precise with my measurements. The underlying purpose of tracking is to (1) get me sewing and (2) be intentional about what I bring in. Even with imprecise tracking, I can see I'll hit both of these goals. I'm also not judging myself or calling the month 'good' or 'bad' based on my net fabric. Sewing is a hobby for me, and hobbies should be fun. Keeping things judgement free helps me keep it fun. 

Links from this post:

• Fabric Tracker from Jeni Baker
• Positivities BOM from Rachel Hauser