…another resolution, that is.
Yesterday Dear Son no. 3 and I swapped him from one of the bigger upstair bedrooms back into the smallest one, the same one he had for a number of years before he went off to university. As he said, it made sense because he’s a minimalist and doesn’t have much “stuff” – oh, and it’s also a fair bit warmer, too!
Whereas I do have rather a lot of stuff… I’d been attempting to use that little room (9′ x 10′ but irregularly shaped) as a guest bedroom, a drying area, and a sewing studio, which had resulted in more or less complete chaos on the sewing side, although it was – just – functional. The drying rack & clean laundry could be swept up & re-deployed at a moment’s notice whenever DS1 came home for the weekend; not so the sewing bench and the vast accumulations of fabric, patterns & notions. To be fair, a large amount of these were things intended for re-sale, that had been deposited in there as a “safe” area to store them in. But they’d got hopelessly muddled up with the bits that I’m actually using or have realistically-achievable plans for…
So now the bigger, cooler room is piled high with bags of fabric, patterns, notions, lace, ribbons, paper etc. I was too tired to try to sort it out, after dismantling two beds, locating a third, and re-building two of them again as well as hauling all the stuff around so it’s still more or less as it was last night; tomorrow I will try to sort out a working area for the big Pfaff, the overlocker and the embellisher, and possibly even add a picture, if I’m brave enough. There are still several trunks full of DD2 & DS2’s belongings in there, too, as well as a “dead” wardrobe (unwanted and unduly rickety now) and the spare bedding! All of which apparently have to go somewhere…
The point of mentioning all this is to say that I have resolved that this will be the year when I buy NO new craft materials or fabric; I already have more than enough, and enough to keep the stall stocked for several months, too. I’m excepting specialist materials like interfacing – although I have a whole roll of heavy sew-in interfacing, found at the Tip late last year – or 505 spray where they’re really needed to do a specific job that actually needs doing & I don’t already have something that I can make do. But no impulse buys, not even when they’re really, really good bargains…
I think this may be harder than it sounds…
A recycled lifestyle... 
It might be but it CAN be done! I myself have forbidden myself to purchase things except for specific needs of others in the household or supplies to finish up items I already have fabric for. I’ve managed to stick to it for months, so I think it’s a good goal for the year. I’m not sewing nearly as much as I used to as it’s taking so much out of me just to do everyday stuff, so I really don’t need to acquire more projects. I’ve got fabric for clothes for years to come, so I’m avoiding going to the fabric stores except for specific items and I’m making sure I don’t have time to linger when I do go! LOL! I’ve been sorely tempted a few times to buy this or that piece but I’ve managed to talk myself out of it, and I’m usually glad I did. Like you, mine is a space thing-it’s got to fit in my sewing room. If it can’t then something has to go. Ah well, a little self-discipline never hurt anyone.
I’m looking forward to finding out, Colleen! I intend to stick to it & document my progress here; time’s been at a premium lately with my mother ill, so I haven’t found much time for making stuff but I’ve still been accumulating fabric… no new stuff until I’ve used at least half of what I already have!