Declutter Challenge 2026 - Day 15 - Kits & Precuts
- Karen
- 37 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The first week was all about the garbage, the squatters and the paper. Last week was all about your tools and notions. And after all that hard work you should have reclaimed some space.
So in this final week now we can spread out a bit and take a good look at our fabric, batting and projects. And today we are looking at kits and precuts.
Kits are fabric bundles that might or might not have a pattern. Sometimes you have purchased them from a store as a bundle or simply pulled it together for yourself. Kits can also be part of QAL’s or Block of the Month subscriptions. And Sometimes they are just an idea you thought up and all you have is a template and a button.
And for those of you who are new to the challenge, the distinction between kits, UFO’s and Works in Progress is that the fabric has not been cut. That is, you have not committed to a particular project. Basically there’s still time to step back, say No and put the fabric into your stash. Put any UFO’s to the side, we will deal with them tomorrow.
STEP 1
Set your timer.
STEP 2
Define your capacity. How much space do you want your kits to occupy? The hope is during the year you might make one or two of these kit. But, we are always getting new ideas and pulling fabric groupings too. So the space needs to have some wiggle room.
Step 3
Declutter. So The question of the day is:
Do you WANT to make it?
Not can I make it, nor should I make it. Do you want to make it?
Have you fallen out of love with the idea?
Maybe you decided that you don’t have the skills yet?
Or it’s too simple?
Do you still like the colours?
Is the cutting process too daunting?
Is the size too big.
What is the likelihood that you will choose to make it in the next year?
If the answer to any of these is negative, then you have two choices. Sell or donate it, or toss the pattern and put the fabric back into your stash.
Recognise that kits are just ideas. But not all ideas need to become quilts. With no harm, no foul, fold the fabric back up and it will be there next time you need it. And you are free to move on to the next big idea.
Today was like a train wreck for me. I had a year of ideas just piled up. And before I could begin to declutter, I had to separate my piles into kits, UFO’s, fabric, and scraps. And, thankfully, I was using my timer. Because breaks were required to get through it all.
The cousins of kits are precuts. These delightful prepacks are fabric, all from the same designer from the same line so all the colours coordinate. If you purchase one with a belly band around it you paid a premium for these precuts.
Precuts can be challenging for a couple of reasons.
Each type has different dimensions so storing them takes some space.
Though they are pre-cut, they are not the easiest to work with as they are both messy and sometimes inaccurate.
So how many quilts can you make with the precuts that you have? How many quilts do you want to make with them?
STEP 4
Get them out of your space. The good news is quilters love kits and precuts and they can have a high resell value. So consider posting them online. And charity shops would also love them.
Lastly, You might find kits for other crafts in your space. Do you still want to make them? Follow the same steps 1-4 to deal with them.
STEP 5
Your Turn To Share. Were you surprised at how many kits you had. Were you like me, it got worse before it got better. Or maybe for you it was an easy day. Share your comments below and your photos online in the comments, in the Facebook groups or on Instagram with this year’s hashtag #declutterchallenge2026.
Here are 2 videos I recommend for today:
See you tomorrow for Day 16.
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