Stash Bustin’

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about fabrics stashes. Of all the beautiful and useful pieces of fabric that I, and probably every sewer everywhere, have stashed away somewhere not realising its potential whilst I (we) have been continuing to make trips to the fabric shop to harvest yet more.

I like to think that, these days, I am able to avoid buying a lot of the unnecessary things that I know I was guilty of in the past. One of the ways I keep this consumption in check is by following the Wardrobe Refashion pledge to make and upcycle any new additions to my wardrobe, instead of buying cheap and badly made mass-manufactured items. However I fear I have merely transferred my shopping addiction from the purchase of cheap and virtually disposable clothes to the acquisition of a fabric mountain!

I don’t want to be a hoarder and at this time cannot afford to be (both in terms of money and space), so I have set myself a challenge, complete with cute logo! The Stash Bustin’ challenge is to use only pieces from my fabric collection in forthcoming sewing projects as far as possible, only visiting the fabric store to pick up interfacings, linings and such that are needed to complete a project. However, I’m not going to be too hard on myself if I slip and buy a new piece of fabric before the entirety of my stash has been busted. If you yourself recognise a need to pare down your stash and are interested in joining me in the Stash Bustin’ crusade as some fantastic seamstresses already have, I’d love to hear from you and you are welcome to use the logo on your own blog, instructions for how to apply it can be found here.

Some Stash Busters have decided to implement a ‘one in four rule’: purchasing one new piece of fabric for a project for every three projects completed with stash fabric. Others are implementing the Stash Bustin’ challenge as a positive part of a wider attempt to dramatically cut their expenditure for a given period. Whatever the motivation, there can be no denying the benefits of unearthing your (sometimes forgotten) fabric treasures and allowing inspiration to strike in regards to how they could be utilised. Maybe you might end up with a collated stash as beautiful and inspiration-filled as Amy Honey’s pictured at the top of this post, or maybe something a little less dazzling, but still very much full of potential, like the medium-light weight pile from my stash pictured above! So, dear sewers, are you in?!