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Still Sewing from Stash

6/21/2018

1 Comment

 
Saints have been canonized for less forbearance and dedication than I have shown in keeping my New Years Resolution to sew from stash!  Every day I see desirable fabric (and imagine projects I'd make with it), and every day I leave said fabric uncut at the store.  At Fabric Depot, I put on blinders and get only the notions or interfacing I need.  At the Mill End Store, I marshal myself like a woman and a Roy and remind myself that if I want any of their delicious wool, or printed cottons, or textured silks, I will simply have to whittle my stash down to size!  At Goodwill, I don't even walk by the section next to curtains and linens that has their fabrics. 
Picture
Fabric Merchant of Samarkand. The Library of Congress [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons
So how have I done? 

SEWING FROM STASH

I have been very good about sewing from stash!  Since my resolution, everything I've made for myself (or at my own instigation) has been made from my own fabrics.  I finished my quilted Jumps (a UFO and stash fabric), worked up a pillow and some pillowcases, made a new petticoat, a retro style shirt, a lined scarf, a new lunch bag from organic cotton, a 1919 dress, a sheer shirt with bishop sleeves... et cetera. 

A side benefit of this push to sew from stash is that I'm using patterns which I haven't used before! 

On the other hand, my UFO list (and my resolution to finish one UFO before starting another) has not been as inspiring.  It turns out--act surprised, now--it turns out that finishing old projects is not nearly as exciting as starting new ones, and there's nothing like a bit of boring but necessary sewing to motivate me to turn my attention to fun but unnecessary sewing.  So I guess I'm not a total saint... I can feel my halo tipping.

THE LIMITS OF STASH

As I pull things out of my stash to use them, I sometimes find myself wondering why on earth I have them at all!  Recently I pulled out a yard of 60" wide jersey, thinking I'd make a pullover sweatshirt, and I found it was covered in stains, the kind you get when you wash it with something that bleeds.  I wouldn't enjoy sewing with stained fabric or wearing a stained shirt, so I put it in the giveaway bag for Goodwill, and that's out of my stash. 

HAVE I CHEATED?

Once... maybe.  But it was entirely justified and I checked with my accountability partner.  See, I told my wee niece I was going to make her a hat, and did she have a preferred color?  And that precocious pip told me that she wanted "teal and sparkly pink"!  I had neither in my stash, so I hemmed and hawed and finally bought some sparkly teal.  But that was for a special request, so I don't think it violates the spirit of the resolution! 
1 Comment
The Sister
6/21/2018 09:40:54 am

Well, I think you've done very well using up the old to make room for the new. Keep it up, and soon your stash will be gone and you can get all new fun fabrics, now with a better eye to what you'd actually use!

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    Karen Roy

    Quilting, dressmaking, and history plied with the needle...

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