2014 Stashbusting Challenge

So I have two blogs. This one to document my sewing, the other one, my attempts to get my stuff under control. This is one of the few points where they will overlap. Whilst I generally need to get things organised and get rid of things, my fabric is fairly out of control and I certainly have more than I can sew for the time being.

My pledge: I, sleepyerin, commit to using 20 pieces of stash fabric in 2014. I also commit to not buying any new fabric, patterns or notions unless a garment cannot be completed without them until Cyber Monday 2014. Unless a truly awesome opportunity presents itself and I have the money ready to go :)

I still like most of the fabric I bought, not all, but most. So it seems silly to have it there sitting unloved and unused, because truly, fabric unsewn is fabric not truly loved. I know that people like to stroke their pretties and worry about wasting it, but truly, like cake that doesn't get eaten, or books that lie unread, fabric unfulfilled is sad.

Plus it's a bit of a waste of money. I'm trying to curtail my spending this year. I am lucky enough to spend an entire year at home with my babies after I have them, but part of that means that I get paid at half pay, which is great to be able to do, but it does reduce discretionary spending and fabric is most certainly discretionary for me. Also books and internet shopping (I'm weak, weak!), but this is about the sewing.

I took some pictures to chronicle by broader reorganising bent. I appreciate that I don't have the beautiful fabric collections of others and certainly I need to rethink storage (curating?), but also, I need to start using it.

Let me paint a picture of a stash that 12 months ago was completely under control and stored in two large containers. That was then.

This is now

Note fabric in tubs and lying around amidst other various things

Table where sewing machine and overlocker should live, note their absence, currently residing on kitchen table. Oops

Obviously not all the mess is sewing but this is where I want to be able to store my fabric. The cupboard in the study. In order for the fabric to fit, along with other crafty things and I think my violin (that's right, I think somewhere in these photos is my violin), I need not only to clean out and reorganise this space, but I need to use fabric and wool or else dispose of it some way (sew, sell, donate, accept when something is just rubbish).

Cupboard where I would like to store fabric and other assorted crafty things
Also used to hide things from small people

So, the stashbusting challenge questions

Why do you sew?

I started sewing about 15 months ago, because I couldn't find the clothes that I wanted for my daughter or when I did they were exorbitantly priced. I had always enjoyed hand sewing as a child and I've knitted for a long time. I wanted to be able to make unique items for my children. Then I realised, as a person who does not readily fit into ready to wear clothes (shape more than size issues) that this was an opportunity for me to make myself clothes that I liked and that fit.

Why are you stashbusting?

I want to be able to have a tidy and organised stash and it's current proportions don't enable that readily. I also want to prove to myself that I can sew through what I have already bought and own. Other than a few pieces of special silk (gifts from my mother), nothing I own is particularly special or original, just prints that I like. And a lot of jersey knits.

What's on your list?

I think I might do a month by month list, so I'll put up a new one each month, rather than get bogged down in an annual list that grows without achievement.

For January

• Monkey big butt baby pants for the young gentleman in my life
• Shirred birdy dress for the young lady
• Boxers for the leading man
• A dress for me, hopefully a saltspring maxi to enjoy before summer is over
• Toy elephant for the young lady
• Toy giraffe for the young gentleman
• gifts for childcarers (the young lady is about to move rooms)

Really that's probably more than I will get done, so I'll leave it at that for now.