Thursday, January 9, 2014

Things I've Learned From A Year of Stashbusting


Can you believe it? We've not only survived a whole year of stashbusting, but (at least for some of us) a whole year of fabric-buying moratorium as well! Even though I stopped being able to follow along with the monthly themes by the end, I'm still pretty pleased with the fact that I used over seventy yards of stash fabric and saved myself over $200. Of course, such a prolonged project is going to lead to some lessons, so I thought I'd share some of those thoughts with you:
  • You don't really need that piece of fabric. There were many times last year when I found myself thinking that there was no way I could pass up a particular piece of fabric, only to find that now, I can't even remember what those pieces were, or what was so great about them. There will always be deals on great pieces of fabric, and with limited time on my hands, there's no way I'm going to sew up every idea I ever have, so it's okay to just let that piece go. Ms. McCall of Brown Paper Pattern helpfully put it this way on one of our trips to the Fabric District in LA: think of buying fabric as buying sewing hours instead; that is, think about how many hours it would take to make whatever you have in mind for that yardage. For someone whose limiting reactant is hours in a day (and not necessarily cost of fabric or space required to store it), this really helps to put things in perspective. I'm not buying six yards of silver brocade at only $1/yd -- I'm buying fifty hours of work to turn it into the fantasy gown in my head. Yikes! Suddenly it becomes a lot easier to put it down! 
  • When you know you have to actually sew up your stash fabrics, it becomes a lot easier to be selective when fabric shopping. I know, I know, that might sound obvious, but hear me out. When I lived in TCOCC, just fifteen minutes away from all sorts of great fabric stores, it became really easy to buy stuff that I only sort of liked, just because it was a good deal. This dress and this top that I feel ambivalent about as clothing now? I felt only a shade more positive about them when they were just fabric...but I bought it because I thought that rayon or embroidered cotton at such prices were too good to ignore. Throw in a pattern I'm not crazy about, and that's a recipe for garments that are for laundry emergencies only. So even after we moved up to CV and I was technically allowed to buy fabric again, I was much more picky about what I would let into the stash. 
  • If you have to stash, be real with yourself. Even though I'm drawn to ridiculous prints, there's really only so many loud dresses one can wear in a given laundry cycle. For a more practical stash, it makes much more sense to buy solids that pair well with existing items in one's wardrobe. I think that's called SWAP, or sewing (stashing!) with a plan...
  • Don't feel boxed in by previous decisions. There were a lot of pieces in my stash that had been bought with a specific garment in mind, but when I felt like I *had* to make what I had originally intended, I would sometimes feel stressed because it didn't fit anymore with my current wardrobe needs. It's okay to switch plans, including the original stashbusting plans! I didn't sew up most of what I had pledged to, but I decided to stop feeling guilty about not making that one thing that's been stewing for three years. I mean, it's been sitting for that long; it can sit a little longer, right? Instead, I went with what I felt inspired to sew, and that worked a lot better. Similarly, I had big plans for some of my larger pieces, but decided it was okay to axe them and use the fabric for multiple smaller projects. Better to use some than to keep saving it for the humongous project that would realistically not happen for another few years!
  • Along similar lines of letting go -- it's okay to just give up on a piece of stash fabric. There have been some nice pieces that I gave away or swapped this year because they no longer fit my current wardrobe vision. I'd rather give them a chance at new life, instead of trying to hold on because "it was such a good deal!" or "it has so much potential!" Then there were the failed projects: in the end I decided to chalk it up to a lesson learned and just throw it out, or cut it up for stuffing/rags instead of stashing it in hopes that I'd come back and fix it someday.  
This year, instead of specifying what pieces I'm going to use up, I think I'll settle for saying I'd like to use up the same number of yards of fabric. I won't say no to buying new fabric (especially for very specific projects with deadlines, like for class or a costume event), but I'll definitely be much more careful about choosing what I let into my stash. So without further ado:

I, Cation Designs, commit to sewing up at least seventy yards of stash fabric in 2014. I also commit to not buying any fabric unless it is for a specific project that has a deadline, or it is required to turn a piece of stash fabric into a completed project. 

Good golly, seventy yards sounds so scary written out like that, even though I used about that much last year. We'll see how it goes...in the meantime, if you'd like some more community interaction for your stashbusting, take a gander at our Stashbusting Facebook Group! We're going to try moving to FB instead of Flickr so that we can have more conversations and such, and you can post to specific albums for specific challenges. Also, TBH, I spend more time hanging out on FB than Flickr, so if you join and post stuff, I'll be pleasantly distracted at work while waiting for kids to finish tests and such! 

Aside from stashbusting, this year I'd like to continue taking part in Sewcialist and Historical Sew Fortnightly sewing projects when I can, but I won't feel guilty if I can't. I definitely want to participate in March of the Shieldmaidens, though -- I've got plans for a Lady Sif costume

Although I'm partial to the stashbusting sewasaurus button, I gotta say, I love that the shieldmaiden is saying "hwaet!" It's one of the few things I remember from reading Beowulf in high school.

What about you? Are there any cool sewalongs you're planning on joining that I should know about? What have you learned while stashbusting (or not)?

38 comments:

  1. Hi Cindy!!! I'm happy to learn from your lessons in de-stashing/stashbusting, since I've also resolved that in 2014 I will try to use as much of my stash as possible... I admit to almost caving and getting this gorgeous sale fabric 6 days into my resolution... but I held on!!! I can do this...! And how good will it feel to actually USE the fabric in my collection instead of watching it all collect dust while I spend more on the latest splurge...

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    1. There's nothing wrong with almost caving...just don't actually cave! Hah, as if I'm the one who should talk; I've caved many times in the last year!

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  2. Even though I didn't hit my target and some of the pieces I used where quite small, I counted this year a success in stashbusting as I got rid of a lot of fabric that I would never sew with now. It has slowly sank in just how much fabric I already have. There is part of me that wonders whether I should unpack it all just once to do an inventory and to see whether I should keep it, donate it or even just throw it. I guess part of me is scared to face the amount of money potentially wasted. It is mostly cheap fabric, but it still mounts up.

    One good example is that I have quite a lot of fabric to make skirts from, but realistically just how many skirts does one person need. Yes I live in a hot country and it is my garment of choice, but I think I have enough fabric to make 20 skirts.

    My goal this year in terms of stashbusting is to have 10 fewer pieces by the end of it (taking into account the fabric I buy or get as presents during the year). I hope to focus my sewing a bit more and actually create a matching wardrobe (shouldn't be too hard, most of my stash is strangely blue). Good luck with your stashbusting :-)

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    1. "I guess part of me is scared to face the amount of money potentially wasted"

      That's exactly how I feel, too. It's so easy to get caught up in sales ("$3/m is so cheap, I'd NEVER find fabric that cheap elsewhere!") without actually wanting the fabric. EG I bought a LOT of fabric in a sale recently, and probably will only use 3 pieces. So the other $50 or so could have just been spent on fabric 10x as expensive, that I'll actually make!

      And - I don't think 20 skirts is too much. I haven't got any RTW skirts anymore so only have 5, and I want at least triple that

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    2. Yeah, actually doing inventory is scary! That probably why I haven't :)

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    3. Well, the money is already gone. Now, keeping it represents choosing to store it (committing your space) and/or sew it (committing your time). Don't let the sunk cost control you - do what's right for you now and chalk the rest up to experience.

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  3. I think 2014 will be the stash busting year for me. I'm starting it jobless so I have more time than money and even if I wasn't I have far too much stash. Would it be silly to aim for 100 meters (109 yards)? Even if I don't manage I'll have something to look at.

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    1. I don't think 100 meters is silly at all...I sewed at least that much total during the year! Best of luck finding a job and sewing from stash!

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  4. I'm working on getting my stash down to a manageable level--like actually being able to fit it all on my shelves without packing it in like sardines--in hopes that I can get to a point where I can concentrate on more thoughtful fabric purchases and having a more cohesive closet.

    I'm super-excited about the Shieldmaiden Sewalong! And glad to see that someone else is going more of a fantasy than a historical route, as I have my heart set on another Tolkien costume.

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    1. I think if there was one thing I learned in the HSF, it was that I'm bad at strict historical accuracy. It'll be nice to have another fantasy sewer in the shieldmaiden group!

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    2. Fantasy is more fun anyway. ;)

      Speaking of fantasy, I don't think you're much of a knitter, right? But I've been somewhat following one Lord of the Rings fan group on Ravelry in particular, and I think you'd appreciate their "Stash Quest"! http://www.ravelry.com/groups/lord-of-the-rings/pages/Stash-Quest-How-to-Goals-in-alphabetic-order

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  5. I really appreciate everything you've written here about managing one's stash and refraining from buying fabric. That idea about how every time one buys fabric, one is also making an investment in time (quite a bit of time, actually), could really help me not buy random bits of fabric on a whim. I definitely want to work on busting the stash this year.

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    1. That one principle was probably the most helpful thing I learned last year!

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  6. Wow, how many pieces of fabric did you have in your stash to begin with last year? Although I haven't counted all of mine (I probably should, just to be honest with myself) but I'd say I only have about 100m in my stash. Which is still a lot, but I have gotten rid of a lot of fabrics this year that I'm just not that excited about sewing with (including some fabric I bought in a sale then ended up giving away about 2 weeks later).

    When I come up with a sewing plan, I usually need new fabric anyway; and when sewing from stash I usually get inspiration from the fabric itself. So I realised I needed fabrics I really wanted to sew with - stable fabrics in plain colours, with polka dots, cherries, florals etc. Now it's much more managable (I get freaked out and LESS likely to sew if there's too much fabric), I have kind-of plans for a lot of them, and can actually imagine myself wearing each garment!

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    1. Heh...you don't want to know how much I started with...and still have left. I do need to do some fabric giving away. It sounds like you've got a good strategy down!

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  7. I love your reflections about stash busting. I still follow through on the urge to buy fabric often, but feel like my process is a little more selective. Can honestly say that I don't need any more silks, brocades, or other fancies for my current lifestyle. Baby steps, baby steps.

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    1. As long as you're even just a little bit more selective, that counts as progress!

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  8. Great reflections. I had some success with stashbusting last year. Mostly just not buying fabric without a plan. Although now I have too many plans! One piece at a time. I'm thinking of joining the sheildmaiden's sewalong and making a Crystal Maiden costume (my boyfriend is a big fan of DOTA). ANd using up those stash fabrics!

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    1. My husband got really excited to hear you were making a Crystal Maiden costume, since he pretty much plays DOTA2 exclusively now. We started talking about if I were to make a DOTA costume...I think I like Luna the most!

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  9. Awesome post, thanx for sharing thoughts and experiance ^^/ Im about to pick up sewing after years of non-creating and I have desided that I will sew one piece/week start on monday. It can be all from a stuffed animal to a dress or a bag. This is for me the best way of collecting knowledge but also get a routine :) Im about to start my own business (after years of unemployment and bad bosses I felt I have the belive and courage to start my own business in the fashionworld) My challange? Well, I must in first hand use the fabrics I allready collected!! (cos I never stoped buying fabrics, ribbons etc ) Have a great weekend! / Jennie

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    1. Sewing weekly can be great for picking up (or re-picking up) a skill or habit! That's actually what I did when I first started sewing seriously. Didn't matter if I was always inspired, the point was to sit down and do it. Good luck with your business!

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  10. I loved your reflections on a year of stash busting too. I took up sewing in April last year and guess what I have built up a significant stash! So I would like to join you in a stash busting 2014. I would like to aim to use 50 metres from stash.

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    1. Isn't it scary how quickly stash can grow? It's like it has a mind of its own.

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  11. Seventy yards?! Wow, you are an amazing seamstress! I love your comment about thinking of fabric in terms of sewing hours. That will definitely help me when buying fabric as well!

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    1. It's just because I work on a lot of projects that take 4+ yards...if I were making lingerie like you, I'd definitely rethink my goal :)

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  12. Seventy yards is a huge amount! Wow!
    I haven't been participating in the stashbusting sewalong, because my stash is a comfortable size(unlike the UFO pile), but I have changed the way I shop for fabric this year. I buy fabric with my wardrobe(or costumes) in mind. Pretty fabrics are much easier to pass up if I know I would never wear them. I won't be officially doing the stashbusting challenge this year either, but I will still be using a lot of stash fabric.

    The "buying sewing hours" thing is also a great way to justify buying expensive fabric. "It's expensive, but imagine how many fun-filled sewing hours I could get out of it if I sewed the whole thing by hand!".

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    1. Good for you, for having a comfortable size stash! I think your thought process (very logical!) probably helps contribute to it being a manageable size. And I never would've thought of spinning the sewing hours the other way...

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  13. I love that thought that I am buying sewing hours, that is a good way to scare me off buying things just because they are a bargain. I am currently going through my whole stash and cataloging so I can see exactly what I have so I can concentrate on using that first. Wish me luck!

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    1. Hehe good luck! And yes, sewing hours can be very scary indeed...

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  14. Thanks for sharing your observations on stash busting. I also find sales hard to resist so now I just tell myself not to go into a fabric store unless I have something specific I need to get (zipper, thread, interfacing). I'm not going to go to a sale unless I need fabric for a certain pattern. I don't know what my total yardage is - never thought about it that way. I'm in the midst of doing inventory so maybe I'll get a better sense of exactly how many yards I have and how much I can use this year. Good luck on using up 70 yards this year! I'm sure you can do it!

    Colette Patterns is doing a sewalong for the Albion coat that starts on Jan. 24. I need a new sewing machine so I won't be participating. Also, I need to get the Newcastle Cardigan out of the way before I do anything else.

    [I finally set up a Google account that I cd use to comment on Blogger!]

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    1. Yay, glad you can comment now! I've been really curious about the Newcastle cardigan but none of the guys in my family like that style, so I'll be interested in seeing how yours turns out!

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  15. The sewing hours comment is really good... and it goes hand in hand with the busy vs solids thing for me. I did not make much last year, stashbusting or HSF, but what I made taught me that simpler projects that get a lot of wear are, rather obviously, far more satisfying in the long run... even the earlier Little Black Dress somehow fits in there (it was a fairly involved project for me; but the finished result is fairly simple on its own and can dress up in various ways, as LBDs are wont to do).

    There is no use in sewing something when you (or someone else) end up not wearing it or using it. Thankfully, my finances are so tight that I think thrice before buying fabric - and I only buy marked off remnants, too. But there is fabric in my stash left over from mom, and fabric I got for free, and I really have to think about what I'm making from it, whether I'm making anything from it, whether the thing I think of making is plausible, and start with the plausible projects instead of weeping over how much I did not make.

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    1. I think I've found that it can be really hard to do the HSF projects justice when you don't have a lot of historical fabrics in the stash. Are you doing it again this year?

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    2. Yes. I probably won't do everything, and probably will do a lot of vintage rather than earlier, but I want to use the themes to keep me going, if nothing else.
      It helps that I have a bias against artificial fabrics. :D

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  16. I too love the idea of fabric as sewing hours. I have SOO MUCH FABRIC right now. I've been trying to SWAP but keep getting side tracked. Last year I didn't want to join in on this stash busting but this year I really need to.

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    1. Well, you're welcome to join us for however much you can! SWAP is a good idea in principle for me, but I think I do a lot better with SWI, or Sewing With Inspiration...

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  17. Thanks for introducing me to Nimona. I've started at the beginning and am quite enjoying it :-)

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