My fabric stash has got to go!

“The path to success is to take massive, determined action.”

 - Tony Robbins

Since we were away for most of January, February is my 'New Year' for 2015 for starting projects.

This is  BIG year for projects!

The picture above shows our rearranged spare room. We took apart our spare bed and stored it in the built in wardrobes at the back of the room. These robes were hiding my fabric stash - but no more!

Now my stash is piled up in a heap. My task this year is to work my way through it - sewing things to use, give as gifts or sell.  By the end of 2015, I want to just have my sewing desk (on the left) and the wooden chest of drawers that you can just see peeking out on the right. All those boxes, bags, pockets etc have to go!

Having everything out in the open is going to be a daily reminder and motivation to keep on sewing. To start with I'll have to move boxes just to reach my sewing machine!  I have lists of things to make and I've tried to divide the lists up into a time schedule over the course of the year.

I think I'm venturing into unchartered territory here. I can find lots of posts on blogs and articles about stashbusting, reducing your stash and organising your fabric stash; but nothing about trying to use it all up!

I know it's a massive ask - but the way our spare room looks now is a HUGE motivation to get this done. All the fabric, notions and other bits and bobs I've saved over the past 10 years, are going to be put to use.

Use What You've Got is my motto and that's certainly what I'm sticking to this year!

So how about you?

What does your fabric stash look like? Do you have any pictures to share? Does it need to be used up? 

I may be a bit crazy to attempt  this challenge - but I do hope you'll follow along and see what I make and also the progress photos of my shrinking stash over the year!

Better get started!

Jill

Projects!

This week is the first full week back at school for my girls - so my first full week back to doing my stuff!!

Yesterday I tackled the spare room which is where I'd dumped everything I'd sorted from the rest of the house but didn't know what to do with or where to put!

So, I was ruthless and cleared the pile!

My rubbish bin is a little fuller, and I now just have 5 sewing projects to complete to clear the bed completely - hopefully in time for our next visitors in 2 weeks time!

So - my projects to complete are:

1. Upcycle these unicorns into something else....

I'm thinking perhaps slippers?  But as to how....

2. Turn this old squished bean bag that nobody ever uses...

into perhaps a couple of smaller tablet bean bags - that my girls are also using as pillows, and that I want one of my own of!

3. Make my elder daughter a fishy quilt for her bed.

I made my younger daughter this one last year...

..and have had this huge bag full of scraps and fleece sitting patiently waiting since then for me to make the other one .

I just need to get A Round Tuit!

4. Make these old towels into reusable kitchen roll:

5. Use up my box and bag full of clothes to be upcycled!

I should have plenty of inspiration here - with over 600 clothes upcycling ideas now linked up!

So - I've slotted these projects into my diary for the next 2 weeks - the plan being they will be completed in that time!
Here goes!!!

Quilting and Patchwork

Last week I tried my hand at quilting for the first time when I made a small mug rug:

I really enjoyed making this - and it made me curious to learn a little about quilting - and patchwork. What is the difference? How did it start? And here's what I found.

According to Wikipedia,

Quilting is a sewing method done to join two or more layers of material together to make a thicker padded material

Patchwork or "pieced work" is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design.

The earliest example of quilting was found more than 3000BC on a carved figure of an Egyptian Pharoah! 

Quilting and Patchwork were used through history mostly it seems for bed quilts - often made from old clothing - enabling people to re- use even worn items and very small scraps.

There was even lots of quilted armour - like a Gambeson.
Would you believe I even found a pattern/tutorial so you can quilt your own armour!  Amazing!

In later years - quilted clothing like the Doublet - became popular as mens clothing!

Personally - what interests me most about quilting and particularly patchwork is the 'recycling' aspect of it.  It seems like a fantastic way to use up scraps!

Of which I'm sure all of us who sew have LOTS! Bucketloads even!!

Or even another way of upcycling those old clothes!

Earlier this year I started trying to find ways to use up my scraps - and made this patchwork pincushion - or is it really a pet bed?

A patchwork pillow for Mickey:

And this cute patchwork fabric basket 

I'd kind of forgotten about these until I made my mug rug last week - and it's revived my interest.
I'm definitely going to be trying out lots more patchwork and quilting - to try and use up my scraps and stash!