Busting the Fabric Stash!

Have you tried to bust your fabric stash?  It is difficult!  Every time I start a new sewing project, I check my fabric stash to find fabric.  I can usually find something I want to use.  However, that is not the problem.  The problem is I keep finding new fabric that is so hard to resist.  Over the past two years, I have done well in my quest to resist buying more fabric.

Last week my husband and I drove through Ligonier, Indiana.  That is where Zink’s Fabric Outlet is located.  I have been there many times before.  Zink’s has a variety of fabric.  The stock changes constantly, so I am never sure what I will find there.  Last week I could not resist.  I asked my husband to stop and I went in “just to look around”.  I really didn’t need anything.  Going into a fabric store just to look is as dangerous for a person who has a large fabric stash as going into a bar is for an alcoholic.  

Unfortunately, in my look around Zink’s, I found a great supply of knit fabric, all kinds of knits in various weights and many colors and prints.  I lost control.  I left there with seven pieces of knits.  That means my stash grew considerably in just one stop at a fabric store!

I am going to try to redeem myself by sewing all that knit as quickly as I can.  I plan to sew 3 short sleeved tops to wear this summer and I will use the other pieces to make long sleeved tops for fall and winter.  In August the Lansing Clippers (American Sewing Guild) will have a sewing retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana.  I plan to sew some of those tops while I am there. 

At the end of May I posted about making 2 pairs of capri pants.  One of those was lime green and I discovered I had nothing to wear with them.  I had some of the lime green fabric left, so I made a top using that fabric and a piece of lime green print that was in also in my stash.  A picture of the top and pants is shown below.

 

I used two other pieces of fabric from my stash to make a blouse and skirt.  I made the skirt with Simplicity pattern 2186 and the blouse with Simplicity pattern 8061. 

Just so you know, sewing is not always a bowl full of cherries.  Sometimes you can create a potentially disastrous situation for yourself.  I created one of those situations when preparing to hem the blouse for the second time.  I noticed when I put on the blouse with the skirt, I did not like the look.  The blouse was too long for me.  I never tuck my blouse into the skirt's waist, so it is critical for the blouse to be the right length.  I ripped out the hem and turned up 2 1/2 inches instead of the original 1 1/4 inches.  I decided to trim the excess using the serger to cut and finish the edge at the same time.  I suddenly noticed the front of the top was caught in the hem allowance and I was cutting a large hole in the top.  My husband heard me scream and knew immediately I was in crisis mode.  He brought me two Hershey's milk chocolate kisses.

I calmed down a bit and stuck the hole together using a piece of iron-on tricot interfacing.  The hole measured 2 inches by 4 1/2 inches in the shape of a triangle on the right lower front of the blouse.  Here is what the hole looked like.

I considered placing a pocket there, but decided instead to applique some of the aqua objects from the skirt fabric to the front of the blouse.  At least I rescued the blouse.  Throwing it away was never an option for me!  A picture of the blouse and skirt is shown below.

I hope you are doing a lot of sewing with fabric from your stash.  If you don’t have a stash, don’t start one.  Although it is nice to be able to sew a project without going to a fabric store, all that fabric can weigh heavy on your mind.  And it is a real challenge to try to get it all used up within your lifetime!

Judy

 

Something from Almost Nothing

Last week I realized I needed something to wear to my grandson’s high school graduation.  I looked through my stash and found two pieces of coordinated rayon blend fabric.  One was a black background with a subtle lighter black print and the other was the same black with an aqua print.   I cut out and sewed a blouse.  It was finished Wednesday.  I started to cut the skirt on Thursday morning, but I had second thoughts.  I knew the graduation ceremony was being held outdoors in Indiana and the temperature was forecast at 93 degrees.  Maybe a black rayon outfit was not a good idea! 

I knew I had a scrap of fabric left from making a skirt about 6 or 7 years ago.  I took a look at the skirt to make sure it was still wearable and it was.  Then I looked in my stash for a light blue knit for a top.  I found just enough blue knit left over from a long sleeve tee-top I made a couple of years ago.  I decided to make an applique for the knit top from the scrap fabric from the skirt.  I love it when I can make something new to wear without making a trip to the fabric store.  A picture of the skirt and top is shown below. 

The graduation was very pleasant.  Although it was about 92 degrees Saturday, the football stands where we sat were shaded and there was a light breeze.  Most of the class of 2021 from Oak Hill High School near Sweetser, Indiana started school together thirteen years ago.  They lost a classmate in the fourth grade who died from cancer.  She was diagnosed when she was only four years old and always carried a stuffed monkey with her wherever she went.  The Class of 2021 had an extra chair in their midst in memory of her and they placed a stuffed monkey on it.  They never forgot her.

High School graduation is a really big deal.  It is the beginning of adult life for our children.  Their position in life changes.  It seems like overnight they are expected to go from being children to making life changing decisions that will affect them and others.  Their success in life depends on the foundation that was built for them by their parents, family, educators, religious leaders, and even themselves.  Now we can only hope the foundation is strong and each graduate will continue to build on theirs. 

Congratulations to all 2021 graduates!

Judy Huhn