Friday, June 25, 2021

 

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

1 comment:

  1. I love your appliqué save... as for Ligonier, I see a road trip in my future.

    ReplyDelete