Stash Shopping

Did I  mention I'm making my current and next few projects from my stash? 

Hello,  My name is Ruth and I am a hoarder. 

I keep anything related to sewing - duplicate books and patterns (some of which I am now giving away) and way, way too much fabric.  I honestly feel overwhelmed with the amount of fabric I have.



An old Polaroid photo of me aged 11 or 12 in a pink blouse I made.  Mum helped me with the
button loops, but I managed everything else myself.

 Well, to be honest I have been sewing "seriously" since I was 11.  At that age Mum bought me my fabric and I made everything up before we went shopping for any further supplies.  As soon as I started to earn my own money that was it - Records, lipstick and fabric were my preferred purchases.  Well sadly most of the records have gone, and the lipsticks got used or chucked out long ago, but the fabric?  Ah, the fabric - some of it's still there.

The lovely crepe I bought to make a dress for my friends wedding (now married 7 years with 2 children), the Christmas Ball satin bought 10 years ago, the Harris Tweed from last year, it's all there.  Currently hidden in the loft.  Out of sight and out of mind.

So now I work part-time and have to watch the pennies I went hunting for the red linen I knew I had stashed for this skirt (I only purchased it last summer) - and there it all was, crying out to me - "use me, use me".

I must still make outfits or pieces that very definitely mix and match, but have set the challenge to use only from the stash for the next couple of months (at least!).  I have allowed myself to purchase notations if I can't make do with what I already have.  Typically I guess it will be coloured thread and zips and the occasional length of lining.  Oh, and I've included patterns in that no purchase rule too.

In the 70's my Mum had a pattern stash that consisted of 1 A-line skirt, 1 shirt, 1 pencil skirt, 1 dress and 1 pair of trousers.  Fabric was purchased when it was needed and the button box was full of butttons taken from RTW garments that were past their best.  When did I get possessed with purchasing so much fabric?  Okay, some of it's been collected over a period of 15+ years, but honestly, why so much??

So this is my last purchase of fabric for some time.   I had to buy something from Liberty when visiting London...

Cotton Lawn - LOVE the print

No more fabric or pattern purchases allowed until the stash starts to deplete.  Watch this space.  There could be some "interesting" garments on the way.  Wish me luck!