Friday, January 3, 2014

Announcing The Stashbusting Sewalong 2014

YEAAAAAA!!! I feel like there should be confetti raining down the page like the snow does in Wordpress.... You guys loved the Stasbusting Sewalong so much we decided to bring it back for another year!! Cause, lets face it... we barely got started on decreasing those stashes... So I'd like to welcome you to, drumroll please....

THE 2014 STASHBUSTING SEWALONG!

There may or may not be a new button... we're working on it.

The 2014 Stashbusting Sewalong is a casual sewalong whose goal is to encourage us to reduce the size of our stashes by looking to them first. Every month has a fabulous theme you can choose to participate in if you need or want some focus to your sewing or you can just join us in pledging to destash in your own way. However it's done, as long as you use up that stash fabric you're doing great! We know we're in it together, and we know that others will be cheering us on as we go. There's nothing like working together to bust a stash!

Here's how you can join us!
  • Leave a comment on this post with your pledge: "I, _______,commit to using ____ pieces of stash fabric in 2014. Additional option: I also commit to not buying any new fabric/patterns/ notions except for _______ until ______." Please include your blog if you have one.
  • Post on your blog (if you have one) about your commitment! There's nothing like accountability and public shaming to get us to use up fabric that's been lingering in our stashes. Please share the link back to this post so others can join in if they want.
  • Join our Flickr group (continuing from last year so lots of inspiration already there) 
  • Join our Facebook page (coming soon)
  • Follow our Pinterest StashBusting Headquarters (all new posts and any other useful info goes here)
We decided to keep the monthly themes from last year so you can see what each month holds on our Stashbusting Headquarters Page. But knowing everything that's coming is boring so we're adding a new facet to some of the months this year.  

The Curating Challenge!
Curate: to select, organize and look after items in a collection

This year along with sewing up what we've already accumulated we're going to do our best to bring a more thoughtful approach to our fabric/sewing stash so however big or small it is, it will be a beautiful whole instead of a mountain of madness. That way we will better control the stash instead of it controlling us.

Photo source. 

Now for some changes, Cindy is a school teacher plus she has gone back to school to learn more about sewing (lucky duck) and her life has gotten much busier. This year she'll be running our Stashbusting Facebook page, doing her own stash busting, and doing some guest posting for the series. Yes, people, we're going to have guest posters this year!! I for one, am very excited about getting to hear from others and seeing what they come up with for our themes. This way we'll hopefully still have one post a week to keep us in the stash busting mood yet leave time for me to tackle some more complicated sewing projects.

I think that's it for now. If you have any questions please ask. I'll be announcing January's theme and Curating Challenge on Monday. If you participated in Stashbusting 2013 remember to go Here and enter for the end of year prizes. With that a poem just for you!

Welcome welcome
One and All!
Will you fail 
Or will you fall?
Fabric's near
And Fabric's dear
Will you sew it up this year?

31 comments:

Heather Bee said...

Woooooo Hoooooooo! I am throwing confetti in the air....OK fine, it's tracing paper bits. My year is looking like it might be busier, so I'm gonna go conservative and pledge to make 25 stashbusting projects in 2014. No restrictions on patterns and fabric cause that's how I roll! ;)

EmSewCrazy said...

Hurrah for the first participant. And the "confetti" :) I'm excited to see what you will come up with!

melissa said...

Ooh, I'm looking forward to this, I would like to participate. I'm going to pledge to use 15 stash fabrics, but I can't limit myself on buying new fabric because I just can't...But I'll try not to buy new patterns.

Towanda Maker said...

"I, Towanda, commit to using at least 30 pieces of stash fabric in 2014. Additional option: I also commit to spend less than 200.00 a month on jewelry making and sewing. I will allow myself to spend more money on fabric when I go to NYC in the spring."

Cari Homemaker said...

Here's my pledge: I, Cari Homemaker, pledge to make at least 50 projects using stash fabric during 2014, and to limit my fabric yardage acquisitions to a maximum limit of 3 used :1 new.

Being my loquacious self, I've devoted an entire blog post to setting up for stash bust 2014, complete with shameful pictures. http://carihomemaker.com/2014/01/04/stash-busting-sewalong-2014-the-sequel/

Laken said...

Here's my pledge: “I, Laken of Creative Ventures, commit to shopping from my stash
fabric first and foremost in 2014. I also commit to not buying any more
fabric / patterns / notions except for that which is required to finish
WIPs for the entire year, unless unforeseen special circumstances arise
(such as a friend’s wedding in late November). I also commit to using /
destashing as much of the ‘to-refashion’ stash as possible, possibly a 1
for 1 deal : 1 refashion, 1 new project, etc…”
I'm a newbie to the bloggery scene, (please be gentle?! haha) but have been following and / or reading your blog, Cation Designs and a few quite amazing sewing blogs for something like 2 years trying to build the balls and confidence to start my own...

Shannon said...

"I, Shannon,commit to using 8 pieces of stash fabric in 2014." That's double what I pledged last year. Check out my blog at: http://finishedgarment.ca

Borsmenta said...

I hoped this will not end - shame on me I kept accumulating although my total stash did decrease.
My pledge -
No more new fabrics unless I have a specific project to do or a WIP that needs additional fabric (this will be the toughest).
Max. 1 Burda/season. That's a total of max. 4.
I also commit using stash fabric for charity projects at Easter (lunch bags for kids) and Xmas (Santa boots).

Ksaunm said...

I, Karen, commit to using 20 pieces of stash fabric in 2014.

Thanks for doing this! I feel kind of guilty with all that unused fabric.

Happy and creative 2014!

Karen

My blog: taivahalla.blogspot.com

Angela said...

I, Angela,commit to using at least 24 pieces of stash fabric in 2014. And, I will try my absolute best to blog with more regularity during this stash-busting year at http://sewglamorous.blogspot.com/

sleepyerin said...

I, sleepyerin, commit to using 20 pieces of stash fabric in 2014. I also commit to not buying any new fabric, patterns or notions unless a garment cannot be completed without them until Cyber Monday 2014. Unless a truly awesome opportunity presents itself and I have the money ready to go :)

Becky said...

I was glad to hear this is continuing, since I wasn't able to participate for the first half of the year and then lost track of the challenges. I'm also doing the Stash Diet at Stitch Parade, so this is a perfect tie-in! My pledge for there is that I must use 4 fabrics from stash before I can buy 1 (except if I have absolutely no lining or whatever that will work), and 4 patterns before buying 1. So I'm going to stick with that instead of a specific number, but hopefully I'll make progress here!

Christina Gilman said...

I'm in! I, Christina of Dolcideleria, commit to sewing from my stash fabric in 2014. My goal is to finish those quilt tops I've started (thus freeing up storage boxes for fabric that's currently homeless) and to sew up the garments for which I've been collecting fabric. I commit to not purchasing new fabric (unless I need it to finish a WIP) until I am able to sit in my rocking chair once again.

Sharon said...

Count me in, I, Sharon of Petite and Sewing, commit to sew ¾ of all projects in 2014 from Stash. Fabric purchases will be less than the yardage used during the stash sewing in 2014.

Kristin Jones said...

I hope it isn't too late to join! I, Kristin, commit to sewing from my stash in 2014. I also commit to not buying any new fabric except for others until mid summer - or later if I'm slacking!

EmSewCrazy said...

Nope you're just fine! This is a VERY laid back sew along. You can join anytime it just works best in the beginning of the year!

Ginger said...

Ooh, yay, so glad you guys are doing this again! I, Sonja, commit to using ten pieces of stash fabric in 2014. I'm so excited!

Sophie-Lee said...

Heck I might as well. I, Sophie-Lee, commit to using half of my current stash.

That equals 25 pieces in total.

Andrea Firth said...

I, Andrea, commit to using twice as many pieces of stash fabric during 2014 as I buy to add to it.


I'll be blogging about my stashbusting at obsessivecreativeness.blogspot.com

Megan R said...

I'm in again this year.


I, Megan from Bobbins and Bustles, commit to using 12 pieces of stash fabric in 2014.



I'm hoping to get it down to a size where it all fits in my stash dresser again instead of hiding in the closet and under the table.

SewSooz said...

I Susan of http://sewsooz.blogspot.com.au/ commit to using 10 pieces of my stash in 2014. I do have a few questions about what constitutes one's stash (they're on my blog) as I have not done this before and read about it on another blog - http://tworandomwords.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/stashbusting-2014/

Sounds challenging yet fun!

T Cue said...

I Tracey of http://www.tcusic-praisegarments.blogspot.com commit to using 12 pieces of my stash in 2014.

Fadanista said...

"I, Sue of Fadanista.com,commit to using 40 pieces of stash fabric in 2014.

Digs Digs said...

Definitely in! I, Digs of http://straightjacketmuse.blogspot.ca commit to sewing from my stash first, and if fabric purchase is unavoidable in order to complete a project, to using at least two lengths of fabric from stash for every length I purchase. Notions and linings not included, as I don't stash any of those.

Anonymous said...

I'm super late to this party, but it's just what I need! I, onlymaja.wordpress.com, pledge to use more stash fabric than I buy. Also to use said stash busters as fundraiser items, kids presents and other gift giving, charitable or otherwise.

Nina said...

I, Nina, commit to using 10 pieces of stash fabric in 2014!

Gjeometry said...

Oh, I realized that I forgot to put my pledge here. I had joined the facebook group a few weeks ago and commented there. So, my pledge is: I pledge to actually USE the fabric in my stash, rather than 'save' it for some unachievable project. My
problem is not so much that I shop for and hoard tonnes of fabric, but
more that I have a modest but healthy amount and am loathe to use it. I
am: afraid that I will ruin it by cutting into it or sewing something
with it that won't turn out properly; I can't decide on the project
that 'fits' the fabric; I am constantly changing my mind once I do make a
decision about how to use the fabric. So, I figure this year, it will
be better to actually go ahead and use the fabric, throwing caution to
the wind, than saving it for some kind of unattainable special occasion. STASHBUST ON!

Jeri said...

Just realized I hadn't officially pledged so here goes...
I, Jeri, of My Modern Vintage, pledge to use or gift ALL of my fabric purchased prior to 2013 and only buy fabric needed to complete projects until my pre-2013 stash is gone!

Elizabeth Pritchett said...

Well I guess I'll take the plunge and pledge...I, Elizabeth, of http://isewyousew.blogspot.com/ pledge to use 10 pieces of my current stash this year. Also, I will try to first choose fabric from my stash for other projects, that is unless the resulting garment/object would be totally hideous, only then will I be forced to purchase new fabric for the sake of said project not being a complete waste of my time...ok I think that is all I can pledge without being a total liar.

Dieni said...

Hi Em! I stumbled upon ur blog when I looked for ideas & motivation (enforcement? :p) to start clearing my fabric stash, start sewing instead of keep buying. I like this idea of stash busting sew along. Am i too late to join now, shd i wait for next yr challenge instead? Warm regards from sunny Singapore! :)

Ellie said...

I, Ellie, pledge to use 12 pieces from my stash before school starts. New clothes!!