So I went on a little Stash Dive

1.21.2014

In case you don't know Andrea and Morgan started Stash Diet 2014 with an accompanying fabric swap for unwanted stash.  When they say swap it really means, "If you want this fabric then by all means take it. No actual swapping required."  I freely admit I went there first to see if there were any fabric goodies to enrich my stash.  MOAR Fabric!  Problem was that it's still January and I can't conveniently forget all my goals yet. Wasn't there some goal about stash busting......damn it, it's in print on the blog and everything.

Instead I decided to comb my own stash for the duel purposes of refreshing my brain on what's stockpiled in there and to weed out any unwanted items. Also to give me some ideas of holes in the stash since I'm not banning all fabric purchases. Here are my take aways from communing with my stash.

1. Hey dumb dumb, stop buying fabrics that are cream or oatmeal in color. Same goes for any prints that have these colors as the background.  You know these colors don't look good on you and no garment will make them magically flattering. Stick with the colors you know suit you, true white, black, gray and jewel tones.

2. Is an alternate personality starting some sort of jeans business, cause there is a ton of blue/black denim in the stash cave.  Until I see some jeans magically appear in my dresser no more denim purchases.  Unless it's colored denim then Future Heather has permission to go nuts.

3. How much silk crepe de chine does a stay at home mom of a toddler need?  Probably about 1/4 of what's in that rough neck container. Sew what ya got.  Or just lay it on the floor and roll around in it. Wheeeeeee!
4.  No more 2 yard cuts of rayon knit prints unless they are so awesome that your eyes melt. In that case get 3 yards for a dress. I'd say no more flora prints on black backgrounds but I know Future Heather will buy it anyway.

5. Look at all this great cotton I bought from Gertie and vintage Etsy sellers last summer. I Regret Nothing. MOAR cotton prints!
6. Children's fabric - unless it's Lillesoft buy a swatch first.  There's too much variety in knits in this area and you never know what you're gonna get. Future Heather has permission to buy any awesome boy prints cause they are like the holy grail of knits.

7. You have wool coating in every color you wear, that's probably enough. Forget about an adult sized hot pink Barbie coat....Forget about it! Oh look I have faux leopard fur in the stash already...crap.

8. Solid cotton blend knits and striped knits, buy those things Future Heather but maybe not more gray. You're buying gray right now aren't you?

9. Damn I have a lot of gray wool.  Is gray my signature color or something? *Looks down to find I'm wearing dark gray pants and a light gray sweater.* Crap
10. Buy More Color Gray Girl! Future Heather says, "Like navy right, that's a color.....ooooooo look at this black fabric."  Damn you future Heather buy some red or hot pink! She never listens.

Anyway....I did find some fabric candidates to put up in the stash diet swap page.  Nothing too exciting, mostly things that were the wrong color for my complexion. I also have a few items inherited from my grandma that I just don't feel like using.  I need to measure yardage and do a little color correction but hope to have must of the fabric posted by the end of the week. Drop in on the flickr group of you're interested.

30 comments:

  1. More hot pink Heather!!

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  2. I totally want to roll around in that crepe de chine pile. And I'm guilty of buying fabs with cream/oatmeal colors in them - why do I do that? I'm a Winter, for heaven's sake! Anyway, thanks for sharing in the swap!

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  3. Very very glad you went stash diving! I am also guilty of always buying too little fabric for the pattern I want. I'm always so surprised when I can't fit a wrap dress on a 2 yard piece of fabric! You gotta make something up in that green crepe de chine - it's gorgeous!

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  4. I need to buy more coordinating pieces for my gaudy plans- go Anna Sui on my stash!!!!

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  5. Hey, cream actually works better for me than white! Except wait, I'm trying not to acquire much fabric. Grar.

    I did put some stuff up for the swap, but since most of what I have that I can readily let go of is polyester, I have this sinking feeling that no one is going to want it.

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  6. I'm planning on sorting out my stash of dressmaking fabric this week. (The patchwork fabric stash is a whole other story) It all came from my grandma though, so I won't be able to blame myself for any crazy fabric choices in there!

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  7. Good list, lovely fabrics! I really want to see more of that brown and cream fluff fabric! I like grey too. It's my new black since I do look good in creams and oatmeals as long as it's not actual cream and oatmeal. :) This is a really good list, oh wait I said that already...

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  8. hahaha! I think I'm going to make a hot pink Barbie coat- even though I don't have a use for a coat.

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  9. I like the suggestion of throwing the fabric on the floor and rolling around on it...but I guess then it needs to be packed away & all folded neatly. Your stash of printed cottons is really nice.

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  10. I second rolling around in it and buying more hot pink! It goes well with gray. :) Great post, Heather. hilarious and still to the point. hehe

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  11. i think silk is a perfectly suitable fabric for a stay at home mom! my (almost five year old) baby can't stop hugging me when i wear it. and grey is perfect for pairing with bright colors, so yes... hot pink!!

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  12. You're so right about gray Kristin. I should just embrace my love of it. It sounds like I might like you're stash, better put up some Heather repellent.

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  13. Yes Maeve! I will try to influence future Heather into buying more of that.

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  14. I'm a winter too. Do you think that problem is that those colors look "whiter" on the internets and you tell yourself that it will be fine? I think that might be my mental process.

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  15. Yes! Thanks Ms. McCall for taking some stuff off my hands. I seem to buy for separates which is all well and good until you want to make a dress. Doh!

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  16. Do it! Do it! I will back you up in your Anna Sui plans.

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  17. Ohhhh Beckly, you want some of my fabric? Ok, I'll be good and not wave it in your face. Instead I will say, "Stash bust, stash bust, stash bust girl!"

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  18. LOL, I have some crazy 70's cotton thanks to grandma stashes. I laugh but then think I might be guilty of the similar crimes. Good luck sorting out your dressmaking fabric, At least it's a fun chore.

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  19. LOL, Thanks Em, we can be gray girls together but you can have the cream colors and I'll take the white. Then we can fight crime or something.

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  20. Do it for me Laura!!! I want to bask in some hot pinkness.

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  21. Thanks Melanie, I did let the toddler roll around in my knit stash and he was delighted. I'll have to wait until he's asleep to roll in the silks. :)

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  22. MOAR Hot pink! Shall I make 2014 the year of hot pink Lelia? What I already know that answer to that. YES!

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  23. Lisa, thank you for validating my past silk buying frenzy. Now I know how to lure my son into giving more hugs. Muhaaa haa haa! /\

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  24. Yeah! Busting bad stitchers everywhere! More like breaking in to roll in their fabric piles! :)

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  25. Maybe that's what happens! It seems like a lot of color correction these days involves pushing highlights to white.

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  26. Heehee brilliant. I hope future Heather wrote at least some of this down on a post it

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  27. You've posted some nice fabric up for swap and while I'm tempted, I'm trying to be strong and not acquire any more. Getting the stash organized is a great exercise, I think, and I'm with you on the cream-coloured fabrics - I'm a winter too (hot pink rocks!)

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  28. I want that green and black print. Looks like an animal print. oooooohhhh pretty.

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  29. You can make $20 for a 20 minute survey!

    Guess what? This is exactly what major companies are paying for. They need to know what their average customer needs and wants. So these companies pay $1,000,000's of dollars per month to the average person. In return, the average person, like myself, answers some questions and gives them their opinion.

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