Stash Busting Pledge 2014

I'm signing myself up for Stashbusting again this year. Thanks to Cindy and EmSewCrazy for running the Stashbusting Sewalong again this year. I'm really hoping that I'll have more time to do sewing for myself (and my family of course). This year I will have 5 days a week without children in the house. *Insert happy dance here.* Admittedly after I get back from school drop off, and allow myself an hour for lunch and other breaks, that still only gives me 4 hours a day before I have to go back to pick the kids up from school again, but that's 4 hours a day with no interruptions. Bliss! Last year I had 3 days a week with no children under foot, so 5 will take a bit of getting used to. I might even have time to do some regular housework.

Getting back on track however, I am planning on scheduling in one day a week (other deadlines permitting) to work on my own projects. Which brings me back to the topic of Stash Busting. Last year I didn't really make that much of a dent in the pile of fabric (especially when I was given a few bits and pieces), but at least I know what I have now. Having pledged not to buy new fabric, I found myself avoiding sales that I would normally have been going to. I love it when The Fabric Store has a sale. Like right now, but I really don't want to have to take the kids with me anyway, so I'll still probably give that a miss. It was particularly hard when I felt inspired to make something specific and then found that I didn't have a single piece of fabric that would work - like a striped dress. No stripes in the stash! How can that be?


This year I don't want to be so hard on myself when it comes to adding to the stash. I do want to use up a lot of the (particularly older) pieces of stash fabric however. Without further ado, my pledge for this year is:

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

That's all! I was going to add something to it about not buying any patterns, but I generally make my own patterns anyway, so there's very little point saying that. I might buy a knitting pattern or two though, as I think I'll have a go at knitting a few things this year. After 20 or more years of not knitting, this should be interesting. Especially since all I know how to do is knit and purl. I don't even know how to read a knitting pattern! Maybe I shouldn't get too far ahead of myself here, but I'm planning on starting with a moebius scarf. My first step towards knitting has been to set up a pinterest board. Not much there yet, but I will be adding to it. Next I guess I'll have to join up to Ravelry!

I have started my first stashbust for the year, but it's a bit slow going during school holidays, so forgive me if it takes a while to get it done.

Who's joining me?