I’m constantly fascinated by the influence technology has on our everyday lives, especially when it comes to social media subcultures and connecting diverse people who have similar interests. When friends ask me how I learned to sew “on my own,” I’m always quick to remind them that I don’t believe I could have done it without the internet — and specifically, social media — by my side. Printable patterns, blog tutorials, YouTube demonstrations, Instagram inspiration and a supportive, virtual sewing community all played (and still play!) a key role in my learning to sew.

I’m similarly fascinated by internet and social media trends – the exponential growth of a great (or sometimes, a not-so-great) idea. Hashtags, memes, Throwback Thursday, the ice bucket challenge, whatever. What makes an idea catchy, and why does it stick around?

You’re probably thinking… who cares? Let’s talk about sewing! Well, this is all connected, I promise. Remember when I participated in a blog hop and introduced you to my friend Leasa? She introduced a sewing-related hashtag in late December – and it stuck around – and it’s pretty spectacular.

In preparation for the new year, new beginnings and new resolutions, Leasa came up with the idea of #SewMyStash2015. This initiative is pretty simple… it encourages sewers to use the fabric they already have on hand to create their projects, versus buying new fabric each time. This habit is something I’ve personally been working on for awhile now – I think I’ve mentioned quite a few times that I have made an effort to avoid buying new fabric unless I absolutely had to. Maybe this is something that lots of sewers have tried to accomplish on their own, behind closed doors. But Leasa has now created a community around this effort, with (flexible) guidelines/rules and bite-sized challenges and goals. It’s only a few weeks into January, and it’s already fun to see people liberally using the hashtag in an effort to better themselves and chip away at their huge fabric stashes!

Leasa just posted the first official #SewMyStash2015 challenge and it’s Valentine’s Day themed! FYI, Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday, so I am really psyched about the challenge. If you’re interested in participating, check out Leasa’s latest post about the challenge taking place THIS week!

In the meantime, here’s a peek into the past to show you some projects I have made only using fabric that I had on hand to prove this feat is possible!

• Mom’s Casserole Carrier
• Laura’s Birthday Countdown Calendar
• Hanging Laundry Bag (made from my old shower curtain!)
• Melanie’s Bow Clutch
• Summertime Watermelon Bunting (created using fabric scraps from Sophia’s quilt and Liam’s quilt)
• Sylvie’s Teacup Pouch
• Mom’s Nail Polish Caddy
• Liam’s Baby Shower Greeting Card
• Easter Peeps Bunny Bunting
• Earbud Zipper Pouch

I’m not sure if I should be proud of that lengthy list, or ashamed that I’ve obviously been such a fabric hoarder for so long that it’s no problem for me to create something from start to finish without visiting the fabric store. Uhhhhh.

Thanks for following along as the internet craft community kicks off #SewMyStash2015 this week!