Tag Archives: #SewMyStash2015

#SewMyStash 2015 – Year End Recap

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Happy New Year, gang!

Last January, I wrote about #SewMyStash2015, a fun internet-based initiative invented by my bloggy friend Leasa (Project Leasa), who challenged fellow crafters to use up their stash of (hoarded) fabric in 2015 instead of buying new fabric, whenever possible.

#SewMyStash2015

The brainchild of Leasa at ProjectLeasa.com!

It was so much fun throughout the year to participate in Leasa’s challenges and follow the hashtag on Instagram to see what else my peers were making! I thought it would be appropriate to do a wrap-up post to highlight the projects I made throughout the year using fabric that was from my stash.

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#SewMyStash2015: Harvest June (Fail)

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When I started this blog, I promised I’d share the failures in addition to the successes. So here you go. A fail!

Well, in my defense, it’s not really a sewing fail. It’s just an unfinished project. So, a failed timeline. Rarr.

The #SewMyStash2015 challenge proposed by Leasa for June was called “Harvest June” and we were tasked with making something fall-related. I was pretty excited about it because I’m always behind when it comes to sewing for holidays. How exciting would it be to have a fall-related item completely ready-to-go in the fall because I had already completed it in June?

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Proactive crafting!

But, excuses excuses: dealing with all this moving nonsense in the past month or so has really put me behind. I’ve spent a lot of time getting the new house in order (or, attempting to – I still have so much work ahead) and sadly, getting the craft room in order has not been at the top of priority list. Boo.

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#SewMyStash2015: Bag Challenge

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In the spirit of #SewMyStash2015 (the latest challenge is to sew a bag consisting of 75% stash fabrics) — here’s my latest, magical addition!

I made a second rendition of the Zip and Go bag I made for my mom using the wonderful pattern from Dog Under My Desk – only, this time, I went the “selfish sewing” route and made it for myself. With all the time I spend perusing Disney parks, I was determined to make a a Zip and Go theme park bag for myself.

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My new bag’s Disney theme park debut!

Where did that magical fabric come from, you ask? Um. Well. It used to be a pair of boxer shorts! How’s that for upcycling?

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In defense of making doll clothes…

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As a baby of the eighties, my most defining childhood moments took place in the 1990’s – so just add me to the long list of millennials who get a misty, nostalgic look when reminiscing about American Girl dolls. Yes, American Girl dolls are still around and have continued to exponentially grow in popularity… but there’s something special about those early years when there were only three historical dolls and purchases only followed hours and hours of pouring over the snail mail catalog.

For anyone who has ever had an American Girl doll, there’s something sort of defining about declaring who “your” doll was – your first doll, or your doll of choice, that is. For me, that was Molly, the character representing the World War II era. I received the book Meet Molly as a gift in 1990, and the rest is history. I quickly plowed through all the books in the series and the Molly doll was at the top of my Christmas list for Santa that year.

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Over the years, I received a few additional outfits and accessories for Molly from the beloved, dog-eared American Girl catalog that arrived in the mail every few months. Then I received a gift for my First Holy Communion from a family friend — a First Communion dress for Molly that even included a clip-on veil. Whaaaaaaat??? My eight-year-old mind was blown. There were doll clothes out there that weren’t in the catalog. There were people out there who could make anything I wanted for Molly. This was all news to me.

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I Heart Valentine’s Day (and #SewMyStash2015 Challenge 1)

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I LOVE Valentine’s Day. I know I’m in the minority, but I just do. I really don’t think you need to have a significant other in your life to enjoy candy heart bliss and bountiful boxes of $1.99 Valentines! Sometimes I get a little defensive about it — loving a holiday that so many others despise can be a little exasperating. I always make an effort to give Valentine’s Day the attention it deserves!

I recently completed the LOVE paper piecing pattern by Diane at From Blank Pages, available here on Craftsy. Diane, along with Sandi at Crafty Planner, was offering the letters L-O-V-E for free so I could try out the pattern before committing to the entire alphabet. I created this little quilted swatch using scraps, but haven’t yet decided what to do with it. I think it may become a zipper pouch or just a little Valentine’s Day wall hanging. Ideas and suggestions are welcome!

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By completing the pattern and linking it to the designated hashtag on Instagram, I was entering for a chance win the entire alphabet pattern (including numbers and punctuation) and I WON! Waking up to the message that I had won this morning was so magical. I am really, really, really excited to put the alphabet pattern to good use in the future and make lots of personalized, paper-pieced goodness!

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#SewMyStash2015

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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.

#SewMyStash2015

The brainchild of Leasa at ProjectLeasa.com!

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