With the first month of 2019 coming to an end, I realized that I haven’t shared on my blog two of the new sewing challenges I made for myself for 2019. It was just a few days into January and I found myself wondering what on earth I was going to do with sewing. Much didn’t get done last year with me focusing solely on my wedding and this year I wanted to turn it up. Then randomly one weekend I get the idea to pull out all the fabric that I own and take a picture of it to see how much I have. Ya’ll, my hoarding has reached another level! It was shocking to see that I had around 78 pieces of fabric (not including linings) that I collected in the two years that I have been sewing.
Now I wouldn’t have thought that It was so bad if I was actually sewing like a beast but I wasn’t. I completed a handful of projects in the two years I’ve been sewing so it really didn’t make any sense why I collected so much. It is well known that sewists tend to hoard fabric and we kind of normalized it and laugh at ourselves but in all honesty, it really isn’t healthy and personally hinders my creativity. So I wanted to put a stop to my own madness. I came up with the goal to sew solely from my current fabric stash (minus notions) and decrease it by a third before the end of the year. I originally wanted to decrease by half but I figure I wouldn’t overwhelm myself and start off with the third. I told myself if I do purchase any fabric, I need to absolutely love it and need it (most likely denim so I can make a pair of jeans).
For all my fabric hoarders out there, something we need to realize that I found out while going through my stash is that fabric can get outdated. There are some fabrics that I can literally remember the excitement in my heart when purchasing it but now seem so not my style. Thankfully I didn’t’t feel that with many but if I continue on this path, that number can definitely increase.
This challenge is a big deal for me since this would mean sewing more than I ever have since I began learning how to sew but I am ready for the challenge. I need something to push me to create more pieces for my wardrobe. With the amount of fabric I have, there isn’t any reason why I shouldn’t be rocking #memade outfits all year, which leads me to the next challenge I made for myself. It’s called the #100DaysofSewing challenge.
I discovered this challenge on @hannahmcorey‘s page who is another fellow sewist I found on Instagram. She challenged herself to work on sewing projects for any amount of time for 100 days straight and post her progress each day. It fascinated me because I knew it would work hand in hand with sewing up my stash so I said I would jump right in.
I am on day 24 and I already made 4 garments for myself and 2 muslins for two clients. I am sewing more than I did in all of 2018 and like the beast I should be sewing as with the fabric stash that I have. It feels so good! This also gives me the opportunity to finally use the many sewing patterns that I’ve collected over the years and haven’t touched. Some days are challenging because sometimes I would feel too tired to sew but then once I start, it becomes almost impossible for me to stop. I am so committed to making daily progress on my projects and rocking this challenge. Plus, your girl is trying to actually participate in #MeMadeMay2019 and kill it!
I am noticing a difference already in how I sew and in the confidence that I have when sewing. I am ready to tackle more projects and a lot of my sewing fears this year. My hope is that when I get through both challenges, I will see a significant decrease in my fabric stash and that going forward I would make a conscious effort to purchase responsibly and with the intentions of working with that material close to the timeframe of my purchase. A lot of excitement over here with this. I am behind on creating blog posts for all the makes I’ve done this year but I will make it happen very soon. Be sure to follow me on Instagram where I will post daily on the progress of my makes. Until next time, loves!
Love,
Christine
Create & Pray 
Hi Christine!
I love following along on your #100daysofsewing! You are doing a great job and everything looks so lovely! You’ve come such a long way in your craft in 2 years. As for your goal of decreasing the stash, I am with you. As I am finally getting my craft room/office to where I can actually function in it, I feel the same way that you do about the hoarding, with the exception being that my hoarding is in yarn. As I reflect on what I did this month and start planning what I want to get out of the rest of the 11 months of this year, I am so happy that I can find inspiration from my baby sis! Love you!
– Nelly
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Awww Nelly!! Thank you for all your support and always encouraging my crafts. Can’t wait until your craft space is to your liking so we can make stuff together on my next visit to Boston. Love that you spent time reflecting on what you would like to accomplish creatively. You are very talented so I am excited to see your many creations this year! I need some crochet/ knitting inspiration because I really would like to make something with the yarn I have. Love you big sis!
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I completely get this post! I just started sewing in October 2018 and I’ve already started hoarding not only fabric but patterns 😦 . I will be joining you with sewing my stash. Thanks for sharing.
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Hi Makeda and so sorry for responding late on this. I need all the support I can get because the hoarding is real lol. I will be honest and say I have picked up some more fabric since (I know, shame on me) but I have projects planned to help me stay on track to knock my stash down by a third. Wishing you much success with your journey!
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