The UFO/Stash Busting Project! Why not join me?

Hello there lovely readers! I am so excited about this post it's not even true, this is something I've been planning for a while and I cannot wait to get started!

One of the typical problems that most home sewers face (myself in particular!) is the ever growing stash. When you love making clothes it's so easy to get over excited by fabric stores and buy things that you don't really need or fabrics that you don't have a project in mind for. And there's nothing wrong with this of course, we all deserve a little treat now and then, but I've started to look at my stash and feel a bit guilty. 

I have piles of beautiful fabric, heaps of unused vintage sewing patterns, and, being a knitter, I also have an obscene amount of left over wool, all of which are just crying out to be turned into something beautiful. I also have a selection of UFO projects, both sewing and knitting, that for some reason or other have fallen by the wayside over the past year. I could have almost doubled the amount of clothes I created last year if I had finished some of these UFOs! My sewing space has become overrun, so much so that something has to be done and pronto, or pretty soon I'll have no space to do any actual sewing! 

And so the UFO/Stash Busting Project was born!

This year I have decided to tackle my stash head on and also finish all the UFOs that I've been meaning to work on for months. The main idea of this project is to take note of all the fabric, patterns, wool etc. that I have stored up simply make use of them. I will also gather together all my UFOs and either complete them or turn them into something new and exciting. 

Now I'm the type of person was needs to set myself some guidelines when it comes to big projects, so here they are for your viewing pleasure!

UFO/Stash Busting Project Guidelines:

1. Projects must use at least one item from the stash, for example one pattern or one piece of fabric. A combination of items can of course be used too!
2. New elements may be bought but they must be used with an item from the stash. For example I can buy fabric and notions for a particular pattern in the stash, but I can't just buy fabric all willy nilly!
3. For every new project I start a UFO project must be completed. I added this because I know that personally I get carried away with new projects rather than finishing older ones. This way I'm giving myself a bit of structure and discipline!
4. I will find and/or create projects that use leftovers from the stash. I find very often that I have pieces of material and balls of wool leftover when I have finished a project, that aren't enough to make an item of clothing on their own. I want to find ways of using these leftovers to make useful and beautiful things.

Excited? I sure am! If you are, perhaps you fancy joining me? As always this kind of a project is so much more fun if you're not going it alone! If you feel like taking part then add this badge to your blog and add the following url to link back here: 

http://misskatie-littleredsquirrel.blogspot.com/search/label/UFO%2FStash%20Busting%20Project

Don't forget to let me know if you do want to take part, I'd love to see how your stash busting goes! If enough people want to get involved I'd love to start a group where we could all share our projects and ideas, think of the stash busting we could achieve together!

I really am so excited to get started, I've already lined up some projects to finish and I can't wait to try out some of my leftovers project ideas. And don't worry, I will of course be sharing everything that I do right here on my blog!

Bye for now!