To Stash or Not to Stash

That is the question.

I listened to a podcast a couple nights ago and the podcaster was talking about sewing thru all her fabric stash. I mean all of it. She had one piece of denim left. She was debating how much stash she felt like she should have. What was the right amount to feel like you could just decide to go sew and have options of what you want to create but not so much that it would feel overwhelming.

I gotta tell you. The idea of walking into my sewing room and having neat, clean, uncluttered shelves sounds like a dream. I would be delighted. But the idea of walking in and seeing just one piece of fabric? That makes me uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable.

I've gotten very used to being able to solve a sewing challenge with whatever supplies I can find in my studio. In fact, I've started to feel proud about not always having to run out to get something (thread, elastic, etc) to finish a project. But how much it too much? How do you know when to say when? How many fabric bins in the basement of things that no longer fit in the studio is too many?

I recently visited a friend who has always been a person where there is a place for everything and everything is in it's place. Always. That's never been me. But it's sooo appealing. Realistically I won't likely ever be that kind of organized, but I'm definitely more conscious about how much might be too much.

So I've started. I'm attempting to use up my stash. If the perfect fabric or notion doesn't immediately make itself apparent, the project goes off to the side. The perfect thing is in there somewhere...I just haven't searched to the bottom of the right tub yet. No really.

Wish me luck. And if you're in the market for some sewing supplies...give me a buzz...I might have just what you're looking for!

Thrifty Finds -- Crafty Edition

A thirty percent off coupon for Savers.  How was this not burning a hole in my pocket?  How did I manage to keep it in my purse until the LAST day before it expired.  How could I not take a trip to Savers just to see if there was anything worth getting "on sale"?  I did.  And it was worth it.

First, for those of you who don't know Savers is a store much like Goodwill or the Salvation Army.  And you know I'm always in for a thrifty store to search for treasures.

In addition to finding a great black short trench coat which I needed to replace the worn out one in my closet and a couple funky scarves for my collection I always check out the crafty section.  I'm a sucker for recycling craft supplies that someone else never got to use, or grew tired of.  Vintage trims and fabrics are one of my favorite finds...some you just can't get anymore and the price is generally right, if you know what I mean.

On this particular trip the great finds were yarn.

How could I say no?  Four skeins of a pinky peach silk and cotton Noro and two skeins (albeit in two colors) of Cascade alpaca/angora blend.  I think I need to start scouring my "One Skein" books to see what gems I can dig up to turn these gems into some fun and functional projects.  I'm certainly up for suggestions.

What thrifty finds have you scored lately?