2021 DeStash-Along


sewing-1 by Pixelbertie, on Flickr

Stashes! Whether they are large or small, every crafter has one. The Stash is one of the most useful tools in our arsenal, allowing us to dive into projects without leaving the comfort of our own homes. It could be full of googly eyes and pompoms, or consist of 73 pounds of unwashed Zwartbles fleece, but we love it just the same.

As much fun as it is petting our supplies in the dark while muttering “my precious” it’s even more fun to make stuff with them. So join us on a year-long Celebration of Stash! Shop your stash first this year and show us all the lovely goodies you are able to make.

Some folks may take this as an opportunity to go on a low/no buy or massively downsize or reorganize their stash, but you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.
There will be monthly prompts for extra inspiration, but you don’t have to use them if you don’t want to.
This space is for showing off the magnificent things we were able to make using supplies that Past-Us thoughtfully saved up for moments like this, and for admiring the stashy-projects others have made.

Your Stash is Amazing! And now it’s time to use it!

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January
Color: White
Pattern: Stripes
For: After all the holiday mayhem, you deserve something for yourself.
Challenge: It’s time to take stock of your stash. Spend some time looking at what you have, and maybe make some goals for the coming year.

February
Color: Red
Pattern: polka-dots
For: A loved one, BFF, or your significant other.
Challenge: Concentrate on the material that makes up the largest portion your stash (by numbers or volume, it’s up to you). Perhaps you can make a dent in it this month.

March
Color: Green
Pattern: Argyle
For: Charity. Feel free to post links to your favorite crafty cause in the thread.
Challenge: Unfinished objects. Everybody has them, so don’t feel bad. It could be a project you stalled on half-way through eight years ago, or something you finished last month that just needs threads clipped. Either way, it’s a great feeling to finally finish them up.

April
Color: Yellow
Pattern: Floral
For: The garden or great outdoors.
Challenge: Spring Cleaning time. We’ve all got things in our stash that we’ve been meaning to use eventually, if only we could figure out what to do with that sweater’s worth of hot pink and purple yarn we’ve been saving since 1987 and have long since lost the pattern. Nothing says you have to keep it forever. You can take those oddities to the Goodwill, give them to a friend, or a local crafting group.

May
Color: Purple
Pattern: Numbers and letters.
For: Teachers, educators, etc.
Challenge: Mass produce something. It doesn’t matter what it is, just make a lot of it. If nothing else, they make good “gifts on hand.”

June
Color: Rainbow
Pattern: Animals. And it doesn’t have to be animal print unless you want to interpret it that way, or if you have lots of zebra print spandex lurking in your stash.
For: Kiddos – yours or someone elses’, or simply the young at heart.
Challenge: Six month mark. Time to organize your stash a bit and see how much you’ve been able to use in the last six months.

July
Color: Blue
Pattern: Stars and planets
For: Christmas in July! If you make a present now, and put it away safely, that’s one less you’ll have to worry about when the holiday crunch time comes. Just remember where you’ve stashed it away.
Challenge: Try to use the object or material in the stash that you’ve had the longest.

August
Color: Orange
Pattern: fruits & veggies
For: Traveling! Make something for your next trip. If we’re still stuck at home, make something inspired by a place you would like to visit.
Challenge: Host a crafternoon, if it is safe to do so. Try to use as much stuff from your stash as possible rather than buying new supplies for the occasion. If we are still unable to gather in groups, consider making a crafting kit to send to a friend.

September
Color: Your favorite color.
Pattern: Plaid
For: Organizing.
Challenge: We’ve all bought new materials so we can start a new craft, but never got around to actually sitting down and learn. Perhaps this is the month to finally do so?

October
Color: Black
Pattern: Lace
For: Pets.
Challenge: We’ve all got that special material we’ve been holding onto forever. Maybe it’s the last little bit of a fabric you love, and you’ve never been able to bring yourself to use it. Screw up your courage and just do it!

November
Color: Brown
Pattern: Trees, wood, or forest themed.
For: Someone who needs to be cheered up.
Challenge: Has there been a swap recently that intrigued you? Make something that fits the theme, even if you didn’t get to participate.

December
Color: Metallic
Pattern: Folk-art.
For: The House. And it doesn’t have to be holiday themed unless you want it to be.
Challenge: We’re in the last month. It’s a sprint to the finish. Look back at the goals you made in January and see how you did. Or just tally up all the projects you’ve made from stash and give yourself a big pat on the back.

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Thank you for getting us started!

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I’m in… and “for myself” sounds like a good goal, since I have about four bits of fabric I bought to make clothing for me which have been pre-washed and nothing else. (I mean, that I still remember where to find and what I wanted to use them for…)

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Before I join in, is it right to order another ball of scheepjes whirl because we are about to go into another full lockdown?

I think it’s allowable, like medicinal, then by next month it will move from stash to de-stash…
#justification

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Yay! Thank you! :smiley:

~

2021 goals:

  • use up more stash, especially some of the ‘good stuff’ I’ve been saving for later
  • practice quilting
  • try sewing clothing
  • make progress on cross-stitch WIP (Zelda: A Link To The Past Map (Light World))
  • finish christmas gifts earlier
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Did a bit of destashing over the holidays making a doll house/purse for my GD. And of course continuing to make masks out of mostly stash, though I’ve had to buy interfacing and lining material. I apparently do not have much solid color cotton in my stash!
Working on a cross stitch all from stash.

But my main goal is two lap quilts for the living room to replace the threadbare ones we are currently using. I joined the quilt along to get those done.

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I spent my daughter’s nap time today excavating the area of the house where my stash is kept. Poor space gets totally abused and full of all the random things so quickly. I pulled out all the shipping boxes that had been tossed in there. It kinda hurt to break them down and recycle, tbh. But my word of the year is “Embrace” and in this instance that means embracing the space I actually have not the one i wish I did.

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So many great ideas in the monthly prompts! I’m looking forward to another year of de-stashing. Hopefully I’ll make a bigger dent this year!

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In theory, I love this! In actuality…man I wish I had a craft room!

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Right!? I drool over those “She shed” pins on Pinterest!

OOPS, bought 2 balls of yarn. Hopefully that’s motivation enough to destash once they arrive :rofl:

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@Renstar - Pro Tip! If you start knitting the moment they arrive, they will never actually enter stash. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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WOOHOO! Thanks so much, @Trillian for starting this up again for 2021!

I have made great progress in not adding to my fabric stash for the sake of adding to stash. However, I have EXPLODED my cardstock (printed and plain) stash. I do always shop my stash before shopping, but… ALL THE COOL PAPERS!

I have only made one thing so far this year, it is from stash, I haven’t uploaded pics yet.

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I love that we have reasons / excuses for our habits! :rofl:
I’ll have to finish my current WIP quickly otherwise I’ll just have a bucket of UFO’s! And that highlights a different problem entirely!

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My first project of the year is also an, albeit small, all stash project! A sparkly purple snowflake collar cozy for Ms Delia.

Cozy-Jan2020-01

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I used stash, I completed January’s stitchalong prompt, AND kinda actually used the January destashalong prompt, too! There is white. There are stripes. This is for me! And, I only used stash! Woo!

20210105_200453_resize_95

Puffins on Rocks

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Only 5 days in and already busting that stash! The puffins are cute!

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Hi everyone :slight_smile: My first time checking out the de-stash-along :smiley:

I love my stash :stuck_out_tongue: I don’t want to guess how much money has been spent in my craft studio, but I really feel that I can make anything with using what’s in here plus a few things here and there, like white thread for example.

I’ve already started de-stashing my studio this year by sharing materials with crafter friends who might actually use it. I gave a friend who is just beginning to sew 3 massive bags of a variety of fabrics, and to another friend a whole big bunch of brand new funky children’s socks that I originally bought for making sock monkeys. It felt really great to do so.

Quick question, for each month, do we need to meet all 3 of the prompts for our make? Or can I for January for example, just make something for me from my stash?

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Hi there, welcome aboard!
The prompts are inspiration but not requirements so you can take what you need to get an idea or motivation and leave what doesn’t speak to you.

Happy crafting!

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