I decided on my last birthday (July) I was ready to be done with yarn. I set the goal of donating or using up my stash by my next birthday. Most of it is small skeins of my handspun, so I’m making little drawstring pouches from that, with leather cord closures. Finished one so far this month:
I also plan to continue finding creative repurposes for my childhood photos and the huge amount of dictionary pages in my possession. I offered up at least 25% of the photo stash to the fireplace at the end of the year, after using maybe 15% of it in 2020, but I still have many with arty potential.
I have a question for those of you who are more accustomed to crafting in humidity than I am: I’m not sure whether there is hope for my small fabric stash, or if it should just be discarded: I’m not having this issue with other supplies, or my clothes, but my fabric stash gets super musty-smelling in short amounts of time. Though it smells fine again after a wash and dry, if I let two pieces sit for a week in contact with each other they stink again. There is no visible mold or mildew, but I’m wondering if it’s just in there for good. If so, that does shorten my destash project list for the year!
Hey lady - I’m living the humid summer with you! The only way to work around it is air tight storage containers, or dehumidifiers, because fabric can mold. But it sounds like you’re catching it, before.
My local target has some. They’re clear with bright blue air tight strips.
Thank you, good to know! I didn’t concede that I needed a dehumidifier until mid-summer this year (the previous summer was fine, or so I thought). So I wonder whether it’s too late for the fabric that wasn’t in humidity-control. I’ll pick up one of those bins and give it one more shot!
And I so love that yarn; the fiber came from lapoli about 10 years ago in Shop the Swap!
Another thing to try with your fabrics is Oxi-clean. I’ve used it with decades-old fabrics & trims in many a costume shop. I had about an 80-90% success rate with it. Once in a blue moon a bundle of old nasty stained brown lace would just disintegrate, but most of the time I ended up with usable (non-stinky) fabric and trim. The color of the water they were soaking in was gross, but I usually ended up with white or ivory lace at the end of it, from things that had been stored in a barn for 20-60+ years.
Also, don’t forget to try some vinegar in your wash load with the fabrics. It can do wonders eliminating nasty scents in fabrics. Then try storing your newly-cleaned fabrics in zip top bags, inside plastic totes to really keep out the humidity.
I got 2 hand kites made today with a mix of stash ribbons and purchased-for-this rings. I’m really pleased with how they came out. I was originally going to buy all new ribbon to do rainbow ones but then decided to do scrappy ones instead and I’m glad I did, I used some ribbons i’ve had for 10 years!
Pleased with a surprise destash this month. My ex-colleague and I still chat most weeks, I noticed last week she had some very pretty fingerless gloves, so commented on them.
Her Mum made them from her own alpaca wool that she sheared, carded, spun and knitted. I have has some carding brushes for many years but didn’t take to spinning so got rid of the wheel and most other bits. Offered them to Friend’s Mum who accepted and offered a spinning lesson when we’re allowed to do ‘stuff’ again.
Ha! Yes, I’m utterly in love - I soaked it today, and it’s drying now. I keep checking it for ‘doneness’. I don’t hate colors - I just don’t like primary ones. Blah.
And this has so many highs and lows, with so many unexpected color pairings! I’m going to make a hat with the leftovers. And maybe the cowl as well.
I was able to utilize some inexpensive felt yardage leftover from a Halloween project a fews ago to back a fun sequined pillow cover! The buttons are also from stash!
Goodness I am already so inspired by everyones progress! I made a list of 10 projects that I have been wanting to make that I know I can make from stash. Now just to do them lol.
I decided to get rid of my polymer clay and scrap fabric stash and make something I have never tried this year, art dolls. I have been obsessed with them online for a while and thought why not give it a try. So here is my first one. A baby yeti! I am loving the projects so far!
Again and again I’ve made a resolution to de-stash. We rent a tiny flat and there’s not much space for anything. Recently hubby has complained that I fill every corner with fabric (he doesn’t know any other supplies like buttons, ribbons, ricrac, needles, scissors… Not to mention the large collection of patterns )
I’ve got a large pile of fabrics that I want to turn into some clothing for me. So, I’m down for some de-stashing!