Stash Busting and TNT's (Tried and Trues)

I have spent the first two weeks of 2014 contemplating my very large stash of fabric. I can't even remember how I acquired all of it, well mostly I can. Its called working graveyard shift and being the first to receive sales flyers in my inbox. For the record, buying fabric does not replace talk therapy and anti-depressants, just so you know.

Though, I can't deny the tactile pleasures that come with a new box of fabrics. I'm sure if I did some digging there's be research on a small endorphin rush that temporarily satisfies the mind and body. But I'm totally feeling lazy so lets just pretend I might know what I'm talking about, k? 

But what I wanted to talk about is actually sewing up all this fabric using Tried and True patterns (TNT - patterns that have already been fitted and can be made up again and again. The Hawthorn being one of my example). It was after reading Cation Design's post about continuing the stash busting into 2014 that I sat down and made a list of all the patterns I've done the work for and will probably make again. I was kind of surprised at the list. Here they are in no particular order.

Current TNT Patterns:

Simplicity 2369 Wrap Dress

Lady Skater (and a million variations)

Penny Pinafore

Colette Hawthorn

Vogue 8747 Princess Seam Blouse

New Look 6564 cropped jacket/bolero

Vogue 8701 raglan sleeve dress 

Vogue 8679 raglan sleeve knit sheath dress and a-line skirt

Colette Clovers

Cake Patterns Hummingbird Skirt

Gertie's Pencil Skirt from the book

Sewaholic Renfrew

Sewaholic Tofinos

Wow, that's actually a lot now that I think about it. I mean, that's what I thought to myself after writing it all down. But I also decided there were several gaps to fill in and made another list of patterns I WANT to become TNT's. 

TNT's To Be:

Colette Beinget

Colette Jasmine

Colette Laurel

By Hand London's Victoria Blazer

Sugar Plum by Lolita Patterns

Jalie Jeans

Sewaholic Cambie

Sewaholic Thurlows

Butterick 5859

Simplicity 1882

Vogue 8766

Which, looking at it on screen instead of my Sewisit's Notebook (Thank you Dad!) its seems like a way bigger list to tackle. I think I'm going to focus on separate for a bit. Those being Jasmine and Thurlows first. 

And here's the thing, the majority of my stash was bought with one of the above patterns in mind already, with several one off statement pieces on the back burner. Some of them have been on this back burner for years, waiting for me to level up my skills, I may not have been prolific but I certainly had a lot of DING! moments (gamer humor, i can never escape it).

I, ladykatza, in an effort to be frugal with my purchases pledge to sew with stash fabrics at least 85% of the time. I shall continue to expand my TNT pattern selection as well as use existing ones thoughtfully to make a more cohesive and functional wardrobe. 

I also want to get back to writing process posts on my works in progress so as to help other sewists along in their journey to a self-made custom wardrobe that will make them happy.  Oh, and be better about replying to comments. I LOVE COMMENTS. Seriously, I read all of them. I want to get better at keeping up with other sewcialists as well.

So, what patterns do you have that you want to make into TNT's or are already TNT's. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Take care and have a wonderful day!

April Challis - A Focus Month

*see below

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Spring. Here in The South the pear trees and azaleas are blooming but its not really Spring weather yet. At least for us. I mean, yes its been raining lots but its still getting *gasp* BELOW FREEZING at night. I'm sure that's driving the farmers batty.

So, anyway, this idea was thought up somewhere around the end of Jungle January. I was all bummed out about not actually sewing jungle themed fabric that month and wanted another one. Then I looked at the enormous pile of rayon challis in my stash and thought "Hey! April Challis! It kinda rhymes with 'showers'". Except, not, because apparently its pronounced "shall-eee" because its some crazy foreign word that doesn't pronounce all its letters (Don't start. I know English isn't innocent either. I'm looking at you, knife, knock, and eight). Then I thought, hey, this is America, we mess shit up all the time so I'm gonna say its pronounced "shallis". So there. Neener.

The best part is, challis is the perfect fabric for Spring because its soft, drapey, and comes in a million floral prints. But also, its good for Autumn weather, use muted colors and longer sleeves. Add tights and boots for winter. So really, its the perfect transitional fabric, that way both hemispheres of our little global community can join in the fun.

Do you want to join in on this stash busting theme of the month? If so, just right click on the image and save to your computer and then upload to your blog. Please link back to me in a post!


*I pulled this image off of Pinterest and tried to find the original artist with Google Image Search, to no avail. If this is your artwork please let me know in the comments so that I can give you credit. I am not aiming to make any money off of your work. Thank You.

**When I'm not pressed for time I'm going to attempt "grab code" buttons.

Decor With Elder Gods

Remember my going nuts over the "Picnic Cthulhu" fabric on Spoonflower?  Well I totally ordered some... and made placemats for my table.  Hee!  They make me stupidly happy because I get to be Susie Home Maker and subversive. Its win/win.  

Craigslist Table

We bought this table years ago when my husband had been out of work for over a year and we desperately needed a family dining table. Its huge and scratched up like mad (one day I'll refinish it), so I like to keep a tablecloth over it to hide its fugliness. Its a majorly sturdy table out of real hardwood, so I'm loathe to give it up.   Given the messiness of my family, placemats were in order.

Outside of the actual Cthulhu fabric, this was a exercise in stash busting.  I used store bought bias tape (I inherited tons from Mom), and also used up some of the quilting cotton I bought prior to understanding fabric.  I'm probably going to try and bust the rest of those uninformed choices out sometime between now and February (the time I actually get Christmas presents done).

This quilting cotton looks like dragon scales. 

Cthulhu is thinking about pie. Tasty tasty pie. 

They aren't the prettiest things in the world in terms of accuracy.  I'm hoping people will be too busy rolling sanity checks to notice wonky stitching. That and they were smaller than the average placemat for reasons of frugality, or eeking out as much as I could with what I had.  I do need one more package of the brighter blue double fold bias tape for the two I have left to finish. I have a navy blue, but my husband pointed out that two different shades of blue would trigger my OCD tendencies.  When he's right, he's right. *sighs*

Soo... that's one less thing off of my UFO pile.  Now to make a few minor adjustments to the 70's pattern and get ready to cut it out tonight,  after the second half of my circle skirt class. WOO!