Extreme Stashbusting and Scrapbusting

How is it I haven't shown you a finished sewing project since March? It's definitely not from lack of sewing...

I'm feeling a bit caught up and weighed down at the moment. In central London I'm surrounded by so many beautiful fabrics. Goldhawk Road and Berwick Street are both completely feasible "pop in on the way home" trips.

There are two things that stop me from buying every single pretty fabric I see:

1. Finances
2. Space in the fabric cupboard

While I'm glad that the former isn't going to change anytime soon, the latter is a bit of a downer.

See that blob on the left? Scraps
See the stack on the right? Half is scraps or leftovers.

I'm in one of those phases of not being precious about the cupboard anymore. I'm antsy to get rid of the stuff I have used - to give me an opportunity to use stuff. At the same time, I'm reluctant to recycle it or give it away without actually using it.

I want to go to Japan (in just over a week, eeep!) and bring back meters of beautiful fabrics without worrying where they'll go.

I also want to stop feeling guilty about some gift fabric that will probably never be made up into something wearable.

So it's a bit of a race. How much stuff can I use up or get rid of? How far can I push myself to make things without buying anything new?

Some of these deserve their own blog post. I'll post a roundup once I've won the stashbusting/scrapbusting battle.

Tap Shoe Bags

Yet more tap shoe bags for the London tappers

Drawstring Bags

They look like tap shoe bags but either bigger or smaller and don't have so many funky pockets. They're heading to some little'uns.
*no photo*

Pin Badge Hanger

Somewhere down the line I realised I had an addiction to pin badges. Now I can see then I realise I need to make more jackets with lapels so that I can display them.

Dress Covers

These have actually been on my to-sew list for a very long time and I only just got around to making them. I have a few things that I'd like to keep nice and undamaged.

Scrap Lace Dress

The mother of scrapbusting projects. Six years of silk scraps! This is definitely for the finer rags in your life.

Swimwear

It wasn't intended to be a swimming dress. I promise it wasn't supposed to be a dress. It just sort of happened like that...

Underpants

My absolute favourite thing

Ain't no way I'm showing you my pants though!

Baby Clothes

This is part of a whole bundle so don't have any good photos right now...

Item 1 of many...

Soft Toys

Like this little dino

And these ...

And many more! This is exhausting...

K x

The Great British Sewing Bee Drinking Game!

Yes, GBSB is back on our screens and that means that I have a regular opportunity to sit down and shout at the telly. This year I want to make the experience more interesting by introducing a drinking game.

I'll be following this series with a delightful new cider every week. No guarantees of live tweets or social media activity. Largely because I don't watch it live, I'm not that keen on getting slaughtered on a Monday night and I'll be in Japan for part of the series.

Here are the rules,

Take a swig every time any of the following happen:

• Needlessly saucy comments about Patrick Grant
• Someone cries
• Someone mentions GBBO
• Something is sewn on inside out/backwards/upside down/burnt by the iron
• A walking foot appears on screen
• Contestant mentions their handmade wedding dress
• Contestant is using an indie pattern (name it)
• Contestant is using a recognisable fabric print (name the brand/supplier)
• Contestant has grossly misunderstood the brief
• Judges offer heroically diplomatic criticism
• Unsuccessful/dodgy application of electronics/"wearable tech"

Happy viewing!