phew!

thank goodness it’s may.  i made it through a whole month of april stash bust, meaning that i did not buy any craft supplies during the month of april.

do you know how hard that is?!  maybe not for a normal person, but for me…let’s just say it was very difficult.  i would see something online that i was just dying to make and start running through a craft shopping list in my head, thinking about where stuff would be on sale…and then i would remember my promise: only work from the stash.  a quick mental inventory would reveal i didn’t have what i needed.  hard to imagine with all the craft crap i possess, but still, it happens to the best of us.

so…not only is it the first of may but there’s a sale at joann’s and i have coupons.  first up, the felt flowers above by sara at creative jewish mom and the gorgeous felt dahlia by megan of not martha on holidash.  woohoo!

i have to say, though, thanks to heather at dollar store crafts, i am a changed crafter.  this experience, though challenging, made me realize how much i love new craft supplies.  and how i can make it a whole month without them.  which means i can probably cut back on some craft purchases, altering the existing ginormous stash of paper and cardstock, stickers and doodads, fabric and knick-knacks, beads and baubles that i already have.  and often, making cooler stuff just based on inspiration.

i actually plan on carrying this new philosophy through the rest of the year, beginning with some transformations of clothes that i already have in my wardrobe.  i’ll have to get some matching thread, but i’m excited to be adding to my use-able wardrobe without having to make my credit cards (and hubby) sweat.  so thanks, heather!

jammie pants for the delirious

this weekend, i was sick.  and though i didn’t realize it, apparently delirious.  i was inspired by dana’s beautiful pajama shorts tutorial over at made to make these.  how i got from her gorgeous inspiration to my, uh, finished project is anyone’s guess.  i differed from her pattern a little bit, in that i added a band of polka dot fabric to each leg in an effort to tone it down.  i guess you’ll just have to trust me that it was worse before.

no, no, you’re not seeing things; i did in fact make a pair of pajama shorts with mushrooms on them.  who knows, maybe i was delirious when i bought the fabric ages ago.  (that’s right!  all the fabric, elastic, and thread came from the stash, so i haven’t actually violated my april stash busting challenge agreement that i made!  it’s turned out to be harder than i thought not buying craft supplies for a month, but that’s another story.)

they remind me of the bloomers those silly yard “art” women wear.  you know, the ones that are bending over, presumably gardening.  what can i say: inspiration + fever + project runway marathon = these shorts.  oh you should’ve seen me pinning and matching up the seams like these are a garment that anyone will ever see.  ever.  they’re super comfy, but you’ll never see any pictures of me wearing them.  looking like it’s time for my medication is all well and good in the privacy of my own home, but you won’t see me asking to get institutionalized by wearing these in public.

bust some stash

what are you doing to honor earth day (april 22nd)?  how about pledging not to buy any craft supplies during the month of april!  this could be a tough one.

head on over to dollar store crafts, where you’ll find a contest for those who participate.  inspiration, too!  here’s my first stash busting project: a cute little pillow made from orange velveteen, organza flowers, fiberfill, and little green beads from my stash–i swear, i already had it all!  the velveteen from a stuffed elephant (used for the inside of the ears); fiberfill from same elephant; the organza from a curtain i whipped up to hide an ugly view at our last apartment; green thread purchased for some burning man costume; and glass beads from the stash.

frightening, i know.  hence the need to bust some stash.  let me know what you’re working on!

ps: you may recognize these little flowers from a plan i hatched up a few weeks ago and only just got around to.  big or small, these flowers are a great way to use up little scraps of fabric and they’re super simple to make.  check out some inspiration and a little tutorial here.  use them on a pillow, turn them into pins, or sew them onto a t-shirt for some fresh style without spending a lot or having to buy new materials.  especially if you have a shameful stash like i do!