Destashing the stash

If I've learned anything about sewing it is that most sewists/seamstresses like to hoard fabric into what they call their "stash."  I will be brave, I will admit it, I am not above this obsession to hoard fabric.  And it is a little embarrassing to admit that instead of clothes in the top two shelves of my closet I have fabric piles, but mind you there are so many good intentions in those piles.  And whenever my husband catches a glance at it I remind him that about half of it was given to me and the other half was thrifted, (not that he's worried he knows it is a small price to pay for a big piece of sanity.) 

Lately my planning for spring/summer clothes for AJ and I has shrunk my stash a little (its called "destashing").  Its always so fun for me to pull fabrics out of my stash and pull out my patterns and try to coordinate what I will make.  I've made two tops and a dress for myself recently.  The pictures won't do them justice (they really look better on than they do hanging on a hanger.) 

This is a peasant top from Butterick 4685.  I sewed it in a size 10 and as I suspected, its a little big.   This always seems to happen to me.  I have a little trouble matching up my actual measurements with the pattern measurements.  The fabric was a thrift store find and is a really light cotton blend.  It will be cool in the summer.

This shirt looks like a sack I know but it also looks better on me than on the hanger.  Its from Butterick 5463 and I would also make it a size smaller if I had it to do over.  The fabric is a gauzy, crinkly fabric and I've never sewn with this before and probably won't again.  I just don't like fabric that won't smooth out when you want to cut it and seems to change shape as you sew it. 

This is by far my favorite destashing project for myself so far.  Its a dress from Burda 7517.  It turned out so great.  I had to let it out in the waist a little to fit me just right and it was pretty simple to sew.  A few things about the Burda patterns, the sizes I think are a little more true to what sizing should be (they don't run big), they don't have a lot of detail about the technical side of sewing.  For example they don't show you how to put your zipper in they just show you where and tell you to put it in (so if you're a beginner at sewing I wouldn't start out with Burda).  I was really pleased with the construction of the dress.  It seemed easier to construct that some of my usual patterns.  I spent about five dollars on the pattern and think it was well worth it.  I will be using it over and over to keep destashing.  The fabric for this dress is from Joann's red tag discount which is half off and then I wait for the half off of that sale.  With two half offs it seems easier to justify the three yards I needed for this pattern.   

Well let the destashing continue, my next project is summer P.J.'s for AJ.   And after that???  Who knows but its always fun to plan!