I saw an email today about a stashbusting contest that started 1 July.

No prizes, onus is on the stitcher to be truthful. Person who sews up the most from her/his stash before the end date wins.

Would anyone want to do that on the list? I'm not sure that I could avoid buying fabric for a long period of time but only things stitched from stash existing before the start date would count.

Or would we all take part in the one going on already? Has anyone else done this before and did they enjoy it? Or is there a better way to do it that I don't know of as a newbie...?

There is NO WAY for me. I would bet the winner only made a few items.

If you were to attempt this:

1) Prep like you were on an assembly line. If you are going to tackle several outfits, cut them all out at one time.

2) With multiple projects, sew everything you've cut out by color. Sew all your red projects at once, then your blue, then your yellow... That way, you can leave the thread in your machine and actually have staged bobbins ready.

3) This would not be a good time to practice your buttonholes or zipper installations. If it is supposed to be a contest to cut down your stash, this IS a good time to make the casual items.

HTH

Ah, I wasn't keen to go all out and "win" anything, just thinking the idea might give me a metaphorical kick up the rear to get on with sewing instead of just talking about it .

I was thinking it might be fun for it to be a joint thing with other DS users, but judging from the response, not something of great interest to the list at present.

We could have done a contest so that we only used DS patterns, or we get bonus points for using DS patterns and we could have then asked LivingsoftNW to sponsor it and, say, give a discount coupon or voucher to the winner. But then I started wondering how one could ever "prove" a competition in cyberspace and decided it was not possible - which must be why the other stash buster that I read about has no prize, other than the satisfaction of achieving some finished projects.

Thanks for the tips about speedy assembling though, I'll bear them in mind if I do give it a go

quote:

Posted 13 July 2005 11:09 PM
There is NO WAY for me. I would bet the winner only made a few items.

If it is supposed to be a contest to cut down your stash, this IS a good time to make the casual items.

I have seen the stashbusting contests on other boards also.
It is not a real "contest" in that there is a deadline, judging, etc. It is more of an honor system, fun way to help others use up their stashes.

Here is one I remember from someone's blog. She made swiffer clothes and dusters using some micro fleece from her stash. She gave herself so many points for using fabric from her stash, being unique in what she used it for and something like the age of the fabric in her stash. Added up an abitrary amount of numbers and that was the value point for that item.
It was not kept in a log somewhere or posted to any official contest site. It was just a fun way of getting rid of stash. You then get to post about what you made, the fabric and what you think the value points are.
HTH,
Linda Flint

I don't know about a contest BUT I am determined to sew down my spring/summer fabric stash to nearly nothing before I buy any more fabric. I need to get a move on so I can start to consider fall/winter fabric!!

Sorry I am so late in responding. I have been busy and just now trying to catch up.

I love the idea of "stashbusting". I don't want to participate in the contest, but I think a lot about how to reduce my stash.

Every once in a while I decide that for every piece of fabric I buy I must force myself to make at least one garment. That really doesn't reduce the size of my stash, but it controls the growth.

I have recently made 7 (almost 8) garments. Does that mean I can purchase 8 new pieces of fabrics?