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Four Ways to Bust Your Stash

HollyAnne Knight

When we think about stash busting, it’s easy to get stuck on: “I just need to use all my fabric. That feels totally overwhelming but I just need to do it!” Stash busting, though, isn’t about using everything up— it’s about making sure that projects and supplies are flowing through your sewing space— not growing stagnant on the shelves. Let’s talk about four ways you can improve the productive flow of your sewing room.

(This post may contain affiliate links)

If you looked around your sewing room one day and thought, “Things are starting to pile up around here, it’s probably time to focus on using my stash,” then this article is for you! First, it’s important to realize that stash busting or destashing is not a punishment or a penalty. Stash busting is a creative challenge to make sure that you’re enjoying the fabric and other supplies you’ve so excitedly collected. It’s about being intentional about getting to use those gorgeous fabrics, patterns, threads, etc. It’s pursuing the joy of making and enjoying your finished projects.

Second, stash busting isn’t about using up stash. It might be about reducing extra to improve organization, making sure projects get finished, or about being intentional to actually use that fabric you fell in love with.

I want to share a few more nuanced ideas for stash busting to really emphasize this idea that the big goal here is to keep things moving rather than depleting your sewing room.

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Four Ways to Bust Your Stash

Fabric

This tends to be the “obvious” thought when stash busting. One day you notice that all the storage shelves are full and think, “huh, I should really use that.” There are lots of ways to be intentional about using fabric you’ve already purchased (I detail “shopping” your stash here in this article), but some quick ideas include:

  • Next time you want to gift a quilt or handmade item, pick out fabrics from your stash first, before you head to the store

  • Just because a fabric isn’t your favorite, doesn’t mean someone else won’t love it. Make a charity quilt or two using an easy, big block pattern (might I suggest Dogwood Blossoms? — pictured above) and give it away

  • Make your backings for a few quilts out of only fabric you already have (read my tips for piecing backings here)

Thread

Maybe you love matching your thread to your projects, or you were gifted thread, or you’ve joined me for a couple of years of Aurifil Color Builders, but it’s just as easy to have a thread stash as it is a fabric stash. Once again, using thread stash isn’t about reducing your collection to nothing, but why not dust off some of those less-used colors? Some ideas for using your thread stash include:

  • The next time you’re piecing, focus on using up skinny spools and random bobbins that have been sitting awhile. That thread will get buried in the project anyway, and empty spools and bobbins are wildly satisfying!

  • Choose an unexpected color to quilt with. When clients bring in longarming, we always audition 5-6 colors of thread. I usually pick 2-3 that are more “obvious” matches for the quilt top, and a few that are more “out of the box.” I’m delighted how often we choose one of the more surprising colors to add a “pop” with the quilting

Patterns

Some folks joke that collecting fabric and sewing with it are separate hobbies. Sometimes I suspect that collecting patterns is a tertiary hobby! Another way to “stash bust” is to sew with a pattern you already have but haven’t made yet. Pick a pattern, see what fabric you have on hand, then get a couple new things at the shop if you need them— voila! A new and exciting project!

Projects

For years I said I wanted to go straight through school to get my PhD… these days I have many— Projects Half Done, that is! As humans, our brains love the new and novel, and it’s easy for projects to get stuck part way through when something is a little harder than expected or starts to feel boring. Getting partially completed projects across the finish line is an amazing way to create physical, emotional, and creative space in your sewing room.

Here’s a few ideas to help stalled projects feel exciting again:

  • Start by sorting the projects based on how far along they are. Haven’t even cut into them? Maybe it’s time to return that fabric to stash and let yourself off the hook. You may find that several projects are closer to done than you thought and that finishing them won’t actually be such a chore! Make a list of the projects and how far along they are, then prioritize where you want to start.

  • If you have a partially pieced project, could you make something with the blocks that are already done, and put the rest of the fabric back in your stash/ scrap bins? If you really do want to finish the whole thing, make a plan to work on it 15 or 20 minutes at a time. Find a fun new audio book or show to enjoy as you go along, or pick a special recipient and think about how much they’ll love this project!

  • Quilt tops that have been sitting need to get quilted! Even if you usually quilt your projects yourself, if you’re not feeling inspired, you may need to focus on “done is better than perfect.” Send them off for longarming with a simple design so they can be done already! (You can even send them to me! I’d love to quilt them for you! Check out the details here)

  • Just needs a binding? Treat yourself to a half yard of something new at the store and get it done! What an easy win!

Closing Thoughts

When I teach free motion quilting, I say over and over again, “Practice makes progress!” If your sewing room has begun to feel overwhelming rather than inspiring because of piled up projects, fabric, and more, I hope this article has given you some ideas for how to get unstuck and start moving things through your sewing room. It’s not about using up all the fabric and finishing all the projects before you ever buy or start anything new ever again— it’s about making progress and finding joy in what we already have as well as in the new things.

Resources

  • The Quilting Rockstar Set List is a fabulous way to prioritize just three projects: one to piece, one to quilt, and one to bind




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