If you have a whole lot of fabric and really feel like you should USE it, then you’re in the right place, Quilting Rockstar! Welcome to the fourth annual Summer Stash Busting, where we’re going to help you do a bit of organizing, finish a few quilts, and, hopefully, shift some of your mindset around having and using a stash. Huzzah!

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In 2018, String & Story held its first annual Summer Stash Busting by focusing on organization tips and using scraps. In 2019, we focused solely on finishing our WIPs (works in progress) and PhDs (projects half done). In 2020, we used our stashed up precuts to make adorable throw quilts with patterns from Make Modern’s Pretty Precuts. This year, we are bringing Stash Busting back with a little of all of the above.

First, we are going to do a bit of sorting and organizing to help you feel excited about the treasures hiding in your sewing room and decided what you want to work on over the next three months. Then, we’re going to talk about getting some tops quilted— scrap patterns, precut patterns, motivational strategies to get that half done top put together already! Finally, we’ll talk finishing— basting, quilting, and binding. We only have 12 weeks, so this is by no means exhaustive, but my hope is that it will be a good, strong start.

The Goal

If you’re thinking, “Oh yeah! I’m going to finish ALL MY WORKS IN PROGRESS this summer!” or “I’m never buying new fabric again until I’ve sewed EVERYTHING I HAVE!” then, I’m sorry to say, you’ll probably fail.

Some of y’all just gasped. “Oh my GOSH, did HollyAnne really just tell me I could FAIL at something?” As an entire expert at setting overly ambitious goals, yes I did. While thinking about all the fabric and projects hiding in the corners of our sewing room can feel totally overwhelming, and while it’s understandable to want to wave a magic wand (“Bippity! Boppity! Boo!”) and have it all sorted, setting an unachievable goal will actually result in less progress over the next 12 months.

We need a SMART goal: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Repeatable, Timely. Exactly what number of projects and hours of sewing time will be SMART will vary from Rockstar to Rockstar, of course, but I would like to suggest the following:

Over the next 12 weeks, consider setting the goal of piecing (or finishing piecing) ONE quilt top, quilting ONE quilt, and binding ONE quilt.

This might be all the same quilt or three different ones, but either way, that’s some real measurable progress over the next few months. In fact, I made a handy worksheet for you to set your goals and keep them in sight in your sewing room:

Yes, I called it a set list. You’re a Rockstar after all! Print it out, fill it out, and hang it somewhere that you can see it often

The Schedule

As with years past, I’ll be blogging my way through Summer Stash Busting. Blogs will be published weekly, and I’ll link them here as we go along. If you downloaded that freebie above, I’ll also send a link directly to your inbox each week so you don’t miss a thing

Week 0 (May 4): Why Quilters Should Ditch Stash Culture

Week 1 (May 11): How to Organize Your Stash

Week 2 (May 18): How to Destash Your Quilting Fabric

Week 3 (May 25): How to Shop Your Stash

BONUS: 4 Ways to Bust Your Stash

Week 4 (June 1): Patterns for Stash Busting

Week 5 (June 8): How to Organize Scraps

Week 6 (June 15): How to Big Stitch Bind Your Quilts

Week 7 (June 22): How to Machine Bind Your Quilts

Week 8 (June 29): All About Quilt Backs

Week 9 (July 6): How to Baste Your Quilts

Week 10 (July 13): Introduction to Walking Foot Quilting

Week 11 (July 20): Choosing Thread for Finishing Your Quilts

Week 12 (July 27): How to Free Motion Quilt: Meander

Virtual Quilt Show: August 3, 2023 (Details to come)

How to Join Summer Stash Busting

General Admission

• Cost: FREE

• Includes:

  • Quilting Rockstar Set List: Goal Setting PDF download

  • Weekly Blog delivered via Email

  • Quilting Rockstar Band Camp: Stash Busting (Saturday, June 3nd, replay available)

  • Enter 1 quilt in the Quilting Rockstar Virtual Quilt Show ($5 USD entry fee)

Quilting Rockstar Backstage Pass

• Cost: $7 USD/mo for 3 months

• Includes:

  • General Admission benefits

    PLUS:

  • 3 commemorative quilt labels

  • 2 live Zoom accountability calls

  • Enter 1 quilt in the Quilting Rockstar Virtual Quilt Show (FREE entry)

Are you excited to spend the coming weeks actually getting a handle on your stash and remembering how fun it is to fall in love with fabrics and projects and actually get stuff done? Me, too! I can’t wait to see what you make!

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