2011, year of stash busting!

Hello everyone, I wish you a happy and creative new year! So, I've seen on some blogs that quite a good number of you started 2011 as I did, ie with a giant home cleaning/tidying session :) As all my sewing stuff was scattered in different containers accross the house I bought a cupboard for my fabrics and sewing books/patterns and OMG that was a revelation! I have too much fabric and far too many patterns. I've realised that I'm hoarding the best material, waiting for the perfect project thus procrastinating to the max and letting it go to waste while I go almost every week to the shop to buy silly cotton stuff that I obviously don't need! Alright, look at this:


On the top shelf, mainly packed in plastic bags you have 10 pieces of crazy beautiful Japanese cotton fabric that are just begging to be used :( There are also dozens of repro fabrics, blended or cotton that I've had for years up there, around 80 pieces of really nice and useful fabrics on the second and third shelves and lots of remnants on the fourth one. They don't appear in the picture but there are sewing books and magazines on the bottom shelf AND a huge box of 70 vintage and contemporary patterns above the cupboard. I felt seriously dumb when I realised that I've kept on buying patterns and fabrics all along 2010 whereas I already had all these! It's not very pleasant to admit but I think this accumulation is a way of making up for a serious lack of inspiration. I think of Zoe's striking vintage dress, Nette's adorable sweater outfit or Ophelia's dream of a bow dress and tell myself I really need to think before sewing. As a consequence I've decided to stick to what I have and sew this year's projects using only my stash. I'll keep on buying Japanese and Burdastyle magazines however but that's because I know I'll actually use them. No more vintage patterns for I've sewn quite a few dresses from them that I have worn once or never :( No more contemporary patterns either for they rarely fit me and are too much of a hassle to alter.
Anyway, all this blabla leads us to the first creation born from these good resolutions: it's a simple Japanese top made with slightly blended cotton bought in Nippori during my latest trip there. It's a simple design but it's exactly the sort of clothes I wear on a daily basis, it's not figure hugging but not too loose, it has sleeves and a modest neckline so I can wear it to work and it goes well with my usual jeans/heels combo.


The pattern comes from my favourite Female issue so far, this magazine is a dream if you like feminine yet easy to make tops! Actually I've noticed that the best designs are often featured in the Spring issue of Japanese magazines, which is the case with this one. I'm planning on making every single garment in it^^ and a bag or two! See you soon!