#makeyourstash take 2

Did you join in with #makeyourstash last year? When thinking about sustainability + sewing, it was the most inclusive sewing challenge that Pilar and I could come up with. The challenge does what it says on the tin:

We will make garment(s) that we will love and wear, using fabric that has been in the stash for more than 6 months

As our IG hashtag has gone from 0 to more than 3400 pictures on Instagram over the course of a year, we thought we would make it an official challenge again and bring it to the front of mind for the next few months between March and June.

#makeyourstash is designed to encourage us to look at what we already have, and give show your neglected fabric some love again. When you look deep in your fabric stash, you might even find that you have so much that you don’t need or want to buy anymore for a bit! Also, if you join us:

• You will end up with a garment that you will love to wear (or a quilt you want to use, if you’re one of my quilty friends!)
• It costs you nothing except time, and it doesn’t cost the planet anything.
• It’s fun to be a part of the Instagram sewing community.
• Finally, and best of all, #makeyourstash does not put a spanner in your sewing plans!

We know there are a lot of sewing challenges out there and we want you to combine #makeyourstash with any other sewing you have planned.

What about a giveaway?

We have one, yes! There are patterns from Wendy Ward, Halfmoon Atelier, Papercut Patterns, Selkie Patterns and In The Folds up for grabs. And, bonus books from two sustainable fashion consultants! One from Marieke Eyskoot “A Good Guide to Sustainable Living” – which I can attest is a fab reference guide. The other is from Jane Milburn of Textile Beat – “Slow Clothing”

To enter the giveaway, head to Instagram. Show us what you’ve made using the #makeyourstash hashtag, and make sure you’re following me and Pilar and of course the sponsors. We’ll be dishing out the gifts at random between the April and end of June.

In terms of the challenge, no. The rules are still the same and we still have a giveaway. We will also reinstate the prompts on Instagram each Monday to get you thinking about sustainability.

What seems to have changed is that more people are taking more notice of sustainability issues. Thinking more about where their fabric comes from and how much they are making / how many clothes they have.

Another thing that continues to increase is the amount of inspiration from social media and blogs – which might subconsciously encourage us to make many more clothes and buy more fabric than we might have done otherwise. A lot of it is deliberate marketing as well as individuals wanting to share.

For more #makeyourstash chat, click here to see the other related posts on my blog. Hope you’ll join in!