Serious Stash Busting

If you are like me you have A LOT of fabric, more than you can probably use in your lifetime and you also like to shop for new fabric.  This can be an issue as to where to store all your fabric and also that feeling of guilt (although somewhat fleeting) when buying new fabric.

Making charity quilts is one way of stash busting and I have another that I have been doing recently......making little girl dresses for charity.

Now I know you quilters out there say 'I don't sew, I make quilts' but if you can sew a straight seam (which I assume you can if you quilt) and can read instructions (which I assume you can if you quilt), then you can make some really adorable little dresses.

Here are some patterns that are super simple.......this means no zippers or buttons.

New Look 6796:

(source Simplicity Patterns)

 

New Look 6504:

 (source Simplicity Patterns)

Simplicity It's So Easy 2427

(source Simplicity Patterns)

 

 Each of these patterns come in multiple sizes so you can copy off several different one. Some of the dress bodies take as little as 1/2yd and add some scraps of coordinating fabric for yokes, ties or ruffles and you have adorable little dresses.  Some need a little larger amount of fabric but usually nothing over 2yds depending on the size you make.

Here is a recent one I finished of NL 6796:

I think this is a size 2.  I had enough of the print fabric for the yoke and body but not enough for the ties and bottom band.  So I simple dug through my stash to see what had that could work.  Here's another one:

Same pattern, same size.  I had enough of the print for the body front without a bottom band but not enough for anything else.  So I simple used scraps for the yoke and ties, and something entirely different for the back that matched the front.

I am currently working on a few dresses using the other patterns, both using a variety of fabrics.  The fun part of making these dresses is picking out the fabrics.  The satisfying part is making a pretty dress for a deserving little girl and reducing your stash at the same time.

Here are the 19 dresses I made on my first go around with this project:

I kept a spreadsheet of how many made, sizes and the yardage used for each....the total was 19 (in 3 months) and the total yardage used was .....30.125yds!  This year I am hoping to make 25 - 30 dresses, so far I have 6 completed and 3 more in progress.

Now where you ask do these little dresses go?  There are a number of charities that you can send them to, here are just a few:

Little Dresses for Africa
Forgotten Children's Ministries/Girls

You can also find a list of charities accepting donations here:

Handmade for Charity

My first group went to 'Little Dresses for Africa', this year I will spread the love to another group possible in Honduras or here in the USA.

So if you need to do some serious stash busting consider making some little dresses.  It's fun, it uses up fabric and mostly what little girl doesn't love a cute little dress.  You can make a difference and put a smile on a little girls face.