In preparation for Me Made May, I'm doing a bit of stash-busting (not panic-sewing, I swear!). It has actually been really satisfying. Each pattern in my stash - apart from the weird 80's stuff - is now paired with a suitable fabric. This year I want to focus on making things that really suit my style, and I desperately need to fix this terrible habit of buying random prints just because they're adorable.
My first project involved a little piece of stripey blue knit, and this weird-but-kind-of-awesome pattern: Simplicity 9427, "Design Your Own Blouse".
Oh, if we could just pretend that I'm sitting on something way more glamorous than a bag of mulch, that'd be awesome...
If there was some kind of award for forcing a pattern out of an impossibly small piece of fabric, I'd totally deserve a nomination for this top. Somehow I even matched stripes!
You can tell from the envelope that it's a ridiculously boxy pattern, and also weirdly long, so shaving off a heap of the length and width was probably a very good thing, especially in a knit. I made the third style with the draped neckline, although it's not really visible in white, and I added cute cuffs. The white fabric is from an old men's shirt I had lying around - a really great source of plain knit fabric!
In all, I'm really happy with this shirt. It's super comfy and I can tell it's going to be a new staple. As for the pattern, it's a cool idea, especially for beginners. I'll probably use it again for stash-busting purposes. I just can't really see it working in anything as stiff as woven cotton. Especially not with those giant flutter sleeves!
What are your favourite stash-busting patterns?
PS: I found the pattern at a thrift store, but if you're interested, it seems fairly easy to find (here on Etsy for $7).