It’s been some time since I talked about the Stash Less Challenge. It feels awkward to sign up for a challenge and then never mention it again, but despite not talking about it on this blog very much, setting the intention still helped me a lot in downsizing my stash. I donated a bunch of fabrics and sold some others, but most importantly: I became so much better at avoiding useless impulse purchases and using what I already have when starting a new project.
This mini skirt is a result of shopping my stash – it first occured in my autumn sewing plans and was finished exactly two years later. The fabric is a Kokka quilting cotton which I originally bought to sew home decor. The quality was already a bit more sturdy and I underlined the shell fabric to give it a bit more body.
This is one of the pieces of work that I am most of. It looks very simple, but has lots of nice, intricate details: The waistband lies on the inside, finished with striped bias tape. The skirt is lined in the most beautiful pink silk charmeuse which I inherited from my grandmother years ago. The side seams on the shell fabric are catchstitched to the interlining. The hem is invisible and the back of the skirt features an exposed zipper.
To top it all off, the pattern is also my own creation – I took a pattern drafting class last summer where we drafted our own skirt blocks. Unfortunately, I didn’t add enough ease. My mini skirt is exactly one size too small to be worn comfortably, which is super sad. And then again: My style has changed so tremendously within the last year, that I am not sure this beauty would get the amount of wear it deserves anyway.
So I did something I had rarely done before and sold it on the internet. My heart bled a little to let it go, but the lady who bought it was actually super lovely and very interested in learning how to sew. so I gave her all kinds of tips for beginner sewers and when the skirt had arrived she sent me a super nice email, saying it fit perfectly and she loved it. It’s kinda hard to part with something you spent so many hours making, but I’d rather have one of my handmade garments out in the wild – worn by someone who appreciates and loves it – than sitting on a hanger in my closet, using up space and collecting dust.
Have you ever given away one of your handmade garments? Did you regret it?
