Another day, another project in the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017! This one I have been putting off for at least two years–maybe more, considering the baby I made the first one for is now four-years-old. This is such a beautiful baby blanket, I couldn’t resist starting another one–but that was years ago. If you’re like me and find that staying on track isn’t always easy, this post will be an encouragement to you.
Continue reading Staying on Track: Use Your Stash Challenge 2017
Here we are, almost halfway through the Challenge, and I am thrilled that I have finished project #3, the Floral Pillow! If I never get anything else done during this challenge, I will be happy just knowing I’ve completed these first three projects that have been staring me in the face for so long. It feels good to see things moving out of the “Almost Finished” queue and into the “Completed Project” pile. Continue reading Project #3 from the Use Your Stash Challenge
I have finished project #2, the granny square blanket! It is done and dusted–yay! I hope you are making some progress as well!
Continue reading Project #2 from the Use Your Stash Challenge
Welcome to the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017!
I’m so thrilled you’ve decided to join us.
Continue reading Welcome to the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017
December and January seem to mark the time when I feel an enormous urge to clean up, organize and get rid of junk. This is also a low budget time of year. I hate to donate half used craft supplies (I suspect that the charities I donate to just throw it out) or throw yarn out!  So, this year, I am hosting a Use Your Stash Board on Pinterest once again for  the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017.
The Use Your Stash Challenge has been an incredible motivator for me to finish my works in progress that I have sitting around–the half-finished this-and-that items. It also encourages me to work with what I have on hand which is incredibly helpful to our budget after all the Christmas shopping we’ve been doing. Every year I change up the rules to keep myself interested and engaged.
One year, I challenged myself to make 100 items in 100 days. It was incredible and so much was completed.
Another year, the challenge was to create 200 items in 200 days–it turned out to be too much and too long of a challenge.
This year the challenge starts January 15 and runs until February 15, 2017. I usually take some time off in late December/early January to spend time with family and to just relax and clean up the studio/house after the holidays and before the stash challenge. This is the time when I pull out all the half-done projects and organize what I plan to do. You should do that too!
I always make rules (you could call them guidelines) that fit what is going on in my stash. If you need different rules, feel free to alter these or make your own. As I have said before, there are no Use Your Stash police, but I do force myself to keep the rules for the time of the Challenge.
I will create a Pinterest Board for all those interested in seeing what others are doing. You can create with any stash you have on-hand at home: arts and crafts, fabric, recycling, paper — anything goes! Signing up for my email list will help me add you to the Use Your Stash Pinterest board. That’s where we’ll be showing off all the beautiful items we make from our stashes. I can’t wait to see what you create!
These are my rules, for me. You’re welcome to adopt them as your rules, too. I hope you will join me in the final push to finish all those unfinished projects and move them out of the house!
If you want to join the Use Your Stash Challenge – sign up for my email list and send me a Pinterest message on the Use Your Stash Challenge 2017 board. I will be glad to sign you up!
There is no stress in this challenge–it is just for fun. This is a great way to jumpstart my creativity in the New Year and it also forces me to use up my stash. There is also the incredible rush of creativity and accomplishment that comes with finally finishing so many projects.
Talk to you later,
Karen
PS- I’ll let you in on a little secret: I plan projects out ahead. It is just a running list in my mind, but still, it gives me a boost! I don’t start any projects until my designated start time, though. Otherwise, that would be cheating, besides I’m still finishing up Christmas gifts!Â
I know that you are probably wondering where I am in the Use Your Stash Challenge! Have I been hiding, or have I simply forgotten about the Use Your Stash Challenge 2015! The truth is neither, I have been hard at work on this challenge. Here are some new things that I have made using supplies that I already had on hand.
This giraffe is number 14
His friend is number 15.
This is number 16.
This baby blanket is number 17.
So, I have been working on it but the items are more complex and take more time! It is great as they also use up more supplies! This is the last post I made in the challenge.
I have started a couple of new blankets but it is taking longer than I expected to get them finished.
I have been looking at some ideas that will use up more of my fabric stash. The Use Your Stash Challenge is making me think about what I can do to use up what I already have. I feel a bit guilty as I bought some yarn yesterday in order to work on a new crochet blanket idea. Â I gave myself permission to buy if needed. The purchase is within the rules I set.
Here are some cool ideas I found on Pinterest.
This i
This is a brilliant idea and while I found it on Pinterest I am not pirating any one else’s idea. I can use my scrap binding on anything I want!
http://www.howdoesshe.com/easy-diy-road-for-toy-cars-made-out-of-your-old-jeans/
This is also a brilliant idea. I would add hook and loop tape to the back since we have carpet on our floors.
These are wonderful. I used google translate and the meaning is never quite right but I think the photos are enough direction to be able to make these scissor keepers.
This pot handle pocket is along the same line and just as simple.
These bunnies are so cute and a perfect Spring time sewing project.
Just a few ideas to get your creativity flowing! Winter will soon be over in my part of the country. Well, at least it will be in the 70 degree range next week. We do have ice and some snow forecast for this week. We still have snow in the yard from this weekend.
Talk to you later,
Karen
It has been a really busy week, I have been working on the Use Your Stash Challenge-2015! I have gotten several projects done and I might even be out of the single digits.
#8 I have finished this scarf/shawl combo.
#9 I made four of these for a friend. Since they used stash yarns I am counting them as one item.
#10 This crib springs recycle to wall storage. I know it looks half finished but it is ready to hang and painted bronze.
#11 I finished this baby blanket. 
#12 I also sewed up about 20 cup cozies but I am only counting them as one. I have tons to sew that are already cut out. I am going to call a group of 20 cup cozies as one item for the challenge. I will get them all sewn that way and I won’t have them sitting around as WIPS. Here they are at the half way point.
#13 I also sewed some child sized reversible superhero capes. These two are blue and silver. I have a ton more to sew and it is just a matter of time to sew and the willpower to see it through.
This is what is next on my list of things to do.
I have some fun things planned this weekend and the weather is promising to be rainy. This is good, it will encourage me to get some serious sewing done. I have so much to do. I will need to get some more navy thread, but I can sew with other colors until I get a chance to pick some up.
This year the Use Your Stash Challenge seems to be more about finishing what I have started. I like it. It is encouraging me to actually complete some things that have been hanging around for ages. I hope I can keep up the momentum and my mojo for getting things done. Â I have some custom orders that are in different stages of waiting so I must get back to work.
Talk to you later,
Karen
I have finished a couple of Use Your Stash projects and here is number: 1 a burlap dry erase board! Remember when I was washing burlap. Â It looked like this in the washer. I washed it three times.
The lint was incredible for all three loads. I thought that the amount of lint would decrease. It didn’t, I think the burlap bags were so old that they were disintegrating in the wash cycle.
The bags did lose a lot of dust and dirt along with all the lint. I checked the lint trap twice during each load. I was scared that I was going to set the dryer on fired with all the extra lint.
I had seen great burlap dry erase boards on Pinterest. I like all the texture that burlap dry erase boards have. I had an old inspirational photo in a pretty nice frame that we have had for years. The photo had something to do with diligence or hard work or something like that. I took the poster out and added the burlap. I glued the burlap down around the edges with something rather like tacky glue. I pushed the staples back down to hold all the cardboard, burlap and glass in. Then I glued brown paper across the back like a framing store does. It keeps it looking neat on the back.
You can see the red and green stripes from the original burlap bag. So, this is my first stash project in the Use Your Stash – 2015. I am excited and it looks great! It didn’t cost a penny – if you don’t count all the energy used to wash and dry the burlap sacks. We will probably use this for messages, grocery lists, and reminders. It appears to be infinitely useful. It will probably hang in the laundry room. I am trying to get that room more organized and decorated.
talk to you later,
Karen
You can read my Use Your Stash Challenge – 2015 rules here.
Here are numbers 6, 7, Â and 8!
I love this purse. It has such a clean classic look to it! I had everything I needed to make this from my stash including the lining and the snap closure.
There is the tiny smidge of yarn I used to create the rose leaves!
Talk to you later,
Karen
Do you remember the Use Your Stash Challenges? Earlier this summer I started the Finish Your Projects and Use Your Yarn Challenge all at the same time. Yarn and partially finished projects have been filling my Studio boxes and making it hard to work, find what I need and let’s not talk about the GUILT.
It is bad when the guilt is so obvious that my friend noticed. She looked at the stuff. Heard my plea for help and said “You need another Challenge” and something that sounded like “you have already started the challenge by crocheting all those scarves this past week. Why not give do another?”
It’s good to have an encourager in your life. She is one of mine and she is awesome.
Here is the Challenge. Ta Dah……
No acronym, no cool title, no rules- except just get started. The goal is to use your yarn,get things completed, out of storage and to get rid of the guilt. Here is what I have been working on during the challenge. It is totally unplanned, fun and random. Crochet by the seat of the pants with some creative repurposing of crochet blanket starts and several”why did I Start this project”. There were also several “Oh I have tons of this yarn left…. what can I make out of it” – projects that look nicer than I could have dreamed. I have also been buying yarn to finish projects as I go. It is nice to finally have so many finished projects rather than the huge storage box of UFOs that I did have.
There are three of the black granny square scarves but one photo works for today. There are at least 4 more scarves in the works. They need everything from borders, blocking to photography and listings written. Several new patterns have developed that need writing and editing but the yarn backlog is finally getting smaller.
Life is more chaotic than normal this summer and is wiping out the time spent on pretty much everything to do with the Studio. Just normal everyday things like water leaks, birthdays, going to lunch with your Mom, spending time with Grandkids and then an unusual one or two like Hubs had surgery. He is doing quite well but the recovery is going to take a longer time than we had planned. While crochet has been happening there just hasn’t been a bigger span of time to write a blog post, edit a pattern or photograph the scarves. I hope to get the chaos resolved in the coming weeks.
Talk to you later,
Karen
P.S. You can read one of the other challenge rules here if you like more structure: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/?s=Use+Your+Stash+Challenge