Well, it looks like February might be the month I return to blogging and hopefully I manage to keep it up throughout the year. Part of my problem in the main part of the year is that I don’t like WordPress’s mobile app at all and I have issues uploading images to it as well! And I just don’t have a computer with me for most of the summer when I am at work (I’m sure that sounds odd to most people…)
Since December I have been on the go the whole time which has had its toll. This is the first weekend I have had free since the start of December, I hadn’t realised just how much I needed to have a weekend without travelling back and forth across the south coast.
Soon after putting up my Make Nine grid I was reminded that I had seen a Use Nine grid somewhere on Instagram when someone commented that they found that the Make Nine idea didn’t really tally with their plans to try and use up their stash. I mean it doesn’t specifically need you to buy new fabrics but picking the patterns before the fabric often results in the ‘need’ to purchase new fabric.
Since I am looking to reduce the amount of fabric in my stash considerably over the foreseeable future I thought that making a Use Nine grid of ‘Nine’ Fabrics that I wanted to use up this year and really focussing on finding patterns that matched them was a good place to start.
1: Wool: This is Drops Nepal wool that I got as a Christmas present from my parents specifically to make the cable cardigan from my Make Nine List. It is a 65% Wool 35% Alpaca blend and is so lovely and soft to knit with and has good stitch definition.
Pattern Ideas: Self Drafted (still in progress)
Status: Started
2: More Wool: This skein of Caron x Pantone wool was a Christmas present to myself. I have plans for a gradient/colour blocked beanie with kind of puffy stitches but that is dense enough that it doesn’t let the wind through. Hit me up if you have any pattern recommendations.
Pattern Ideas: No Idea yet, Still on the hunt
Status: planning stage
3: Flowery Woven Viscose: I am looking foward to using this fabric, it is a gorgeously soft woven viscose with flowers on a Navy background. The flowers have much more of a burgandy colour than my camera managed to pick up, so I think they should go well with my wardrobe colours.
I am thinking a shirt of some variety, but will have to see how well it takes to interfacing before I decide what style of shirt to use.
Pattern Ideas: Seamwork Rachel or B5997
Status: Planning
4-5: Viscose Jerseys: Burgandy and Mustard are thin and Navy and white are thicker I also have aqua. These are my favourite T-Shirting fabrics they are just so soft and snuggly and I have made a number of tops from them before.
Pattern Ideas: Burgandy: Adrienne Blouse, Navy Elli top, Mustard a ‘floaty top’ of some variety, White a very basic ‘plain white Tee’
Status: Burgandy – Done!, Navy – Printing, others – planning
6: Stripe Viscose Jersey: Cream and Red Stripe Viscose Jersey: Another viscose jersey, with a bit of nautical look but not too cliched blue and white stripe…
Pattern Ideas: either Elli, or a boat neck top…
Status: Planning
7: Ponte: Blue Ponte. This has been sat in my stash since 2017 and very unusually I ordered two meters of this. For the last few weeks I have been looking at this and imagining a jumper with slighly puffy sleeves. I am finding that most of my Me-Made jumpers have thin sleeves and this winter I am finding that this is too restrictive with many layers!
Pattern Ideas: I was stumped by this until Februrays Seamwork Magazine. Queue the Brit Dress made as a jumper.
Status: Finished! 2h30 from downloading the pattern to having it up on Instagram. #fastestmakeever!
Now come the fancy fabrics:
8: Lace or Sparkles A choice here, either turquoise lace non-stretch mesh or black sparkly jersey fabric… Both bought from Goldhawk road. I am thinking a simple bodice with gathered skirt and underlay for the lace and/or a simple LBD for the black, the only problem with the black is that is is quite grippy where the sparkle is put on the surface of the fabric.
Pattern Ideas: Unknown for the lace. Either Burda style #118 11/2015 or a top and skirt faux dress style to get more wear out of it…
Status: Planning
9: Sequins: Gorgeous ombre sequin design on stretch mesh. This is a very small remnant of this fabric that I just had to get (it was wrapped around the till of the fabric shop I found it in, also in Goldhawk road) so it is going to take some planning to actually find a pattern that uses this to its full advantage.
Pattern Ideas: I have no idea yet – Send me all your inspiration pics please…
Status: Deep Deep planning…
What kind of a stash do you have? Only buying the fabric as you need it, or something for any possible project you might dream up?
You are going to be busy. I don’t do much dressmaking so only buy if I want to make something but I am building up a lot of yarn left over from other things and some that I have been given and have yet to use.
Lol yes I can imagine that I will be quite busy with all of this. But if I dont get it finished its not the end of the world…
I have inherited lots of wool from various places so I do have lots of it that doesn’t have an existing plan for it. I need to come up with some projects that use up the random amounts I have.
It’s good to be so organised and, with the limited time you have available, it’s even more important.
Lol, I can do the organising at times, but the question is to whether I am going to be able to follow my own planning. We shall see…
A use nine grid is a great idea. I might just copy you – if you don’t mind.
Go for it. I would love to see people use the idea to be able to have an aim to use up what they already have 🙂
I look foward to seeing yours. And getting a little peak into your stash 🙂
I hadn’t heard of the use nine grid but it’s an excellent idea. With my stash I could easily convert to use 99 and still have choices.
Your time is much more limited than mine is now so being organised is probably essential. Well done on the planning, and good luck with the execution
I just scrolled past it at some point on Instagram and promptly forgot about it for a while.
I mean there is a lot more that I could have used for it but I am going to struggle to use up a lot of my stash as it is sitting there not being used as it doesn’t spark any joy (for want of a better term).
Yes I am hopeing to make a big dent in my plans in the next month or so before my time gets super limited again. and I have been able to make a bit of a start, I just need to get round to photographing them this week.
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