In 2016 we invite you to join us in your own personal Stash Less project. Stash Less is a project whereby we work towards having a mindful stash. Each month we will be posting a challenge for you to use in your own journey of discovery and change. Please feel free to join in at any time. We can't wait to hear what you find out! Last year's Stash Less posts can be found here but to follow this year's Challenge then please use the links below.
Stash Less January - Challenge #1 Taking Stock
Stash Less Feburary - Challenge #2 Make a Plan
Stash Less March - Challenge #3 Make a Making List
Stash Less March - Challenge #4 Stop Shopping
OK so this month's Stash Less Challenge has to do with gratitude and becoming more aware of what you have. As my head has shifted over my time of Stashing Less, I find that the one thing that keeps me on the wagon (even with my various fails) is making sure I keep my eye on the prize. And that means keeping desire at bay by keeping gratitude in my heart.
I'm away this week and so a few days ago had to go through the packing process. Because our family have to do a fair bit of travel - given that the fella in my life is British with strong ties to his motherland - then I've got great at packing light. Packing light makes for a happy trip, doesn't it?!
Packing, this week, meant perusing my currently unworn summer wardrobe for my favourite frocks. Which meant seeing my wardrobe with fresh eyes. Always good, always healthy. For six days away I took three frocks, one pair of pants, two tops, a cardi, and a hoodie. Because that really is enough clothes for six days. But it was the process of choosing what frocks to bring, that was the interesting part. It clearly showed me what an abundance of options available to me. Even if not all of them are perfect. Even if I don't love all of them. I have enough.
And yet..... often it doesn't feel like that. Often I look into my wardrobe and get a bit critical. This doesn't fit quite right and that one is the wrong length. This one needs ..... I could go on but I won't bore you.
One of my holiday reads has highlighted this phenomenon for me - the title itself hints at my problem - Wardrobe Crisis: How we went from Sunday Best to Fast Fashion.
When I was growing up in the 80s we had a different relationship to how much we owned. We owned less and we had less options available. We didn't feel deprived. We had our best clothes and then we had our everday clothes. We wore the same things over and over again. When we went out somewhere special we wore our Sunday clothes.
My* addiction to having choice, to perfection (as in I need the perfect outfit for every occasion) and to newness, has lead to me often feel wanting rather than gratitude.
When I go to my wardrobe to pick something out I have many items in my wardrobe that aren't quite right. This is true of handmade and of store bought clothes. Things I would wear if only they were a bit more X or a bit less Y or if they had shorter Z.
Stash Less Challenge #5 - Make It Work
And that is my challenge to you: Have a look at your wardrobe, pick three things and fix them to make them what you would wear. Make them into something you would be grateful to own. Make them work for you and bring you joy.
Mend them. Reshape them. Unravel and reknit them. Refashion them. Whatever you need to do.
For me I'm going to start with the frock in the picture at the top of the post. What the instagram photo doesn't show is the fact that this dress feels and looks like a sack. Even though people like it and I like it, it doesn't really work how it should and I feel that every time I wear it. I feel a bit frumpy. I made a mistake as I was making it, and made the skirt wider on the front than the back, and at the time I was too lazy to go back and fix the fact that it is fuller in the front. And then it is also a bit too loose around the bodice. And the bodice is a smidge too long so it sits in a funny place.
So I'm going to fix it. This month. About five years after I made it but better late than never hey.
Do what you have to do to make your clothes work for you. And let's get more grateful for what we have by making it feel more like "us".
Post on instagram with the tag #stash_less (or #stashless :-)) and I will post some good fixes at the end of the month on the blog.
Happy sewing.
Felicia x
* and maybe your?
