I'm grooming my stache (about time, too...)

I missed a few days of September, it’s true, but I’m back and ready to groom my stache - er, stash!  Yes, that’s right.  It’s Stashbusting September time over at Robin’s, and I am ready to go.  What’s that, you say?  You didn’t have a chance to sign up yet?  Well head over ASAP, because you still can!  There are currently 58 blogs participating and I think we’re gonna have a great party.  If you need to groom your stache sh as much as I do, you should follow along for what promises to be some great ideas.

Robin has encouraged us all to open up our stashbusting season with by revealing your personal junk heap, aka “the ever-expanding-slowly-taking-over-about-to-eat-the-baby” craft area.  And to make it even more interesting, Jill over at Envirocraftiness (who is another guest judge for the stashbusting contest) has put up a link party for anyone to lay bare their embarrassing messes.

So to start my “bust-a-move” out right, I’ve compiled a little tour around the jungle that is my basement craft area.  You’ve seen it before, I know, and I’ve cleaned it in public before, I know, BUT I don’t think it’s ever been quite like this.  Please remember that my basement IS, in fact, a dungeon.  Further proof that you don't need the latest and greatest stuff to craft and love it!  (Or further proof that I need more lighting down there...) Without further ado, I present:

The dumb wire shelves that I hate because they couldn’t have been installed in a more inconvenient place are home to most of my fabric (all of which I got in clearance aisles or the thrift store.)  Also pictured, certain wrapping paraphernalia, packing paper salvaged for crafting needs, painting tools and various beading stuffs.  (and a whole lotta “whatevers” that I sometimes wonder why we are still hanging on to) 

Then there’s the craft table - i.e. the awkward rickety table that came with the house.  It’s under there.  I promise.  Right now it’s covered with projects that I am currently working on.  Or trying to work on.  Or WOULD work on, if I could find a clear spot.  You see how much this “stache” needs a trim? 

Under the table I store all of my “to be repurposed” clothing and various wearables.  This, my friends, is ridiculous.  Items I would normally have thrown in the donate bin are now crawling under this table and dying.  It’s a graveyard for polyester pants and shirts that are 5 sizes too big (or small).  

Back behind the table there we have a bin stuffed with random household recyclables, like paper towel tubes and egg cartons that spontaneously duplicate with or without my knowledge and help.   Apparently I am trying to save all landfills singlehandedly.  There’s also a nice big pile of MORE current projects.  Yes, I am the type to work on 50 projects at once, (at least).  

Here are some tubs of scrapbook stuff, random pieces of... um... randomness, and yarn and scrap fabric.  And but a small sampling of my lovely baby food jar collection.  There are oh, so many more elsewhere.  

The back corner reveals a bunch of blank wreathe “canvases” (from the thrift store), some frames and ugly art from the same thrift store - because everyone needs at least three ugly masterpieces, especially apples - and cereal boxes.  Never know when you'll need those.  Oh, and a sump pump.  I know, I'm a lucky, lucky girl.  I bet you wish you had one of those in your craft stash.

Drawers of bits and pieces - flowers, rhinestones, jewelry stuffs, sea shells, glues, staple guns, tissue paper - you know, the essentials.  Floss, scraps, fat quarters... 

Here’s the desk that should be reserved for sewing projects, covered in cricut projects which are half finished (yes, I know I borrowed that cricut about 6 months ago...) 

and the space beneath the desk is currently crammed with scraps - fabric, ribbon, yarn - just scraps.  

Here we have “The Quilt Rack of Forgotten Projects” or, my sewing "to-do".  And that about sums it up.

Currently my “stache” is confined to about 1/4 of our small basement, which is pretty impressively quarantined, if you ask me, but it’s completely bursting at the seams.  And it’s really unfortunate, because I find it much more difficult to be creative in this kind of chaos.

Here’s a(n incomplete) list of some to-do items that have been laying around waiting patiently to be completed (these are just the ones off the top of my head, I know there are others down there):

Embellish t-shirts and onesies with different techniques for bug and mini

fabric embellished notebooks

Some lace applique things

felt wallet for bug

kitchen drawer organizer

mini’s butterfly mobile

some more headbands - ruffled ribbon variety probably, maybe some “leather”

Turning t-shirts into tights and skirts (for mini)

turning a tunic into a top (for me)

mini’s tutu

bug’s tie

old mirror revamp

several wreathes for several occasions

recycled vases

making some cool stuff out of frames and baby food jars

and most importantly, FINALLY conquering that cardi-hat!!

So, I’ve got a lot of projects to get through!  Which ones sound the most exciting to you?  If I make it through even half of them my stash will be busted to a much more manageable level!  I’ll be linking up my projects over at The T-shirt Diaries for all to check out my progress.

Now, I am determined to make through the better part of this list - mostly because I don't want any of you to nominate me for that show "Hoarding, Buried Alive" - it’s time to make this:

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look like this:

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