My stash, which is not tremendous by most standards (haha, my finger slipped and I originally typed “moist standards” which sounds gross!), consists primarily of two categories of fabric:

1) Stuff that I love and I am saving for the right moment and the right project. This includes most of my wool suitings, some cream cashmere coat fabric, pretty shirtings, a few dressy fabrics and vintage pieces; and

2) Stuff that I’m just not excited about, purchased on impulse or out of poor judgment, or acquired in some other way. This group includes stuff like plaid flannel that Dan bought back when he thought he wanted to make doggie jackets for all three of his parents’ dogs, even though I cautioned him that after he made one, he might not feel like making two more (hence two different kinds of plaid flannel in my stash!), elaborately embroidered burgundy georgette eyelet that I can only see myself wearing as a lovely 2-piece suit at the weddings of my grandchildren in the year 2065, and some pale periwinkle wool coating (Periwinkle coat? On me? What am I, a giant American Girl doll??)

Lately I’ve been wanting to reduce category 2, trying to put some of it to good use and get it out of my collection. Here is where I am: 

Yawwwwwwwn. This is some cotton dotted swiss in a very very pale lavender. It’s essentially white unless you hold something that really is white right up against it. I bought this fabric about 8 years ago when I was younger and cuter and it made more sense to wear white dotted swiss.

I think I made an unsuccessful dress from it back then and ended up with nearly 2 yards of “remnant” (The Selfish Seamstress in 2002 was neither good at dressmaking nor estimating necessary yardage.)

I’m trying to whip this up into a JJ blouse, which I’ve made up before to good results in green voile with a woven stripe:

I’m not going to do any ruffles this time.  White dotted swiss *and* ruffles on me would make me look like I’m trying to recapture my 7th grade piano recital days. So far it’s not looking great. The fabric is not stiff exactly, but has an unappealing lack of softness to it. I’m thinking the result is going to look prim and prissy and not in a good way. In a boring way. We’ll see how it goes though. Right now it’s making me drowsy.