A Simple Plan for a No-Buy Fall

So, my plan was originally to post more in July and make lots of fun things. But summer being what it is, vacation sewing to do and a full-time job...well, you get the idea.

Here's a few (not so great) pics of the vacation sewing:

And that was just what I managed to photograph. There were other items that didn't get photographed before they were shipped out. Sum total: 7 men's shirts, 7 women's tops, 2 little girl's dresses, 3 little girl's tops, 5 little boy's button-down shirts...and one broken button-hole stitch on my sewing machine.

So "Baby" (yes, I named my sewing machine...We've been together for two decades ❤) went to the shop. This is the first time she's actually ever had a problem in the 20 years that I've had her. She's a Bernina Virtuosa 153QE and I bought her in 2002 after I wore out two smaller machines. She's been a dream to work with, an absolute workhorse.

When I dropped her off for service, I did look at what's out there in case she can't be fixed. And I ended up with a new machine...a Bernina 570QE. I didn't trade Baby in but I sure liked all the fun features on this one. Hopefully, she'll give me at least 20 years too.

But enough about sewing machines, I promised you that there was a simple plan for a No Buy fall. Saturday is October 1st, the perfect time to dive in to a new plan. And now that it is starting to feel like fall, it's time to make some new clothes for me.

So my ambitious plan is to go No-Buy at least through Thanksgiving. Here are my rules for myself:

1. Use stash first. Fabric must come from stash. Notions must come from stash whenever possible. 

2. If there is absolutely nothing suitable in stash or if I need notions, buy used. I am fortunate enough to have a local reuse center for craft supplies, so I'll shop there first. In a pinch, I can try salvaging something from thrift, or look on Etsy or EBay for used items (not new).

3. Only in the most dire of circumstances (ie. I'm out of sewing needles, white thread, broken machine parts, etc.) will I buy new. And if I absolutely have to buy new, I'll try to buy local.

4. Patterns must be currently-owned, free, or vintage.

So those are the rules.  The challenge will be to make Christmas gifts under the no-buy rules. This year, we are having homemade Christmas, so I think that will work nicely.

The goal is to reduce my consumption and my output to the landfill. An added bonus is that it will reduce my use of fast fashion, with all the ills that are part of the fast fashion industry.

Now, for a little teaser. The first item on my list to make is from a thrifted pattern I found at Austin Creative Reuse: Vogue 9101. 

I paid 25 cents for the pattern. This beauty of a fabric came from my stash. It originally came from Girl Charlee, a good place for reasonably-priced knits. It's been in my stash for a while, waiting for the right project. And this pattern needs 4 yards, the exact amount I have. 

Look at that geometry! I almost bought a dress with fabric like this few years ago but I resisted since off-the-rack always fits weird. Girl Charlee describes this fabric as Liverpool pique double knit.

So now that you have a little preview...No Buy Fall starts 10/1. Wish me luck!