like many in the sewing world, i am on a constant quest to sew my stash. I've even gone so far as to proclaimed my desire to have less fabric all together, and consider myself am midway through a major two year fabric diet.

today I'm going to share some of my favorite patterns for busting my stash.

lullaby layette onesie

baby stuff for stash busting? how original. (picture that scene in 'the devil wears prada' where meryl streep snarky remarks "Florals for spring? How original.")

but in all seriousness this is a great stash busting pattern for a few key reasons:

first baby stuff is always needed. secondly this pattern doesn't take a lot of fabric, maybe a yard. finally the style will work with just about any print and the placket is done in such a way that you don't have to worry about pattern matching.

music box/bubble baby dress

I love simple tunics and dresses for babies, my favorite way to sew them is with a bodice and a-line skirt. At this age any length of skirt can work.

as one of my first oliver + s patterns (remember the thanksgiving polka dot dresses and the 'very nice' holiday dresses?) the music box jumped will always have a very special place in my heart. But for stash busting what I really like about this pattern is the adorable bodice, which can be paired with any left over fabric as a tunic, as I did here for neela's paisley top.

love aunt maggie | neela in paisley music box tunic

speaking of great bodices, the bubble dress, which i proclaimed to be one of my favorite oliver + s patterns here, has an amazing one. I've used it time and time again for big girls (the bubble tea dress, maya's beatles dress, and her garden party dress) but it's also great for babies. Not to mention it is one of the few patterns that has 0-3 month and 3-6 month sizes.

2 + 2 blouse

this simple tunic/blouse is another go to of mine for using up fabric. I first made it for neela from the beatles fabric.

then for a friend's baby with the farmers market outfit.

and finally for another friend for the mommy and me outfit.

play time leggings

having once been a little girl in Ann Arbor Michigan myself I know maya & neela can always need of more leggings to wear under skirts and dresses. here maya has on a pair...somewhere.

roller skate dress & tunic

like the bubble dress i've previously proclaimed the roller skate dress to be one of my favorite oliver + s patterns. but I'll summarize it's stash busting greatness down to three reasons:

first it doesn't require a lot of fabric. i've been able to make dresses out of a single yard of fabric (and a yard of lining) on many occasions. here is an early version I made: Maya's power clashing polkadots.

secondly with only a few pieces and simple lines this style can handle big and busy prints well. for example the very first time I attempted this pattern I used a bold chevron, but it looked great.

it also worked well for nora and etta's beatles dresses which were made with this large, but beautiful, amy butler print.

finally the easy to wear style is a kid favorite. it's comfy and casual, two key components when sewing for kids. I mean are these not a happy and comfortable little girls?