Stashbusting Spring Jacket

I had so much fun making this bright spring jacket for my 7-year-old last weekend!

The fabrics are all from the stash. We tried several choices before finding a piece with enough yardage to squeeze the whole coat in! 

She absolutely wanted a hood. I liked this hood pattern because it has a center panel instead of just a center seam, you get a much better shape that way.

She chose the buttons from my stash. It was also her decision to have the pockets made of contrast fabric. She calls this combination "screaming nature." 

The pattern had facings and a deep hem but instead I just cut a full lining. Easier and cuter!

The pattern is Burda 9458, unfortunately out of print. I had it (you guessed it) in my pattern stash. I am glad I was able to use it before she outgrew it!

The fabrics: The main fabric is a heavier cotton sateen print by Valori Wells. The lining/contrast fabric is a classic Amy Butler cotton print. She really loved the Amy floral with the orange. I was doubtful at first, but I totally love the finished look.

I remember I originally bought the orange fabric to cover a bench. The Amy Butler print I bought just to stash. I felt very emotional about letting them go, especially the Amy Butler print! 

Stash fabric can carry such baggage. Using it up means letting go. Letting go of your ideas, your previous plans that didn't work out. Letting go of your pretty pretty precious. But I have to remind myself that THIS is the moment I was saving them for. This is the right project! It's time, now! And of course it feels so good to get a finished project out of the stash bin.

I am pretty pleased with myself for whipping this up in a weekend (specifically, a weekend when I had work shifts both Saturday and Sunday!) and for using up my precious stash. I am hoping to move some more stash out in the next few months, probably with more simple projects like this.