Stash Stories
For Aurifil’s August Artisan challenge (Reinventing the Postcard), I wanted to try something a little different, something that combined my love of adventures with my overflowing fabric stash. The idea of “Stash Stories” was born: a playful way to tell your story using fabric scraps and thread, like a reinvention of the postcard.
This whole idea really kicked off when my friend Michelle had a make and take at the Arapahoe Quilt Show. She used a steam-a-seam method, but since I tend to cut my fabrics first, I found a little Elmer’s glue worked surprisingly well for holding things in place. Once I tried it, I was hooked.
What is a Stash Story?
A Stash Story is a mini quilt postcard, made by collaging scraps from your stash to represent a memory, adventure, or season in your life. For me, I pulled fabrics that captured my summer adventures bright, warm, full of movement, and let the fabric prints and colors do the storytelling.
It’s part quilting, part scrapbooking, and a whole lot of fun.
How to Create Your Own Stash Story
Here’s how I made mine step by step:
Pull your scraps.
Dig into your stash and gather fabrics that connect with your theme. Since I was focusing on summer adventures, I looked for prints that reminded me of sunny days, road trips, and moments outdoors.Choose a background.
Using an ombré background or a low-volume print can be a fun starting point. Sizes can range from about 7” x 10” up to a fat quarter—there’s really no right or wrong. If you plan to mail it like a traditional postcard, a 6” x 9” size works well.Cut and collage.
Cut out shapes or motifs you love from your scraps, then start arranging them on your background. Think of it like building a collage, move things around until it feels right.Glue it down.
I used Elmer’s glue to lightly tack everything in place (Lite Steam-A-Seam works great too). Don’t overthink it the looseness is part of the charm! Once everything’s arranged, I give it a good press with the iron to set it.Quilt Sandwich.
Add batting and a backing fabric, cut roughly to the same size as your background.Quilt freely.
The quilting secures the fabric pieces in place. I used one-direction matchstick quilting with my walking foot (or similar) no marks, no lines, just free stitching. I left small openings to add three different thread weights, including hand stitches, for extra texture and personality.Aurifil thread used: Color 2311, weight 8, 12, 50.
Finish.
There are a few ways to finish your piece. You can square it up, bind, and add a label, or go the postcard route by attaching cardstock to the back and serging or zig-zagging the edges.
Why You’ll Love It
Stash Stories are approachable and freeing. You don’t need perfect seams or a big plan just scraps, a background, and a willingness to play. It’s a fun way to use what you have, document a memory, and quilt without pressure.
Plus, it’s a project you can finish in a day. And who doesn’t love that?
My Summer Adventure Stash Story
This summer, I wanted my postcard to capture the adventures I’d had bits of sunshine, movement, and color, all tucked into fabric. Each cut scrap represents a little piece of where I’ve been and what I’ve done, stitched together into one happy memory.
It feels like sending myself a postcard, written not in words but in fabric.
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I’m Katie the designer and maker behind Zahm Co. Thank you for being here, I hope you find this blog helpful. For blog notifications, subscribe below!
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