Consumer Behavior

“You Have to Buy It When You See It”: Examining the Stash Practices of Apparel Home Sewers

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Abstract

Acquisition/storage of supplies for crafting is essential for participation in most crafts; these supplies are referred to as the crafter’s “stash”. Scarcity and impulse were major motivators for stash acquisition. Many participants lived in areas without fabric store access, motivating them to keep items on hand. Sewers of niche apparel purchased items because of concern that they might not be available later due to limited market availability. Many sewers referred to building their stash as hoarding or referred to their stash as a hoard. Participants believed this behavior was common. The stash is used to provide options for sewing. Several participants said that they buy fabric and wait for the right pattern for it, or vice versa. Similarities were found to existing literature on other types of crafting stashes, including scarcity, preparedness, impulsivity, and hiding the stash. A new finding was the tendency of other people contributing supplies to sewing stashes.

Keywords: sewing, stash, crafting, craft, home sewing, home sewers, stashing, hoarding, materials

How to Cite:

Armstead, C. C., Martindale, A. K. & McKinney, E. C., (2022) ““You Have to Buy It When You See It”: Examining the Stash Practices of Apparel Home Sewers”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 78(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.13684