Review: Two Blue Birdies Stash Box

I was recently invited by Two Blue Birdies, a Melbourne based fabric and haberdashery online store to try out their Stash Box. I was very happy to discover their haberdashery range - they sell Aurifil thread and Tulip Hiroshima fine sewing needles, which in a recent workshop I did on fine sewing techniques the instructor highly recommended using Aurifil thread and good quality needles. Plus they also sell uber cool Merchant & Mills sewing patterns and tools.

The Stash Box is an interesting concept.  Each month you will receive a box of sewing and craft related goodies in the mail - you don't know what is in until it arrives which only adds to the excitement, and it sure beats only getting boring bills! It was pretty exciting opening the box to reveal this:

It's essentially a subscription service and you can choose between the Big Stash Box for $49.95/month; The Stash or the Felt Stash both for $34.95/m. You can cancel the subscription at any time which is useful if you find yourself getting behind on your creating and your Stash Boxes piling up unused. You can also buy single boxes of previous months directly from their online store if there are any left over which is a great way to try this out without any commitment.

The contents are pretty cute and useful:

There are 4 fat quarters, some cute flower buttons and pom pom trim, a sewing pattern for a stuffed toy, two pieces of felt, a fabric marker and two spools of Aurifill thread.

I must admit, as a garment sewer I'm a little perplexed about what to make with a fat quarter! Since I'm not into quilting at all, the pieces seem a little small to make anything useful although I am determined to do something with them because the fabrics have such lovely prints and vibrant colours. The fabric marker, threads, pom pom trim and buttons will definitely get used in the very near future though - those sorts of things are always handy to have, and my daughter has already been planning a dress for herself using those buttons and pom pom trim.

My verdict: I think it's a great concept, receiving a mystery box in the mail each month that will be filled with great crafty things is exciting and might give you inspiration to create at least one project a month. But as a garment sewer I'm not sure it's entirely my thing given it's focus on craft patterns and small pieces of fabric - I would prefer to buy the specific haberdashery items I need from them directly. However, if your sewing is mainly focused on crafty things and quilts then I think this box might suit you to a tee. It would also make a great present for a crafty friend - the gift that keeps on giving (for the life of the subscription anyway)!