My parent hoarded a lot of really gorgeous fabric based items, clothes, linens etc, & precious old books that all mildewed & rotted in basements & sheds. Literally loved to death.
I let myself feel as though my things were collected not for themselves but for their potential, so when that potential is gone (I’ve changed, lost interest) the thing’s value ends for me. But I know some lucky, happy person will find it at the thrift store and I’m happy to send it there (our car is full right now, in fact!).
I’ve posted this video before about destashing & organizing. She talks about the mental shift from “can I make it” to “do I want to make it”. That’s a real game changer.
I have a similar line between “do I want to do this” or “do I want to want to do/have done this.” Which also helps clarify what I would rather pay or swap someone else to do so that I have the thing I want without having to spend time on a process that’s neither interesting nor relaxing.
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
516
I know most of us can make a whole lot of things…we can watch YouTube, tutorials, etc. etc. But, you are right…do you want to make it?
I realized this when I make jewelry…some people love it and make the most artful and amazing pieces…I make utilitarian jewelry and it does sort of feel like a chore and not something I really want to do…I like it enough not to spend money on simple earrings and pendants that I will rarely wear, but not enough to make it a passionate hobby and buy all the tools and stuff I need to do it regularly…
I do like trying new things, but I seem to always come back to fabrics to spark the joy…
It’s still difficult for me to make something just because I want to, but that is what the recent pillow covers were about. I just wanted to do it and have wanted to for a few years. I do not want to have all these particular pillow covers - I love vintage linens, embroideries, doilies, but they are totally not my decorating style 95% of the time. Making them pillows is closer to my style, but not all. I don’t think most of my people would want them in their homes, either, even if they appreciate or like them.
I have spent the last few years slightly narrowing my foci, but even that is a challenge, because while I have decided I pretty much won’t do much of anything with my jewelry making stash. My style to wear would mostly require me to get a torch and a forge and and and. BUT I do use that stuff for other types of crafts, so there it sits for now.
I feel ya, same here. There are still things I keep around, like yarn crochet hooks & knitting needles. Crochet hurts my hands & I don’t know how to knit & find it frustrating. I’m not ready to give up on it yet tho. And jewelry supplies, I have all the jewelry I’m ever gonna need. But I had the pliers, wire, anvil & hammer out recently for a not-jewelry item so I’m glad I have that stuff.
I finally ran out of yarn to use for baskets. 14 in all. It was fun to try to make pleasing combinations out of my stash…over and over. Freed up some needed storage space.
See the post here:
Ok, I have WAY TOO MUCH stuff! In the next 2 months my goal is to use 90% of my fabric, use up 50% of my painting supplies,organize all my books, refinish a display shelf, set up my Harry Potter collection, and have the recroom, laundry area, bathroom, and my bedroom totally clean and organized.
My goal for this weekend is to reduce the yarn stash by weeding and donating. This craft-supply reuse place in town is such a cathartic resource this summer. Doesn’t matter if I don’t use it, I enjoyed the buying/hording/petting/dreaming portion of the yarn hobby and now it’s time for these babies to go to someone who will use them.
how’s working with Hobbi yarn? Are the weight true to what is stated on their label? I don’t think I’ve known anyone to get it and use it, so I need real, actual reviews lol
I sewed 21 doll dresses but only consumed around .8 yards of fabric. I used up 7 fabrics completely though, so that’s good. On the stationery front I used up three sticker packs, 1 sticker sheet, a Pilot G-2 cartridge refill, and a dot grid notebook.
I have worked with their cottons, and liked them. I made a shawl in fingering weight rainbow cotton and a large crochet square in sport weight rainbow cotton. I started a crochet baby blanket in sultan deluxe cotton but abandoned it (the yarn was splitting, and the pattern was annoying). This yarn does feel light for a sport weight, somewhere between sport and fingering. I am currently knitting an afghan in unplied cotton kings sultan and sport weight rainbow cotton (the two yarns held together). I like how that’s going.
I haven’t used the Unicorn sock yarn (75/25 super wash merino/nylon) that I have in stash yet, but, based on feel and appearance, it’s comparable to any nice sock yarn I’ve purchased at my LYS. Same weight, same number of plies, same twist angle.
I like the Mayflower Super Kid Silk that I got from them. It’s so soft and has a great halo. I did get some of their brand of silk mohair (friends), but haven’t used it yet. Their Evergreen organic fingering weight wool is really soft, but, again, haven’t gotten to it yet.
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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I like how you give this a positive spin by showing how much you have used instead of how much is left! I think that mindset is more of a boost.
I know this is not a craft destash, but I gave away 18 pairs of shoes/boots that have been living under my bed for four years. It has put me into a “donate to someone who can use it” mood. I am ready to move onto clothes and fabrics that I know I won’t use.
I discovered a Buy Nothing Group on FB where you can list items you don’t want or people can request items. I know I have seen requests for fabric from people who are learning to sew.
Yay Linda! Today, someone came and picked up our 70’s era encyclopedia set. It was a complete set with 2 dictionaries that came out of my MIL’s house when she was decluttering. I had brought them home with the intention of doing a fun wallpaper job somewhere in our house. That was 5 years ago and nothing has happened, so it was kismet that someone in my neighborhood as seeking a set. Boom! Done.
Our local But Nothing started across 4 suburbs to get traction and then per the ‘rules’ of the movement the mods dropped it back a smaller locale and split the group into two. Well didn’t people kick up a stink because they couldn’t gift tontheir friends on the other side of the road. As if they couldn’t ask their friends privately, if they really were friends. They basically boycotted it and now there is hardly any activity.
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(Linda -2024 Choose Projects that You Want to Do :us:)
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I don’t care where they are…if they come pick it up from the porch, no one cares. Our biggest issue has been people who “claim” everything…and sometimes sell it at their yard sales! Frankly, I don’t care. If it is out of my house, that is all that matters to me.
Completed hopefully the first of many Stashbusting Helix hats to work through stash I don’t want (worsted weight acrylic)…and immediately used it as an excuse to start building up some stash I do want (fingering weight yarn) the next time I went to the thrift store.
But for real, the pattern is a pretty ingenious way to use up smaller quantities without stranded colorwork or having tons of ends to weave in - already have a second one cast on.
use more supplies than I bring in - I’ve done this so far!
use the good stuff - I haven’t really gotten into much of the stuff that I’ve been saving for a ‘perfect’ project yet, but I did use a little bit to make one of the bookmarks I posted previously
finish WIPs - I’ve finished or frogged a few WIPs, but I still have more to go through
make the projects that I bought supplies for & never started - I started some of the projects!
I’ve made decent progress - I can definitely see a difference in the amount of yarn I have, but I still need to use more fabric. Though now my problem is that my finished projects tote is almost full!
