This might sound like not a biggie to anyone....but it IS to me!!
First off, my stash has been out of control for years. How that can be when I still turn out as many quilts as I seem to get out....means that my buying was really out of control for a long time. I didn't spend money on clothes, shoes, jewelry, manicures, fancy hair highlight jobs, facials, country club memberships, etc that a lot of "modern" women seem to spend money on.
I wasn't a coffee drinker either so none of those expensive latte's for me...I know people who have a HUGE starbucks addiction that would fund any quilter's stash buying habits!
I am a home body......and my vice? Not being able to pass up a Joann's coupon before expiration date or a "free shipping" sale on an online quilt shop....fabric (and quilts/quilting) was my drug of choice! It still is....only now, if you were to look in my house, you'd say I own the pharmacy! *LOL*
The past couple of weeks I have been working on revamping our 4th bedrioom into a small cozy den. My term as quilt guild charity quilt chairperson ended with the start of the new year, so I was able to clean out a closet and give all the guild fabric to the new person taking over. This opened space for me to start condensing....If you have seen pics of my STASH (this is only part of it, it includes stuff UNDER THE LONG ARM MACHINE and ROLLING CARTS and lots of assorted bins and baggies......and the remainder of that den-room closet. The fabric left in there after I ditched the charity stash back to it's new owner are fabrics that I have set aside to use for my own charity quilts, backings, and other weirdities that I didn't want to put in with the regular stash.
But I digress...The den room closet was now 1/2 empty, so I started to shift things around, condense a bit, make room, shuffle...and last night I actually had ONE EMPTY BIG WHITE CUPBOARD!!!You don't know how excited this made me. This means that little by little, I am seeing that I AM using up stash. Maybe not 100 yds in a year (though I must be close to it really...) and because I could donate the cupboard to DH to use in the garage for all his cycling gear, I have more space in the den room for the two new chairs that I bought :c) They will be delivered on tuesday.
Isn't it amazing how we spend so many years collecting, obtaining, gathering, hoarding.....and then we spend all this time wanting to slim down, to declutter, reorganize, simplify? There has to be life's lessons in there somewhere.
One cupboard completely empty....and I'm a happy quilter!
Bonnie
Saturday, January 13, 2007
24 comments:
If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.
Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.
Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Woohoo, congrats Bonnie! Sounds like a wonderful nook you've got to quilt in now.
ReplyDelete2! new chairs for the den? Wow. It does feel good when you realize progress has been made.
ReplyDeleteYou've given me a bad case of stash envy! Lol. Good work on the cleaning up!
ReplyDeleteI know it feels so good to open up some space. Great job on using it up and keeping it organized.
ReplyDeleteSaw your message on Stashbusters this morning too - well done! You've certainly been aiming toward this for a long time. You are a marvelous example for us all. I hope by the end of the year that I can at least eliminate a bin or two - at least that's one of my goals.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on downsizing, getting an extra space to call your own and feeling better about your stash. Accumulating is fun, but using it is even better :)
ReplyDeletecongratulations! Its wonderufl to see the effects of dieting (fabric or otherwise....)
ReplyDeleteWow, Bonnie, you are an inspiration to us all! But now, we need to see the two new chairs when they arrive!
ReplyDeleteThe mystery of quilting, buying fabric and getting rid of it, and in between cutting it up and sewing it back together!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on downsizing! I do love how organized your cupboards looked, but to empty one must be a great relief for you. What kind of chairs did you buy to put in your room?
ReplyDeleteBonnie, good for you - downsizing isn't easy - I could have done more with the move but I'm afraid to get rid of something I might want or need later!
ReplyDeleteYour den sounds like it's going to be a wonderful spot to retreat to. I can see you sitting there in one of your new chairs handquilting with music playing in the background.
Great job Bonnie, how wonderful to see that your determination not to shop for fabric is paying off! You're just inspirational!
ReplyDelete*hugs*
Tazzie
:-)
Bonnie: I'm with you. With this move, the thought occurred to me that I'm almost starting to dislike quilting because of the way I've let the fabric take over my life and my home. 2007 brings changes . . big changes!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the stashbusting!
Judy L.
I"m so glad your happy! Probably what I would hate most is just taking the time to clean it up and sort it!
ReplyDeleteYES!!!! we are fabricshopping at Paducah ;-))
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the stashbusting and clearing a spot on your shelves - now QUICK - put some framed photos or a nice little vase or some sort of "space saver" that you enjoy looking at in that spot! That is what I do!!! My DH laughs that I have framed family photos in all the closets - here and there - instead of in more traditional spots - but I like seeing them when I open the door, instead of piles of stuff!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Evelyn
Congrats on the stashbusting and clearing a spot on your shelves - now QUICK - put some framed photos or a nice little vase or some sort of "space saver" that you enjoy looking at in that spot! That is what I do!!! My DH laughs that I have framed family photos in all the closets - here and there - instead of in more traditional spots - but I like seeing them when I open the door, instead of piles of stuff!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Evelyn
Congrats on the stashbusting and clearing a spot on your shelves - now QUICK - put some framed photos or a nice little vase or some sort of "space saver" that you enjoy looking at in that spot! That is what I do!!! My DH laughs that I have framed family photos in all the closets - here and there - instead of in more traditional spots - but I like seeing them when I open the door, instead of piles of stuff!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Evelyn
Congrats on the stashbusting and clearing a spot on your shelves - now QUICK - put some framed photos or a nice little vase or some sort of "space saver" that you enjoy looking at in that spot! That is what I do!!! My DH laughs that I have framed family photos in all the closets - here and there - instead of in more traditional spots - but I like seeing them when I open the door, instead of piles of stuff!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Evelyn
Congrats on the stashbusting and clearing a spot on your shelves - now QUICK - put some framed photos or a nice little vase or some sort of "space saver" that you enjoy looking at in that spot! That is what I do!!! My DH laughs that I have framed family photos in all the closets - here and there - instead of in more traditional spots - but I like seeing them when I open the door, instead of piles of stuff!
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Evelyn
Congratulations on clearing your stash! I have tried not to accumulate a lot of fabric, but you are right, it is so incredibly addicting. I just try to think that when I die, my family is going to think of my fabric as clutter.
ReplyDeleteHey that would be a biggie to any of us with out-of-control stashes! Congratulations on your accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteA few months back I cleared a lot of old stuff from my stash and gave it away. That freed up a whole cabinet in my sewing room. What a wonderful feeling that was! I still have the cabinet but now it's filled with some of the "stuff" that overflowed all over my space and made it so messy.
Very very good going Bonnie! I need to empty what I have in a closet as well - that is my goal for 2007.
ReplyDeleteHi, Bonnie, what are you going to put in the empty big white cupboard?? We all want to see the new chairs. It must feel SO good to bust some of your stash. I've been an antiques and collectibles collector all my life (then there's the art supplies and we all know about the quilt supplies and fabric) and I often think about what you said, that it is so strange that we have the time of our lives when we collect and then the time when we try to get rid of the darn stuff only by that time we've fallen in love with everything (!).
ReplyDelete