i used to make clothes, too. still do once in a while. there were many that didn't work out. i find that there are fewer of those in quilting than in clothes making :)

Don't throw it out! Put everything in a bag and donate it to your local charity thrift shop. The charity will get a bit of cash and we can read the post from someone who is so excited because they just got a fabulous deal on fabric and a pattern!

I call them "Morning After" items. They looked great when we were having a great time but the next day we wonder what we saw in them! If something is not right then get rid of it!

Usually I set things aside for awhile and then if I still feel the same way, I will pass it along to someone else. If the item is truly not usable then I cringe and toss it. It bothers me for a few days and then I feel wonderful. Keeping these items add unnecessary stress and are harmful to my wellness.

I agree. If it's not beautiful, useful, or joyful, get rid if it. I quite literally have a one yard piece of fabric in my hands right now that is heading for the trash can. I thought I would check in on the QB on my way to the trash. No, it will do no good pleading for me to save it or send it to someone else.

Exactly! I usually donate but there are times I toss items in the trash because that's how I feel.

What great inspiration you all are. I tend to hold on to too much - I love the "if it makes you pout, throw it out". I need to think - what extra space I would have for stuff I would love.

"Why do we think we need to hang on to an item when it is no longer a benefit to us?"

In my life, it's a carryover from grandparents and parents who experienced the Depression. They held onto everything possible that came their way because there was precious little money to just go buy something. We've all heard the saying - "Use up, wear out, make do, or do without."

I was talking with a dear friend last week about how long it's taking us to downsize. She said, it's interesting, during our working years we collect stuff, then we spend our retirement getting rid of it. LOL

We change, we grow, and what we once wanted, we want no longer. I just donated 4 boxes of stuff to a resale shop, 1 box of fabric and 1 bag of yarn to the Senior Center. I think of it as "freeing it up to the universe" so someone else may find something they can use or perhaps find a treasure.

I have a tendency to save things - we live on a ranch and many things come in handy. I always check with my husband to see if an item can be used in the garage or elsewhere. Just the other day I made a quilt tote and needed handles - found an old broom in the planer shed and cut the handle for the tote. Now brooms have plastic or metal handles so those old wood ones come in handy. When I took the bag for show and tell everyone asked if I made the handles look vintage.

We prune out the non-producing, so the healthy branch can come back stronger.

Quote:

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We change, we grow, and what we once wanted, we want no longer

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That is so true!! I have been married for 26 years and we have been military for 24 of these years...two children, numerous pets and lots of moves later and we have accumulated a lot of "Stuff". A lot of the stuff we bought when we were first married is really not our style anymore so I do not see the need to hang onto things just because they are still good if I do not like to look at it anymore :o That goes for furniture, clothes and craft items (I remember the mauve and seafoam calico prints I so loved back in the eighties). I have found that donating, garage sales, ebay and swaps are a good way to purge without feeling guilty. It helps that the Army puts a weight limit on us for all moves...definitely a push to purge!! As someone already said: "If it makes you pout, throw it out"....love that so much that it will be my mantra from now on :D