Trouble making decisions
 

I am having a difficult time making decisions regarding what to keep as far as my scraps, blocks that I practiced on, patterns I thought I would sometimes make and probably never will considering my age. If I lived another five years, there is no way I will ever sew all or some of them. I am not a fan of scrappy quilts. Even when I try to go scrappy, I find myself being a controlled quilter - colors and prints have to match, etc. I would like your advice. I need to get rid of some of my clutter. I sew in a room that is also my computer room.

One recommendation for clearing out our homes that sticks with me, is to keep only those things that bring you joy. So as you go through your sewing room feel free to pass along those items that you know you honestly won't use. Sometimes the things we hold on to are actually causing pressure or stress on us, as it sounds like may be your case. You don't need to feel like you have to make scrappy quilts if that is not the type that you enjoy. Our tastes change over time and there is nothing wrong with that.

I've done the same with other things in my home.
Three things to add to the box/tote ...
1. Date you have filled it.
2. Ideally include a disposal date (whether to charity, garbage, quilt guild, or whatever!)
3. A general title as to what is inside, so you don't tempt yourself to go through it later. Depending on your quantities, you may have three boxes: Fabric, Patterns, Orphanage! That way if you need to find something, you only need to open the one box and not be tempted with what hides inside the others!!!!

It's stuff that only you can truly do yourself, as others have different ideas as to what is important. Don't be too hard on yourself as we all have "stuff" that we can't make decisions about!

Good Luck!!!!

That's an excellent idea! I'm not too keen on "if you haven't used it in a year, toss it" I've had things in my sewing room for 20 years that I suddenly need and would have to go buy a whole package again just to get a few pieces that I need. I like the tote idea.

Instead of trying to figure out what to dispose of, why not decide what to keep?

You could pick out several patterns of quilts or projects you feel inspired to make. Go shopping in your stash for fabrics for each quilt, and then "kit" them up - either in bags or totes. Include everything needed to make the quilt or project - specialty rulers, fusibles, batting, etc.

Then let everything else go. Just another option to consider.

Even to keep stuff from coming into the house I ask myself would I pay to move it? Doesn't totally solve " that would be nice to have" problem but keeps it to a much more manageable level. I can be such a sucker for cutesy that I don't really needsey.

Clean out stash
 

My sister came from Minnesota and cleaned up my stash I gave her the trunk of her car full of fabric for what she did got about 60 quilts kitted up to sew not counting my fleece. We had a good week visit and she helped me make two lone star wall hangings We haven’t visited like that in many years bc she lived in Nevada for 30 years

If there was a "Like" button on this board, I'd be smashing it for every post on this thread! :D

Love the idea of binning things "temporarily" and I also love the idea of kitting the quilts I will realistically make and binning everything else.

Love the sister assist, too. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/heart.gif

All these ideas are good.

Instead of thinking "Get rid of stuff.", maybe try thinking that there is someone out there that would love it more than you do.
Most quilt guilds have outreach programmes to finish tops for charity or neighbourhood programmes where non-quilters can learn to quilt. These always need donations of fabric, patterns, etc.
Make it a Good Samaritan project to help out these places and reward yourself with a less cluttered room, while you're at it.

Watson

Let it go-freely and without guilt.

I haven't read the previous replies yet. This is my sewing room rule.It takes too much energy to keep things I don't love or want to look after. No guilt allowed!

When it comes to saving scraps I always determine what I will actually use- size, color, print. I do a lot of appliqué so many fairly small pieces are ( usable) but if I have something- scrap , orphan blocks or whatever; that I’m sure I have no use for I give them away. There are always people who would love ( and use) what I no longer have a use for. There is a lady who lives near me who, along with her sister, belong to a church group that makes quilts for the homeless- they love it when I send a message that I have a bag or box of scraps- and are excited to receive practice quilts and blocks. I also have sent scraps to people who have requested them for different projects. I never throw them away- I always pass them on.

there are many guilds that do a lot of sewing charity quilts. So offer some to them. Also, there are a lot of those thrift shops that provide work for folks or raise money for veterans or whatever, Neatly bagged fabrics, and other craft supplies will usually sell quickly at those places. They might not fetch a high price....but they are gone from your space and some shopper will be happy at the "find" they got. I know a few people who also look for such items when they go to the thrift shops. We also have an "artist" district in our town that is teaching a lot of different crafts including one that teaches basic sewing to young people. Give a call to some of them and find what they can use. They may even be willing to come and pick it up from you if you have it boxed or bagged for them. Finally, if nothing else....my neighborhood puts a lot of stuff out at the curb with a "free" sign on it....and it is usually gone that day or in a few days.

Sister help
 

My sister helped me get two more large boxes ready for the ladies quilting at the church I had 5 totes/ boxes that they came and got last fall/winter they make a lot of quilts some seniors at graduation will get quilts from them at baccalaureate services at the church also I have more totes in the skid shack that need to be sorted thru for the church also just need warm weather fir that My sister had a blast git all her “new” fabrics in her sewing room and is playing nice

First, watch a couple of episodes of "Hoarders," then take another look at your stuff. If in doubt, throw it out.

One more idea to add to your options. Donate to a local college/university, high school, 4-H group, women's shelter or senior center. Each of these are organizations that teach classes in sewing. I have donated to my university twice. Once was to make pillow case dresses as a service project from the fashion design students. A second donation was a BIG tote of cotton fabric for three fashion design and marketing students who were making masks when they were first needed so badly. They made hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of masks and even made the university news.

Another way to sort fabric is to ask your self, if you will use it? Not if you like it. I found plenty in my stash that had been given to me that was of such poor quality I would never use it. Why fill up my space with something that I will not use, ever. Some I just trashed or cut up for dog beds. If you can read through it? You know what to do. https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/wink.png

.

I think that this is the best suggestion I have ever heard!!! It would apply to any room that we have and puts all of our "stuff" and "valuable collections" into proper perspective. Thanks for the great suggestion.

Yes, by all means get rid of whatever no longer 'floats your boat'. Pick what you want to keep to work on and pass on the rest. There are always people looking for scraps, so if you don't like or use them, pass them on. Same with patterns and fabrics that fall into the "What was I thinking?!" category. Purge, and enjoy all the free space.

I'm really preaching to myself, because this is what I need to do too!

We moved here 12 yrs ago. We're moving again. Across the nation. Reasons to eliminate from my stash;
1. Do I like it
2. Will I use it
3. What kind of quilting do I want to do. Does this fit my current style?
4. Am I willing to pack/store/unpack/find a storage spot for it
5. How much space will I have
6. Clutter distroys my creativity so don't keep anything that's clutter
7. Been there, done that, was fun but won't do it again
8. UFO's I really don't care to finish
9. Fashion fabric: don't think I'll need 20 sweat shirts, ten wool suits, etc.
10. It's way out of style
11. My physical limitations; Arthur has taken residence in my thumbs, no extensive handwork and my shoulders limit how much weight I can throw around and my back limits standing, etc.

And the list goes on.......

Two projects for unloved fabric:

There is a nursing home facility in our city where the residents are very needy. A quilter cleaned out a lot of fabric by sewing a new pillowcase for every one of the 40 residents. They loved them.

Potholders for a food pantry. Thrift store flannel sheets make good padding. A new pair of clean potholders are well received & a morale booster.

Any more ideas ?

This is a great place to gift those scraps to. I have posted here and given scraps away. I am getting another load ready to go as soon as I am back on my feet. Scraps built up very quickly for me. Lately I have been cutting different size strips for a string quilt of of my scraps. It shouldn't be to long before I have enough to make a good size quilt. I don't have the desire to cut other shapes right now so some pieces are rather large. I have also been thinning down my stash as it would outlive me at least 3x's. Think about your options and fly with them.

A possible project: make a 12” quilt block with leftovers every time you finish a quilt and put the block or blocks away. Eventually you have enough blocks to make a scrappy donation quilt which will be appreciated by someone.

I recently decided to rid myself of unwanted fabric I did not know I had that much I no longer want have decided to use the fabric that I like life is to short to just make do with what you have I am probably not going to buy any. Just use what I like and I made some yardage into backings for the quilts .

If it is in the way or you really don't like it, then do the tote thing and get rid of stuff. If you are worried because you might not use it all, don't worry, they'll get rid of it when you are gone.

don't worry, they'll get rid of it when you are gone.[/QUOTE]
That pretty much sums up every material thing we treasure while we are here. haha It's a sad commentary on life isn't it?

My grocery store uses brown paper bags and I keep one on the floor of my closet. When I run across something I won’t be wearing again, it goes in the bag. Unlike plastic bags that collapse, these paper bags have a flat bottom and stand upright. I like that. When the bag fills up, It’s dropped off at a thrift shop that supports a Christian School.

a good way to get rid of some ugly fabrics...use them for liners for tote bags. I put a tote near my closet and when I have clothes that do not fit just put them in the tote instead of back in the closet. Then I donate the tote along with them. I also give out tote bags filled with leftover goodies, desserts when I have company.

Me too for sure! I spent time looking at a cute new cutter that you can stick to your machine to cut threads between blocks. Yup, it was cutesy. Nope, I really didn't need it at all. Temptation in that case was defeated. Now if I'd seen it in person at a LQS, maybe….

I think about hom much money I have invested in all my stuff -
now if that same amount of money would have been spent on eating out, traveling, concerts , etc. - i would probably have little guilt and only memories to store - assuming i avoided buying souvenirs..

Of course, i could also spent that same amount of money on tobacco, alcohol, other recreational substanc3s, wnd/ or gambling. The upside of th9se activities is that there no items in storage and no one has to figure out what to do with them. But there is the cost to the body and soul.


Decisions decisions decisions!

I am also at an age (79) where I have kind of lost my desire to quilt. I have given some of my "stuff" to a niece who has picked up quilting. We have a free newspaper that has an insert for selling items without a fee. I may try that. Hubby says "keep it" as you never know - you might get your quilting desire back.

i made my own with a wood spool and small seam ripper stuck in it.

Periodically I sort thru my stash and project totes and ask myself - do I want to do this - Do I like this fabric? - Just how long do I expect to live - and remind myself that just because I "could" do something with these fabrics... doesn't mean I have to use this fabrics.
Then I think "someone can use this better than I" and out the door to the local thrift Shop it goes.

For years, I have kept a box or bag of items I don't need or want anymore. When it is full it goes to a thrift store. I've never missed the items I have donated.

Great idea! And I have both…thanks!