FYI For those donating fabrics and yarn, please check to see if you have a local 4H Club or Girl Scout troop as they may happily taken either.

I went to a small local bank and opened a checking account with five bucks. It actually worked out better in the long run because I had three enormous clear-out, and the $$ were still there when finished :) rather than frittered away inn PayPal, and no PayPal fees on the deposits. I then cleared out the account to a cash envelope that goes for really special things.

KalamaQuilts- that's a great idea! Thanks. I'll look into our local banks.

Meanwhile, I've finished going through the yarn. It's separated by fiber content. Here's the low down on what I've set aside to sell:
1 super long tote (the kind you store gift wrap in) filled with cones of wool for weaving
1 cardboard carton (the kind you get reams of paper in) filled with rayon blend cones of weaving yarn
1 large priority mail box filled to overflowing with cotton cones of weaving yarn
1 big tote filled with hand spun wool
1 big tote filled with misc. yarns and some books.

Tomorrow I'll go through all the tools. Then I think I'll be done with knitting, weaving and crochet items.

Happy organizing everyone!
Rob

While shuffling about the "stuff" on my sewing table last evening, I started looking at all of the patterns that I had printed. Dumped many because I had saved them to my computer. Then I stapled the pages together for those I kept and put them in a file folder. I pared it down to about 15 to use this year. I also found a recipe for White Chocolate Almond Raspberry Cake. Now how did that get in my quilt patterns? That one will go off to another file for sure because it sounds and looks so yummy.

That was my organization for yesterday. Today, clear and put in proper place the rest that is on my sewing table, then sew a few blocks on my "to do list".

Give me a call when you get that cake baked and I'll be right over for a taste!

Rob

I printed some UFO sheets to itemize all my quilting projects, but in the meantime we got the best Christmas gift ever, news that a granddaughter is arriving the end of June! So..........all quilting put aside for now as I'm having a second knee replacement in February and looking for some hand and lap projects. Out comes the smocking kits and supplies that have been squirreled away for about 12 years, since our oldest granddaughter was a toddler. I have one sized 3 mo. bishop dress neckline blocked on my ironing table waiting for the starch to dry, lace for a blanket drying in the laundry room to apply to a flannel blanket that was prewashed yesterday, and a pattern to trace to a fine wool blanket that requires embroidery and crewel (all kits from Australian Smocking and Inspiration magazines that are no longer published) I have enough smocking kits to make at least 5-6 items from 12 mo-4 yrs. still in the tote. I do plan on making a quilt, but it will be closer to her due date.
I "had" planned on re-doing some of our photo albums, making the Christmas table runner (pieced and appliqued) and bench pillow (all embroidery machine) that didn't get done this Christmas, and making 3 more quilts for Quilts Beyond Borders, using the 3-1 yd. quilt patterns and fabric that I had set aside for them. We also have 2 longish trips planned to Prince Edward Island and a fall cruise down the Mississippi to throw into the mix. I will do what I can, but have a good start now on the hand sewing items. My sewing room is always pretty organized, it's just the vast number of PIGS that I have accumulated, that need my attention. I did Karen Brown's de-stash during the pandemic and donated boxes and boxes of items to the local library and a craft re-sale shop, along with three sewing machines to various charities. Good luck to the rest of you on your amazing progress.

That's exciting news EmiliasNana! Sounds like it's a good thing you didn't destash those smocking kits LOL.

Rob
PS- I'm getting ready to go through the knitting, crochet and weaving tools. Wish me luck. Tools are always the hardest things for me to part with.

If my sewing room was twice the size... I would have the right amount of stuff in it. I moved out a square clothes basket of older quilting magazines yesterday, that lived behind the door, in front of a bookcase. I eliminated a bunch of shoe box bins and combined some Free Spirit fabrics from different purchases. I have identified and stacked 3 bins of fabrics to sell this year. I'm going back in today for another round. Wish me luck!

All I have done so far is to make a conscience decision to stop saving things. Cute containers, ribbons. I have saved that stuff for a while until i am drowning in it and I MAY use it someday but for now i am no longer saving it. I hurts to put in the trash but at some point our mental health has to come before a pretty ribbon or a perfect little box for storage!

Fizzle, donate rather than trash if you can. Scouts, university fashion design departments, senior centers, programs that provide crafts for seniors or handicapped individuals can all use some of the things you mentioned. Then there is good old Goodwill or Salvation Army. Crafters haunt those places looking for materials.

Minnsewtasam, what a cute name by the way, You go! And get the excess or unused out of the way so you can create, create, create! Good Luck!