When item is "lost", how long do you hunt?
11-24-2020, 04:28 AM
#31
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Northeastern Indiana
Posts: 2,800
I'm another one with a pet peeve of lost items. So I have a habit of asking people...well where did you find it??? and then make a mental note of another place to look.
First place to look is the refrigerator. We get hungry or thirsty and set the item in the frig while picking up something to eat. Another trick is to try to think of the last place where you saw it. Ask if it doesn't have legs, could it have moved by itself? Another trick is to think what were you doing the last time you had it? Classic example: unloading the car. But there were frozen items in the car and the printer ink got mixed up with the frozen items and about 3 months later I found it in the freezer.
Then you can pretend that you have the lost item in your hands and you are going to put it away. Helps to actually have something in your hands. And I often try to put things in a safe place where I can find them, but well, you know. There are very strict rules about setting down keys. They must go in my purse. Glasses must go in the proper case. Visualization of what is it supposed to look like helps. And the older I get the harder this all is and the more frustrating.
All your suggestions and coping mechanisms are great. The reorganization, cleaning out, sorting...wonderful. There is a place for everything and everything in its place. My heart goes out to all of you that lost something and have not yet found it, my hat is off to each one that eventually did find their items. Marcia
First place to look is the refrigerator. We get hungry or thirsty and set the item in the frig while picking up something to eat. Another trick is to try to think of the last place where you saw it. Ask if it doesn't have legs, could it have moved by itself? Another trick is to think what were you doing the last time you had it? Classic example: unloading the car. But there were frozen items in the car and the printer ink got mixed up with the frozen items and about 3 months later I found it in the freezer.
Then you can pretend that you have the lost item in your hands and you are going to put it away. Helps to actually have something in your hands. And I often try to put things in a safe place where I can find them, but well, you know. There are very strict rules about setting down keys. They must go in my purse. Glasses must go in the proper case. Visualization of what is it supposed to look like helps. And the older I get the harder this all is and the more frustrating.
All your suggestions and coping mechanisms are great. The reorganization, cleaning out, sorting...wonderful. There is a place for everything and everything in its place. My heart goes out to all of you that lost something and have not yet found it, my hat is off to each one that eventually did find their items. Marcia
11-24-2020, 05:27 AM
#32
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Central NM
Posts: 1,587
Last night was cutting several block of disappearing arrow blocks, using various rulers, lots of fab on the table including round purple tape measure. Well, the gnomes came in last night, guess the elves were busy, and took it. Here I thought purple would stand out in my room...nope. I know (hope) I'll find it later.
Thought I'd tossed out my square tape measure but found it in my cluttered sewing drawer on my sewing table. PHEW!
So back up is here.
Thought I'd tossed out my square tape measure but found it in my cluttered sewing drawer on my sewing table. PHEW!
So back up is here.
Last edited by Julienm1; 11-24-2020 at 05:31 AM.
11-24-2020, 06:08 AM
#33
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Central Ohio
Posts: 15,217
about 5 years ago, I lost my grandmother's thimble- it was very precious to me and I used it when I did hand sewing. She passed away over 60 years ago so you can guess how old the thimble was. I searched absolutely everywhere in my sewing room, in every single container including the boxes that hold my patterns. I searched for days and was just heartbroken that it was gone. I eventually stopped searching but always had that thimble in the back of my head.
Several years later, I was cleaning out the closet in the guest room (no sewing done in there) and found a container with the "makings" for those styrofoam Christmas balls that you fold fabric and use tiny straight pins to stick to the balls......there in the container of straight pins was my grandmother's thimble. I just sat down and cried I was so relieved that I had not thrown it out by mistake. It is now in my jewelry box and when I need a thimble I know where it is and without fail, put it back every single time.
Several years later, I was cleaning out the closet in the guest room (no sewing done in there) and found a container with the "makings" for those styrofoam Christmas balls that you fold fabric and use tiny straight pins to stick to the balls......there in the container of straight pins was my grandmother's thimble. I just sat down and cried I was so relieved that I had not thrown it out by mistake. It is now in my jewelry box and when I need a thimble I know where it is and without fail, put it back every single time.
I still hope it turns up. You never know. But it hurts.
He's not a jeweler, as I said he had help by a kind German neighbor jeweler. Bummer........
11-24-2020, 06:13 AM
#34
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Central NM
Posts: 1,587
Well, I lifted fabric on the sewing table and found the purple, round tape measure but the fabric must have changed the color cuz it really is turquoise! LOL Now if I could only find the owl pattern that started this thread. Still no luck.
11-24-2020, 06:32 AM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas
Posts: 1,899
about 5 years ago, I lost my grandmother's thimble- it was very precious to me and I used it when I did hand sewing. She passed away over 60 years ago so you can guess how old the thimble was. I searched absolutely everywhere in my sewing room, in every single container including the boxes that hold my patterns. I searched for days and was just heartbroken that it was gone. I eventually stopped searching but always had that thimble in the back of my head.
Several years later, I was cleaning out the closet in the guest room (no sewing done in there) and found a container with the "makings" for those styrofoam Christmas balls that you fold fabric and use tiny straight pins to stick to the balls......there in the container of straight pins was my grandmother's thimble. I just sat down and cried I was so relieved that I had not thrown it out by mistake. It is now in my jewelry box and when I need a thimble I know where it is and without fail, put it back every single time.
Several years later, I was cleaning out the closet in the guest room (no sewing done in there) and found a container with the "makings" for those styrofoam Christmas balls that you fold fabric and use tiny straight pins to stick to the balls......there in the container of straight pins was my grandmother's thimble. I just sat down and cried I was so relieved that I had not thrown it out by mistake. It is now in my jewelry box and when I need a thimble I know where it is and without fail, put it back every single time.
11-24-2020, 06:33 AM
#36
Super Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,779
Oh my! you all made me smile this morning and helped me realize that I am not alone searching for those elusive items that the "elves" have been playing with!!
Granky - You made me laugh at your story - what a different surprise!!
I have misplaced many things over the years - finding some and giving up on others!
I did the same as Sewingsuz - I looked and searched everywhere for my sewing machine manual and the two companion books that gave instructions for the different feet that go with the machine. I looked for over a year and then I started looking online to see if I could replace them. I knew that they had to be somewhere in the house or that I may have lent them to a friend and didn't get them back. I was recently cleaning my daughter's old room and there was a stack of books in a corner and on the bottom of the pile were my manuals! She must have been looking through them during one of her visits. I never thought to look in her room and was so glad I found them before I bought another set!
Murphy224 - so glad for you that you found your Grandmother's thimble - so precious!
SusieQOH - Sorry that you have not found the rings - if you have a picture maybe you could have them remade by another jeweller.
Granky - You made me laugh at your story - what a different surprise!!
I have misplaced many things over the years - finding some and giving up on others!
I did the same as Sewingsuz - I looked and searched everywhere for my sewing machine manual and the two companion books that gave instructions for the different feet that go with the machine. I looked for over a year and then I started looking online to see if I could replace them. I knew that they had to be somewhere in the house or that I may have lent them to a friend and didn't get them back. I was recently cleaning my daughter's old room and there was a stack of books in a corner and on the bottom of the pile were my manuals! She must have been looking through them during one of her visits. I never thought to look in her room and was so glad I found them before I bought another set!
Murphy224 - so glad for you that you found your Grandmother's thimble - so precious!
SusieQOH - Sorry that you have not found the rings - if you have a picture maybe you could have them remade by another jeweller.
11-24-2020, 07:19 AM
#38
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Waterford Michigan
Posts: 7,241
I have been know to look for something for more than 2 years! I lost a quilt once and looked everywhere imaginable. I did not give up and since it was not replaceable I had to keep looking. I was pretty sure I did not gift it to anyone because it was special. I made a duplicate of the quilt and gifted that one out. I continued to hunt to no avail. When we bought new furniture I found it under the sofa cushions! How or when it got there I never remembered. I am just grateful it was found. I have a good memory but it is short!!
Smaller items I will replace if I can't find them within months.
Smaller items I will replace if I can't find them within months.
11-24-2020, 02:42 PM
#39
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 282
I have rheumatoid arthritis and the coinciding brain fog. I have to put things back exactly where they belong as soon as I'm done with it. If I don't, on really bad brain fog days, I could be looking directly at the thing, or even holding it in my hand, and I won't be able to find it.
As someone else said: Of course you found it at the last place you looked. If you kept looking for it, after you found it, there'd be something seriously wrong.
As someone else said: Of course you found it at the last place you looked. If you kept looking for it, after you found it, there'd be something seriously wrong.
