I am a collector. I am a crafter. I have amassed a ridiculously large collection of "stuff". I have never met a craft store I haven't liked and I am on a 1st name basis with many such stores in the area. When we went to Pennsylvania with the kids (Hershey Park for a week) and then on an 8 day Caribbean cruise, the 1st question I had when we went ashore was "Are there any craft stores or fabric stores or yarn/fiber stores around?" I didn't find any in Nassau (probably because husband dearest drug me away from almost every island loving human we came into contact with) and he wouldn't let me out of the park in PA. Although, I did bring some knitting with me to both places. And books. That's right, with an "s" at the end. As in "more than one". Last summer, on a camping trip, I brought my spinning wheel. AND USED IT! My oldest and youngest went paddle boating, our middle son was away at Army drills, hubby dearest took our dog Chelsea for a walk and I sat by the fire, overlooking the water and spun yarn all day long. But this is my way of relaxing. I have many friends who will gladly tell you they have never, ever, ever, seen me without something to work on with me. I go to church with knitting in my pew (although I haven't resorted to knitting during the sermon) but I have it with me in case we have to stay longer. When I take my daughter to St. Paul's for rite 13, I knit while I am in a Bible study which meets at the same time as rite 13. I knit at work during lunch. I crochet, as a break from knitting. I weave when I am tired of doing knitting or crocheting. I do counted cross stitch in the summer as the bright sun makes the holes easier to see. Needlepoint too. I spin (both wheel and now drop spindle) whenever I can. I sew or quilt when I get the urge. But if I get tired of that all, I read.
Which like I stated earlier, explains why I have amassed such a collection of "stuff". I am afraid to throw out anything, just in case I might need it later. After all, I must have needed it at some time, because I wouldn't have purchased it if I didn't need it. But when I read the 100 item challenge, I really felt convicted. It's not quite as bad as what you see on Hoarders. But I need to nip this in the butt. So, in January I started getting rid of my stash.
A pleasant surprise has occurred though. I purchased two years ago a 1917 Singer treadle sewing machine. It is in perfect condition, decals and paint are pristine, works like a champ, has all the feet and attachments to go with it and is a beautiful machine. Yeah, I'm not proud, much. And it sits, all closed up, in our bedroom. With (because it has a flat surface all closed up and we all know, flat surfaces don't stay empty for long) a mountain of stuff on top. Fat quarters that I purchased at Mardens and at this lovely quilt shop here in Litchfield that frankly if you didn't know it existed, you'd never find it. I've driven past it for YEARS without paying it any attention until a friend of mine in a quilting guild asked me if I had heard of it. Nope, I replied, so with Garmin in tow, I drove her and I right to it's doorstep. OMG, the fabric!!!!! The tools!!!! You could be there for hours. But if you miss the very small sign out front, you'd never find it. Hubby dearest wishes I hadn't found it. But I digress. I have all the fat quarters, and library books and sewing books and mail and some mending that's been tossed up on top of the leaning tower of stuff. So today, I sorted through it all. My friend is getting some fat quarters I just know she'd love (including some that I purchased from that store that she'd eyeballed but was buying other fabric), I found old mail that is now lining my garbage can, Library books are now in the car to be returned. I opened up the sewing lid, pulled out and set up the sewing machine, gave it a good oiling, sewed for a bit and then decided, dust be damned, I'm leaving it up. Less room to pile stuff on and it sure does look pretty! And isn't it nice to have something pleasant to look at? Yeah, I'm not proud, much.......
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