Out Damn Stuff

Yesterday Maggie helped me pare down my fabric stash even more. It now fits in ONE BOX. One box, folks. And it's not an enormous TV size box either, it's an ordinary 15x8x12 rubbermaid box. Actually, it was in an under the bed box but that got repurposed into an impromptu sandbox yesterday, so it went in the smaller box. And it fit!

We are considering unloading EVERYTHING in craft room and putting it into containers anew, as I am certain there are more things to get rid of, and many things that can share boxes, reducing the amount of boxes we need.

I am having vague thoughts of bringing my sewing machine downstairs. There is plenty of space now with the loveseat gone. I could actually turn parts of the dining room into a "craft room" and then it would no longer be a colossal waste. I could work on projects with Maggie and while she watches TV. I mean, half of my buffet is empty, and I could make it..er...more empty by consolidating stuff. I always convince myself that being able to close off the craft room is this huge plus, but maybe it really isn't. HA maybe I could even install a fold down ironing board on the back of the garage door--wouldn't that be a stitch?

Maybe I'm having more than "vague" thoughts.

I have decided to limit myself to only three major crafts: yarnwork (knitting and crochet), beads, and some basic sewing. And Maggie has one craft--gluing things to other things, so we have that stuff too. But that means we get to release a lot of things to new homes. With a more manageable stash, maybe we can keep our ideas fresh and not be bogged down by a huge backlog of projects we've lost interest in!

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I am reconsidering some of the handmade Xmas gifts and birthday gifts. While there are still some folks who I would want to make things for, and who love to receive it, all in all I think that some of my things are becoming excess in the recipient's lives, and in mine. I fully admit that some things are made to cross someone off the list, rather than for the sheer joy of making something for that person.

I also realized that, while I was patting myself on the back for "saving" all this money by making gifts, I put an ENORMOUS amount of time into making gifts for both Xmas and birthdays. I begin my Xmas crafting in January--sometimes before. I maintain a "gift" drawer all year. I'm wondering if, with other folks decluttering as well, if this might not be the year to start doing a "gift card Xmas". If I set aside a few bucks each month, instead of hours and hours and hours of time, I could buy each family member a gift card to a business they like to patronize.

I have to admit that while it is fun to open presents, gift cards are ALWAYS welcome. That dinner out when I'd rather not cook is almost always even more awesome than another tchotchke when I have so so many already. As we all get older and our tastes change, it's getting harder to buy for each other. I think this might be the time to make a switch. I will still do some handmade gifts, but rather than stress myself out all year over Xmas, I'm going to save my sanity!