Saturday, February 19, 2011

Catching Up

Many years ago we had a plant employee who came in and said he was resigning. When asked why, he said he didn't like manufacturing, that the work was "too tensible." While I thought that phrase was hilarious at the time, I'm starting to think it might be a good phrase to describe my life right now!! :)

This year will be an interesting one, to say the least. I feel like a big puddle of mush when I get home at night. I need to make lists, something I've never felt the need to do before. Just sitting here at the computer desk, I looked around and a couple of things caught my eye immediately.

I've wanted one of these for years and finally ordered it:



It's still sitting in the box because I want it to go here in my sewing room:



Can you see where I'm going with this?

So the first thing I pulled off the shelf was this:



The strips for this were cut, what, two years ago? All I need to do is the subcutting and then can get to stitching. I love the Bento Box pattern, but the fabric is not me at all. It would make a darling charity quilt. I need to maybe put a plastic tub in my sewing room and fill it with these kinds of things - have them handy and yet all in one place.

So then I go out into the garage to get a plastic tub. Yes, I have a stash of those out there, too! I have stashes of everything in this joint. (Did you notice all the cutter dies that haven't even been opened in that picture?)

The garage .... what can I say? I'm paralyzed every time I go out there. I tried to start throwing things away last weekend, but didn't get very far. The majority of the things I want to keep for when I retire and get a house again. But some of them can go now. I took some pictures to get a grip on what all's out there. Here is just a tiny glimpse into the netherlands of my garage:





What a mess! That Singer sewing machine is going to Goodwill. Someone gave it to me, and I plugged it in, turned it on - yep, it works - and then stuck it out there. A blue dumbbell from the physical therapy exercises after my shoulder surgery. Pictionary? There's my oriental rug! China, yep, it's still there. I have no clue what is in those other boxes. There's another row of huge boxes behind and under the rug. A couple of antique tables. Curtain rods? Golf clubs just out of the picture. Several of those big white boxes - Christmas and other holiday wreaths. I don't even know where to start in this section. Not pictured, a bedroom set, chairs to a kitchen table. The list goes on and on.



Plastic tubs of BOMs, a box of stuffed animals, all sitting on an old hope chest filled with more china, crystal and silver. That red bag I found all alone in a box last weekend. In it is something my father gave me as a joke shortly before he died - a pair of carpenter's overalls because I was painting at the time. I never put them on. They're brand-new but I can't get rid of them. To put all of this in perspective - Dad will be gone 37 years in May. A long time to hold onto something that will never be used, but I just can't toss it. All of this right next to the freezer. Don't worry, there's breathing room between it and the chest.



An old kitchen table stacked over and under with more tubs of fabric kits and backings. Even some finished quilts. That Grace frame - never used. It was given to me as a gift during the period when my shoulder was shattered and not healing, so I never even set it up. Might have to rethink getting rid of it, but it's just in the way now.

There are lots more sections like this, but the QuiltMobile was in the way and I couldn't get good pictures. It does help, I think, to have photos so I can look them over and perhaps list out what's going and what's staying. I've got a 2+ vehicle wide garage, but only have room right in the middle for one.

Would I qualify for that hoarder's show? I hope not....... just joking here, folks, seriously!

It's rainy this weekend. It might be a good time to come up with a game plan, even though I won't be able to move much of this stuff without some help. Yeah, that's a good idea!

So if you don't hear from me for a while, send out Search & Rescue! Or an intervention team! Or better yet, movers!!

21 comments:

Jocelyn said...

Vicky I feel your pain ;-) We moved last summer for the first time in over 30 years. I had to get a handle on all of the tubs of fabric I had stored in closets, sheds, the family room..... etc..... I was literally shocked. My sweet daughter helped me organize my projects and put them together with the pattern in those huge zippy bags. It was really a wake up call for me, and I've got to make some decisions about fabric SOON!! Hope you can figure it all out. BTW have you thought about cutting up the overalls and using the fabric for a quilt?

Yvette said...

This is not hoarding. This is part of your retirement planning.

Monica said...

I think you're probably just like the rest of us. I tell all my friends when we go to quilt shops that I'm saving up for my husband's retirement.

JudyT said...

Oh, a Bose -- every year I tell myself that that will be my present to me and I never order one. Lucky you! And you don't even want to see pictures of my garage right now. It seems no sooner does it get cleaned up (and out) and it's back in the same shape. Where does this stuff come from??? You have a lot of things that mean something to you ands dream of retirement and a house of your own, so keep it all and enjoy it then!

Jen said...

I don't often allow myself to envy anything or anyone.... but you hit my weak spots! I would love to have (1) room to sew, (2) just a fraction of that beautiful new fabric you have on your table that you need to clear (If you want to send it to me for storage, I'll happily send my address :) and (3) Bose, really? I'm so jealous I could cry! Stupid
PMS! What a lucky woman you are! I hope you enjoy your messes!

Deb said...

I can surely relate. My hubby believes that I have enough fabric/kits to last about 3 life times, and I'm pretty sure he's right. My sewing room is packed nearly to the ceiling. I have 4 large cabinets in there and they're packed, with stuff on top of them nearly to the ceiling...on top of that I have LARGE plastic tubs (4. 5 not sure how many any more)in various places in the house that are packed with kits, at least I've got a listing on the outside of each tub as to what's in them...but you think I can remember what the kit looks like based on the name now? Last weekend he emptied off a table in the sewing room that was stacked about 3 ft high and bought a new 6 shelf unit, then he rearranged everything on this new shelf, but now I can find anything! There are some days I don't even want to go in that room because of the mess, but I love to quilt! Hopefully it will get better in the future, but how do you quit buying the new stuff you really love, when I already have so much?

Eileen said...

Vicky, are you allowed to have a yard sale? You could make a mint!! Donate what you can, used what you want and chuck the rest-except for the overalls. :)

dianne said...

i would keep those overalls, too - forever

your Great Pile of Stuff looks like my GPS - except that i have GPSes for the kids (4 - now adults - all but three of them have homes of their own that they could pile with their GPSes) and for the grandkids (5 - soon to be 6 - and their parents really oughta take their stuff and start to store it for them), too

i take pictures of what is on the inside of tubs, and tape those pictures to the outsides so i know at a glance what's inside - now, if i could just get over to them, past the GPSes in front and on the sides, over and under ... sigh

i dunno ... maybe i AM a hoarder

mascanlon said...

Well the first thing is to get that Bose in place and working, we love ours! As for the garage and fabric, my looks the same I'm afraid and we can't get one car in. Well we could if I'd take the time to finish packaging up the rest of the Christmas boxes (its all out of the house) and move those 6 containers up to the rafters. I have really been working hard on keeping my sewing space cleaner, I'm way more likely to go in and enjoy it all if the table isn't completely full of piles. Made a bit of head way on the fabric I'll never use, just need to finish packing the IBOL boxes this weekend. And I almost win the hoarder prize, I have a container of stuff from my Grandparent's house some of which they had from my Great Grandparents house. They sold their house 40 yrs ago.

Glenda in Florida said...

Oh, how well I understand your pain! I have *stuff* packed too tightly into the sewing room, but thankfully, some of it belongs to a charity, and I just need to make it a priority to deliver it very soon. Then, some belongs to the the guilds charity program, and the only way to send it along is to sew it up. The stuff I would like to have in my sewing room is stacked in the garage--so that I can't park the second car in there. I keep telling myself that if I could just sew faster, that all of my fabric and UFOs would fit into the sewing room!

Perry said...

Wow, Vicky, you do have a problem. Why don't you just call Good Will and have them come unload everything. Someone out there can certainly use any and all of it. I wouldn't know where to start either if I were you. As for the Bose, it is wonderful instrument. Just plug it in, don't worry about where it sits. Wish I was there to help you.

Lori in South Dakota said...

I'm with Yvette! Your stuff is too nicely packed for hoarding. I have lots of extra "stuff" too. Tackle it one small spot at a time. Pick a small "conquerable" spot. A corner. One tote. You're a busy woman, you don't have to do it all NOW. Maybe a "donation tote" you can put items in one at a time as you find them. Keep the coveralls, they make such a great memory, and he's not going to give you another pair. It made me laugh and smile to read it.

Diane Kelsey said...

You need to get a friend to help you be ruthless! i was told, one day someone will have to clear all your belongings, help them by making a start! Harder said than done, I cleared most of the garage before xmas, but a large proprortion went into the summer house. So no real progress made! Good Luck!

SpinningStar said...

I can relate to "stuff" since I just finished working on my Mom's house with many years of accumulated stuff. Now, I am working on my house and everything is in piles. I understand about keeping things that are from family.

Since you are saving things to move into a house, why don't you get a storage unit? You could put only the items for your future, taking pictures and keeping a list, for insurance purposes. It will be out of sight, so less stress, but still available for later. I think there are some movable units so everything would be already packed for the move to the new home! liz

Cyn said...

Hi Vicky,


We have a Bose radio/CD player and love it.

I know the feeling about all the stuff!
Over the past 2 years I've been slowly downsizing/organizing a lot of areas.

You can do this!

Cynthia
Windy Meadow

QuiltinLibraryLady said...

Man, it would be fun go dig through your garage (not to mention the fabric collection). It's good I live so far away.

Darling Jill Quilts said...

I hate to say it, but I think that if I had a garage, it would look the same way!

Good luck!!

AnnieO said...

I'd say yes, you are a demi-hoarder--because you have emotional attachments to many things--but you are very organized and can still actually use your garage for a vehicle! :) Our garage is full of many such emotional things. But DH says that cars belong in the garage so we park both of them in there every day. Good luck on getting through the boxes--it is very hard to do!

Margeeth said...

Oh my, I live in the Netherlands, never knew this was in your garage (LOL).

Angie said...

I have known, as long as I've 'known' you, that we were kindred sisters in a BIG WAY! LOL Our house is large---and jam packed!!! :D I too feel the pain of all of the 'stuff'. So when you get a grip on yours, could you come and work on mine? :)

Cowguy said...

I am amused by this. Quite a bit actually. lol

xoxo

PS nice shop vac.