Updated November 5, 2023.
OK, it’s not spring and time for spring cleaning, It’s getting near Thanksgiving and I’m feeling the need to clean up after all the remodeling and house reoerganization. We all feel from time to time that our stashes have gotten out of control, or that the clutter that surrounds us is just too much.
It happens to me and I’m sure it’s happened to you.
I’m not as good as I’d like to be about cleaning up and getting things under control, although I try. Lately I’ve:
- sent out a box to an eBay consignor of threads and projects I won’t be doing
- cleaned out my, large, stash of one thread I don’t use (I need to do more)
- sent a pile of scrap bag threads and assorted silks to a friend
I also am trying every couple of weeks to clean up the floor of my office and clean off my desk. If you saw how my office normally looks, you know this is a huge deal.
Doing these things has freed up some space in drawers and boxes. This week I’m moving some threads from nearly inaccessible places into there.
My next effort is going to be to address the WIP situation. It isn’t horrible (by my lights) but there are many projects I started but never got very far with. I need to go through them all and figure out if I’ll finish them soon and deal with each one. Maybe if I did that I’d feel more encouraged about getting stuff done.
I do still see a few problems that I need to address.
1. I have an open basket and a tote bag of pictures I’ve cut out of places for inspiration. I keep these in notebooks. They are blocking access to some threads. I need a strategy for getting this finished.
2. I have many finishing items in my office and in the garage. It’s all stuff I can finish myself. I have even more piles of stitched but unfinished needlepoint. I need to take time to match one with the other. Maybe I’ll do that next week.
What strategies do you use to overcome your stash and your clutter?
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Our guild recently had a “stash relocation event” and we could choose to give things away, charge money and keep it, give a portion to our conservation of samplers fund, or donate all of it. What didn’t go was taken to a local store which sells this on ebay. In turn, the guild gets a percentage of that, which goes towards the conversation fund. Very helpful!
Great idea, thanks.
Keep stitching,
Janet