Friday, February 03, 2006

First a Path...


So I've started to take the sorting and packing of my quilt room seriously. Nothing is going into long term storage so the options are simle: pack or get rid of. Of the latter I'm not even so concerned about how. There are half finished projects I will never finish so I will just let go of and not feel guilty in the least.

I think it is the yankee in me that feels just because I bought the fabric, the thread and started something that I am honor-bound to finish...not that it makes me finish. It just makes me keep the half done pink kitten babyblanket started for a girl who is not in middle school with a ring in her navel...I've digressed...I keep the half-finished projects in boxes and bags because I think it is wasteful to just stop and give them away. I am anxious to see the bottom of the closet.

The room is a hazard zone. When I first was diagnosed with MS the Insurance company sent over a social worker who specialized in making homes more accessible. I read the pamphlets before the man came and got it into my head that my sewing room would be much more "accessible" with hardwood floors instead of carpet, recessed lighting instead of lamps, and built in cabinets instead of free-standing bookcases. But when I opened the door the sewing room and asked for options he simply said, "first you need a path." I was stunned.

So my goal this weekend is to be brutal. When I look at a piece of fabric if I don't love it (or hate it so much that it is a perfect ugly) then into the box it goes. I've already uncovered four six inch acrylic squares, a broken iron, and a long lost mini-quilt that somehow got folded into extra pieces of batting.

Anyway, the rediscovered square on square with sawtooth border in the photo was a reproduction of a 1870's doll quilt. It is done in madders and measures about 16 inches square. I hand pieced and hand quilted it. It is in the keep pile!

7 comments:

Finn said...

Good for you..making the decision to not "keep' is probably the hardest one of all!!! It does require brutality..hang in there!

Granny said...

I'm surely glad you have the little red quilt in the keeper pile! That's so cute and . . hand quilted!

A path . . that's something that would be nice in my sewing room too. Today, a path through any room in this house would be nice.

Good luck with the cleaning and sorting.

Judy L.

Cher said...

good for you to start the packing and tossing now..it is hard to let go of some started projects-I like how you are keeping what you love most..

Darcie said...

Best wishes to you with your decisions, Siobhan. It can't be easy...but sounds like you're very open-minded about it and willing to take on the challenging journey. Good for you!

Quiltgranny said...

Think of it this way - you are liberating yourself to do more of the things you really want to do by giving away so many of the things you started so long ago. You are so smart to have someone else run a garage sale for you, too! Have you thought about Ebay? There might be one of those Ebay stores that would do it for you close by - the Lladros and other items like that might be a good source of $$ there!

And do let me know if you want to sell any of your antique quilts. I'd love to have a look!

The Calico Cat said...

cats are always welcome at my home if that pink kitten is in the throw away pile..... Just remember that it takes a strong woman to toss a UFO!

Bonnie K. Hunter said...

Darn! If you were going to put that in the toss pile, I'd come right over and claim it!! So how did it go over the weekend?

I've got Connie's quilt on the machine and if I can get it done today, I'd like to come to Bee tonight, but is it at someone's house or at the church? I'll call ya if I don't get a reply to this email :c)

Bonnie