Reading comments and emails about getting rid of the things you no longer use and downsizing as you get older . . I’m sure your heirs will appreciate that effort.
Maybe later I’ll feel like we should do that but now, I don’t. Maybe it’s because I still hold out hope that I’ll some day quilt again. At least it’s still fun for me to go downstairs and look at all the fabric and tumble through it to find little pieces for adding backs to pillows. With the yarn, I never know what I might want to knit, though I’ve been knitting on one sweater for over a year, so I wouldn’t consider getting rid of the yarn at this point.
As Vince says, “we paid to move it all here, we might as well keep it!”.
Maybe it’s just me but every time, and I’m comfortable saying EVERY time – I get rid of something, within a month or two, I’m needing it or wishing I still had it. Since I’m never moving again (I hope), I just don’t feel the need to get rid of things. Even weird things that we used in the garden and almost didn’t bring, several times Vince has found a need for something very specific – something he could have found another way to do whatever he was doing but having all the stuff has come in handy. It seems like almost everything he sold or donated has been something he has said “I wish I hadn’t gotten rid of that). There will come a time when we are doing no gardening, though my dad is 87 and he had a garden this past year. Once we’re totally done using things, I suppose we may get rid of them. But, are you ever done with fabric and yarn? When I go to “the home” knitting may be the only thing I can do to keep my hands busy but by then, my mind may be gone so . . who knows.
When we’re gone, Chad can hire an auction company to come in and sell everything or he can open the doors and post an ad to come take whatever you want. At that point, it will not matter to me.
Liz says
… Oops,since I mentioned starting a decluttering process for my stuff, I should probably clarify that I was not talking about my craft stuff. I would prefer to make more quilts, but just smaller and good for donation to a worthy cause.
A friend came to the boat club with a huge stack of quilt tops that her great aunts spent their old age making, but not finishing into quilts. We looked through the pile and selected the ones that she needed to keep and the the rest were offered to our quilting group. I have a few of them that I just enjoy – bright yellow sugar bags were the background fabric for one quilt with a lots of family shirts and dresses in the design and pieces of old newspaper templates still in the seams. I want to be like those ladies and leave all of my UFOs to be enjoyed, completed, cut up, or whatever.
I did write what stuff I was considering clearing out, but I deleted that paragraph. So, I have stuff that needs updating as well as clearing out. For example, I just bought some new bath sheets and they feel wonderful. So, I’m checking out all bath towels and will send the worst ones to the dog rescue and store the rest for “water emergencies” like an washer overflow. But there are lots of stuff that I want to get some upgrades and pass along the things I don’t need. BUT, I am like my mother and stuff is hard to get rid of since I might need it someday.
Maybe my goal should be to declutter one drawer or spot each day and then spend some time in the quilt room actually sewing!
judy.blog@gmail.com says
I was going to say that the rescue folks here are always asking for old towels and sheets.
Thanks for clarifying. Now I understand. Before we moved, we did get rid of a lot of things we knew we’d never use or things that were just worn out that we kept saving “just in case”. There’s still more though. With each box I unpack, I say several times “Why did we move this??”
Liz says
I can relate to the “why did we move this” concept. Since most of my moves were company paid I really didn’t thin things out. When I moved locally to my home, I moved slowly and again, did not thin out my belongings. Then, I cleaned out Mom’s place and some stuff I could not emotionally get rid of at the time ended up here in OK. I realize the nieces won’t want most of the stuff, so I need to lighten up.
But one thing that I have started doing is using the “good stuff” for everyday. If I break a glass or plate, so what..
elana goldberg says
I would love to toss half of what I own. My issue is clothing that i hope to fit into one day…who are we kidding, right? I also have way too much fabric but I won’t part with that. I am starting to give away quilt tops to an organization that gladly finishes and donates them to critically ill patients in hospitals (Covered in Love by katandcatquilts.blogspot.com.) I think it’s time to donate a few more, but it’s hard to admit that I’ll never own a long arm to do them myself.
Stitchin in MI says
My oldest son told me he could throw away things just as well as I could. I am still attempting to sort things but I am feeling much more relaxed about the process and much less ruthless about decisions.
Nelle Coursey says
I will pay for the shipping on any yarn you don’t want when the time comes! But heck, I may go to the home before you do!! LOL Right now I am looking for a knitting machine. Two ladies in our group have them. They make making baby blankets very easy! I don’t think I want one of the newer fancy ones, just the old manual one. I saw one on e-bay for $55 and I started to get it but didn’t. The way my grands are having babies, I will never be caught up with the blankets!
goonyburd says
What’s very sad to me is that most younger people have no interest in family heirlooms, things that we were taught to treasure. I have linens MY grandmother made, at least made before 1938, when she died. My kids have no interest. I have wood table that were my grandfather’s, when I die, they go…This makes me so sad…
judy.blog@gmail.com says
That is very sad. I wonder when and why that has happened. It seems like my grandma cherished the things from previous generations, many people my age do but our kids . . they don’t seem to. Maybe some day they will.
Nelle Coursey says
I know the feeling of kids not wanting what you inherited. But after a certain age, they usually come around and decide they want those things. It would be a shame if they didn’t want these things and they ended up in a antique store somewhere. So give them some time to understand what these antiques mean to the family and I am willing to bet they will come.around