My Leftover Life and a Puzzle

 

Something I still want to do--tie tshirts into shapes, kept

 

I had exbf bag up things from the sewing room and place them on a table outside. He got maybe 1/50 of what needs to come out for my inspection and disposal or packing away. It is time. So, I am boxing up what I want in order to store it and throwing the rest away, no matter how much I might get from selling it. All this is left from my sewing through the years. For many years I sewed and went to craft shows. I quit selling at cash shows abruptly in 1991 and went back to school. I still sewed all I wore, all things needed in my house and for adult girls and one grandson. So, there is much to sort.

 

 

A friend sells in yard sales and different places. I offered her all I did not want if she would help me. It seems she has suddenly developed a back that is just as bad as mine...yeah. You know the type. Then, I asked another woman who is very strapped for money and sells full-time. She did not show up at 10 am the next morning as she said she would. Either would gladly come by if I actually packed it up for them.  Today has not been too bad since I was rested. I got six trash bags sorted and now have two small boxes that have room for more items.

 

six more tapestry panels for making pillows, kept

I have already made one for each of my three children and one for me.

paid $1 each during a summer sale

 

paper bag pattern drafted for antique child mannequin I dressed 25 years ago,

along with the rest of the pattern--40 pieces, trashed

This mannequin was the one "waving"

 

 

 



 



a dozen or more scarves I never finished, kept
I was making these when I went back to school after a short break--1997

iron on mending and decorating fabric,
kept just for the package

linen jacket, cut out with pattern pieces attached, gone, trashed
no regrets

I have two crocheted collars, prettier than these,

kept patterns

may sell online

1980ish?

 

 

This is my favorite size needle to sew with,

Quilting betweens size 8, only about an inch long

with a tiny eye. kept.

 

I don't quilt, never have. Between the ages of 8 and 12, I won awards for my hand-hemming. At first, I used the larger needle with the larger eye that Mama gave me to use, then I found these. I can still handle this tiny needle. Does anyone know why it is called "betweens?" This package will go in my sewing "container," a round cake-sized tin. I have drawers, shelves, and plastic storage all over the sewing room, but I keep the tin near the sewing machine with all the things I need often, right with me. This was stored in a drawer because my pincushion had several in use in it, kept in the tin if not right on the sewing machine. Needles I bought several weeks ago were somewhere near $3.

 

Pattern for A-line skirt I drafted 30 years ago, kept

 

 

15 yards of 4 inch fringe used for lamp shades, kept

 

gold, looped fringe, about 17 yards still in box on Styrofoam spindle

used for wine bottle holders, kept

seven gold fringe tie-backs in box and not dusty at all

used for wine-bottle holders, kept

 

yellow fringe that I bought on a whim because it was so pretty

my favorite pant pattern, both kept

 

Big Puzzle

 

stickers? kept

 

I can guarantee you that not everything in the sewing room pertained to sewing, but for the life of me, I do not remember any of these stickers. I have a grandson (6) and g-daughter (4) who will love these, doled out at the proper season. There are stickers for Christmas and Easter, summer and fall, plus the stars and "Good Work" type. Do girls who are 11 still like stickers? My grandson who is 17 and a senior is probably not interested. Maybe I got these when he was of the sticker age? At a yard sale?

 

The rest of the story

 

Lots of fabric went to the rag bag. Well, it will go there as soon as it goes through a rinse cycle with vinegar to rid it of the musty smell. Some things were thrown out just because of the mustiness.  For six bags of stuff, I am throwing out one huge bag and have organized the rest into two boxes and replenished the rag bag.  I have no regrets about anything tossed. Maybe you don't think I tossed enough.

 

Your turn

Have you been forced to abandon a room because of structural damage? Would you have tossed some of this?  I am not sure where I will store this! I might have given some of what I kept to the two women who were asked to take it in exchange for help in sorting.  Some of the fringe may be sold later when I can organize a sale. I am giving myself another chance at using them.

 

Do you use tiny needles? Have you ever made animals from t shirts?