been there, still doing that!

last year I decluttered 2 big craft collections - jewellery stuff (2 big reusable shopping bags) & mohair for teddies (3 ditto.) I had stopped making bears 10/15 years before & probably had more mohair that full-time bear makers! All I ever made with the beads were earrings & I also had far too many supplies!

But as some clever cross stitch designer said decades ago "She who dies with the most (fill in item) wins!" Same or another designer also said "As ye sew, so shall ye rip" & I'm certainly not downsizing my seam ripper, I was only using it yesterday ...

Last week I decluttered one of my dozen or so (I just counted 17) zipped folders of felt toy patterns. These were cat patterns to a friend who knits cat blankets & goes to a craft group run by a cat protection society. Now all I need is to find homes for dogs/elephants/rabbit/mice/christmas etc patterns. Some folders also contain lovely Japanese craft books. I used to teach craft at a friend's church which had a Japanese congregation & after the tsunami I put ribbon hangers on all my samples for a fund raising fair. Last week I opened the Poodle folder & am finishing off several gorgeous little poodles and cut out 2 more ...

Today at craft I gave away some small stuff eg tape measures etc. to a friend's sister who is teaching kids. Another member brought in a dozen tapestries of Australian birds. Her friend has bought them for her antique dining chairs, but they were too big for the seat backs, so gave them away. Our friend bought all the threads & stored them in the shed ... alas the threads drowned & died. One panel went to a member & I took the others to our local Craft Op shop (Opportunity/ thrift shop) The Sewing Basket & I only bought one small doiley to embroider + 3 balls of wool! Well done, me!

I also have more yarn than one person can use - did I need 3 more balls? YES!! I knit coathanger covers (12 stitches, shoulder width) to cover padded coathangers for a charity chop in a local hospital & I didn't have those colours (I think/I hope/I want!)

sandra