This was wonderful! I have Lupus and have had 19 surgeries - 12 orthopedic including 4 hand surgeries. I am not only a sewer but I am and new quilter and also bead, cross stitch, scrapbook, cross stitch, crochet, rubber stamp etc etc etc. My little craft room also doubles as a baby changing station for my granddaughter. Thank you for helping me realize I need to think about my abilities and how realistic is that I will actually do all those crafts again!!!
I'm glad you found my video helpful! It's really hard to have to give up or scale back on hobbies we love, but I feel like coming to terms with it really helps to clears the way for new adventures. Best of luck to you as you go through your destashing process!
I can't even express to you how much I love this video! Some of your tips have completely changed how I think of fabric destashing. Now I just need to gather up the courage to do some destashing of my own!
OK. I'm inspired! I started doing this declutter of my craft room last year after we had moved and LITERALLY just chucked all the boxes marked "crafts/sewing" into our tiny 3rd bedroom and closed the door. The pandemic hit and I started to set up and organize but 1/2 way through, we started replacing the wall to wall carpet with vinyl plank flooring in every room. I say "we". I should say I. But now that that's done (looks great, so happy!), I'm itching to get back to it. Thanks so much for sharing your process.
WOW! Great job! You had a lot of guts to just get rid of things you've held on to. I have shelves and shelves of vintage curtains that will become a quilt, I realized that I had to be careful as vintage curtain fabric can disintegrate so I dared to throw it all in the washing machine to see what came out unharmed. A lot came out shredded so that helped me destash.
A lot of guts, sure, but it had to be done. It was overwhelming! We makers feel like everything has potential, but at a certain point, you can decide to be choosy. I have no regrets at all! I haven't missed a single thing that I got rid of in the purge, not a single piece of fabric! Washing it all sounds more daunting to me, actually! :-)
@@ColleenMarble washing culls the ''bad'' from the good when it comes to vintage curtains. I've sold clothing using the fabric so had to be super rough with the fabric. In the early 70's I sold cowboy shirts using cowboy curtain fabric...it was a lot of fun! But I think I sold them for $20 which maybe was a lot of money in those days but for all that work!?! The fabric was only used on the yoke and cuffs. I'm new to your site so will watch your costume making video or videos. Costume making was always a dream of mine but I never chased the dream.
I’m not sure I could part with ANY patterns! I have lived long enough now , to see what I miss from my past. I would LOVE to have the patterns my mother used to create clothing for me and her. I would love to make things for my grandchildren using some of those old tried and true patterns. Now, at 73, I would appreciate the patterns we used to make my grandmother’s clothing. It was mostly dresses made from non stretch cloth. I would enjoy one or two nice non stretch, shirtwaist dresses for church. Vintage clothing is lovely and so feminine. I love the 1930s and 1940s era clothing. It wouldn’t surprise me if we had patterns from that era that went onto someone’s burn pile! I , myself, during my younger dumber era, got rid of ( yes, I know, it breaks my heart to even think about it) quilt tops, one of my grandmothers had hand pieced. Anyway, patterns are history. If you have a stash of them you don’t want anymore, sell them on Etsy. You’ll be surprised how much you can get for them!
I know they sell for a lot! I found a treasure trove of 1930s patterns, and I sold them on eBay to raise money for a charity that I was close to. It was a good deed and raised a fair amount of money, but now I feel sick for letting them go! As for the ones in this video, I passed them on to a school that has a fashion design program, so at least they'll be used!
The Container Concept! Yay, Dana K. White from A Slob Comes Clean! Her “Decluttering at the Speed of Life” book is t he only book I’ve ever read on the topic that actually makes sense to my brain! Congrats on managing this clean out. It’s a tough job for sure. I was forced to declutter a lot of my sewing when I sold my house and moved into my current apartment. Still not done with that project, really. (*sigh*) I agree that your space looks much more useable for you now. Congrats!
I've read a lot of Dana's blog years ago, and I didn't know she had a similar container method! But it makes sense. Her journey, plus FlyLady, have helped me develop a lot of good habits. Change is hard, but I hope you can find a good rhythm in your new space!
Oh I love that little cabinet too! A friend gave it to me, and I really treasure it! Re: decluttering, DO IT. I have zero regrets. I don't miss a single thing. Not one.
Motivational….from someone who’s too creative and dreams useful purposes for anything (aka hoarder). I am at the focusing on starting and completing projects stage in my creative journey.
That's the hardest part - everything has the potential to become something beautiful! However, I can honestly say I don't miss anything that I got rid of in this video. I think a good goal is to start AND complete projects, and I sometimes struggle to start due to fear. So if you are starting, you are on the right track!
I've not had a single regret. We all change over time, and it's okay to say goodbye to things that no longer work for us. I recently did another fabric purge, although much smaller than the one in this video. Felt good.
I am interested to know about your handkerchief craft.....I' ve stashed lots of vintage handkerchieves but I haven't found a good idea to repurpose them in a satisfying way...Thank you for sharing!
I think I was just ready to let go. It would have taken longer if I were in a different mindset. But progress, however slow, is still progress! You can do it!
I don't square it up, but I do trim off narrow or odd-shaped edges that I don't think will be useful for anything else. I used to keep scraps, but I never really used them. So now I have a mental note of the types of projects I make and the sizes and types of fabric I need for those. I may save stuff that will be suitable for one of those items, but otherwise I don't hang on to the smaller pieces. I know a lot of people who can use those, so I pass them on.
@@ColleenMarble I’ve tried to give away the scraps, to no avail. Everyone says they have more than enough. A friend where I used to live stuffed them into dog beds. I hate to waste them. 😔
No I don't. I ought to make one because I need to do it again since I've changed sizes. I used a product called "Fabulous Fit Dress Form System" that I bought on Amazon but it's currently unavailable.
Thanks! If you have a sewing stash, I highly recommend going through it like this. I literally haven't regretted getting rid of anything in this process. Not a thing has even been sort of missed. It was very freeing. Go for it!
Well, we actually don’t know that it was perfectly good before Colleen got it though, do we? For all we know, it had a giant rip or burn, and they cut that part out and donated what was still useable. But yes, it’s annoying when people do take perfectly good items and chop them up for no good reason!
![How Do I Already Have Way Too Much Fabric?? [A Fabric Stash Cleanout]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tAG0qex7_F0/mqdefault.jpg)
This was wonderful! I have Lupus and have had 19 surgeries - 12 orthopedic including 4 hand surgeries. I am not only a sewer but I am and new quilter and also bead, cross stitch, scrapbook, cross stitch, crochet, rubber stamp etc etc etc. My little craft room also doubles as a baby changing station for my granddaughter. Thank you for helping me realize I need to think about my abilities and how realistic is that I will actually do all those crafts again!!!
I'm glad you found my video helpful! It's really hard to have to give up or scale back on hobbies we love, but I feel like coming to terms with it really helps to clears the way for new adventures. Best of luck to you as you go through your destashing process!
I can't even express to you how much I love this video! Some of your tips have completely changed how I think of fabric destashing. Now I just need to gather up the courage to do some destashing of my own!
Do it! You will not regret it. It's a big job, but very emotionally rewarding.
OK. I'm inspired! I started doing this declutter of my craft room last year after we had moved and LITERALLY just chucked all the boxes marked "crafts/sewing" into our tiny 3rd bedroom and closed the door. The pandemic hit and I started to set up and organize but 1/2 way through, we started replacing the wall to wall carpet with vinyl plank flooring in every room.
I say "we". I should say I. But now that that's done (looks great, so happy!), I'm itching to get back to it. Thanks so much for sharing your process.
Ooh I'd love good flooring in my space! It will probably never happy, but one can dream! :-) Good luck organizing and decluttering!
WOW! Great job! You had a lot of guts to just get rid of things you've held on to. I have shelves and shelves of vintage curtains that will become a quilt, I realized that I had to be careful as vintage curtain fabric can disintegrate so I dared to throw it all in the washing machine to see what came out unharmed. A lot came out shredded so that helped me destash.
A lot of guts, sure, but it had to be done. It was overwhelming! We makers feel like everything has potential, but at a certain point, you can decide to be choosy. I have no regrets at all! I haven't missed a single thing that I got rid of in the purge, not a single piece of fabric! Washing it all sounds more daunting to me, actually! :-)
@@ColleenMarble washing culls the ''bad'' from the good when it comes to vintage curtains. I've sold clothing using the fabric so had to be super rough with the fabric. In the early 70's I sold cowboy shirts using cowboy curtain fabric...it was a lot of fun! But I think I sold them for $20 which maybe was a lot of money in those days but for all that work!?! The fabric was only used on the yoke and cuffs. I'm new to your site so will watch your costume making video or videos. Costume making was always a dream of mine but I never chased the dream.
I’m not sure I could part with ANY patterns! I have lived long enough now , to see what I miss from my past. I would LOVE to have the patterns my mother used to create clothing for me and her. I would love to make things for my grandchildren using some of those old tried and true patterns. Now, at 73, I would appreciate the patterns we used to make my grandmother’s clothing. It was mostly dresses made from non stretch cloth. I would enjoy one or two nice non stretch, shirtwaist dresses for church. Vintage clothing is lovely and so feminine. I love the 1930s and 1940s era clothing. It wouldn’t surprise me if we had patterns from that era that went onto someone’s burn pile! I , myself, during my younger dumber era, got rid of ( yes, I know, it breaks my heart to even think about it) quilt tops, one of my grandmothers had hand pieced. Anyway, patterns are history. If you have a stash of them you don’t want anymore, sell them on Etsy. You’ll be surprised how much you can get for them!
I know they sell for a lot! I found a treasure trove of 1930s patterns, and I sold them on eBay to raise money for a charity that I was close to. It was a good deed and raised a fair amount of money, but now I feel sick for letting them go! As for the ones in this video, I passed them on to a school that has a fashion design program, so at least they'll be used!
Your drawers just need a light sanding down to ease the opening and closing. Looks like the wood has swollen with humidity.
That's a good idea. They're much better now that they're not over full. But sanding would help I'm sure.
Those quilt tops would make beautiful quilted jackets. I made one using a sweatshirt as the base.
Great idea! I think there are so many fun options for quilt scraps!
The Container Concept! Yay, Dana K. White from A Slob Comes Clean! Her “Decluttering at the Speed of Life” book is t he only book I’ve ever read on the topic that actually makes sense to my brain!
Congrats on managing this clean out. It’s a tough job for sure. I was forced to declutter a lot of my sewing when I sold my house and moved into my current apartment. Still not done with that project, really. (*sigh*) I agree that your space looks much more useable for you now. Congrats!
I've read a lot of Dana's blog years ago, and I didn't know she had a similar container method! But it makes sense. Her journey, plus FlyLady, have helped me develop a lot of good habits. Change is hard, but I hope you can find a good rhythm in your new space!
I love your Martha Washington Sewing cabinet!! And your decluttering is epic! It is very inspirational for all of us.
Oh I love that little cabinet too! A friend gave it to me, and I really treasure it! Re: decluttering, DO IT. I have zero regrets. I don't miss a single thing. Not one.
You’ve given me hope to tackle my “organized mess”!
Do it! It feels so good to really clear things out.
Motivational….from someone who’s too creative and dreams useful purposes for anything (aka hoarder). I am at the focusing on starting and completing projects stage in my creative journey.
That's the hardest part - everything has the potential to become something beautiful! However, I can honestly say I don't miss anything that I got rid of in this video. I think a good goal is to start AND complete projects, and I sometimes struggle to start due to fear. So if you are starting, you are on the right track!
thank you -I too have had some changes in my life in my abilities, in my interests, so this really helped me thanks
I've not had a single regret. We all change over time, and it's okay to say goodbye to things that no longer work for us. I recently did another fabric purge, although much smaller than the one in this video. Felt good.
I’m so impressed. Destashing is huge. Many people just end up hoarding.
Yes it's a huge undertaking! But I have not regretting getting rid of anything and it's been over a year, so it was a really good move. 🙂
Awesome show! I need to do this in my sewing room!
Do it!! 🙂
I am interested to know about your handkerchief craft.....I' ve stashed lots of vintage handkerchieves but I haven't found a good idea to repurpose them in a satisfying way...Thank you for sharing!
I actually have some videos planned soon to show how some ideas for using them. Stay tuned!
I discovered Kon Marie too ended up doing the whole house but I to must tackle my sewing and crafts again Thankyou for your inspiration
It can be addictive for sure! But it feels great to pass on those items to someone else.
I am impressed it only took you 4 days. I have so much too. If I can finish by the end of the summer, I will be happy/
I think I was just ready to let go. It would have taken longer if I were in a different mindset. But progress, however slow, is still progress! You can do it!
I’m moving to Australia and have to be brutal with what I keep. This is helping!!
That sounds like an exciting move!! Good luck with all the decisions! It's hard to let go of sewing stuff, isn't it? Everything has potential ....
Congratulations, I envy you. I get headaches thinking of what I need to do with my tons of fabric I will not live long enough to use.
It's a difficult chore, that's for sure! But it also feels really great to pass it along to someone who can use it. Thanks for watching!
Thank you so very much for the inspiration!
You're very welcome! Fabric sorting/purging is a big job, but so worth it. I have had no regrets.
You may have mentioned this, but do you trim off the odd shapes that result from making clothing? Do you square up the fabric?
I don't square it up, but I do trim off narrow or odd-shaped edges that I don't think will be useful for anything else. I used to keep scraps, but I never really used them. So now I have a mental note of the types of projects I make and the sizes and types of fabric I need for those. I may save stuff that will be suitable for one of those items, but otherwise I don't hang on to the smaller pieces. I know a lot of people who can use those, so I pass them on.
@@ColleenMarble I’ve tried to give away the scraps, to no avail. Everyone says they have more than enough. A friend where I used to live stuffed them into dog beds. I hate to waste them. 😔
Do you have a video on how you sized up your dress form?
No I don't. I ought to make one because I need to do it again since I've changed sizes. I used a product called "Fabulous Fit Dress Form System" that I bought on Amazon but it's currently unavailable.
If you take a bar of soap and go across top of drawers it will be much easier to open and close.
good idea!
Inspiring
Thanks! If you have a sewing stash, I highly recommend going through it like this. I literally haven't regretted getting rid of anything in this process. Not a thing has even been sort of missed. It was very freeing. Go for it!
Well, we actually don’t know that it was perfectly good before Colleen got it though, do we? For all we know, it had a giant rip or burn, and they cut that part out and donated what was still useable.
But yes, it’s annoying when people do take perfectly good items and chop them up for no good reason!
That is true! But it was a perfect square, which make me very suspicious. 🙂
I lost your comment! What is lb store in St Louis .?
City Sewing Room! 🙂 they are now $2/pound.
👍🏼👍🏼🥳👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❣️
It hurts me so much when people cut up perfectly good items.
YES! It's awful, isn't it?