Pre-estate sale

This week I was given the opportunity to participate in a stash reduction sale.  Actually, I look at it as a pre-estate sale--get rid of it before the family has to deal with it.

Over the years, I've bought a lot of fabric ( haven't we all?).  But my interests have changed, as has the industry.  As this point I'm painting or dyeing most of my own fabric, and the commercial fabric I use is mainly in dark, plain colours, as it's really hard to hand dye a good navy or black.  Both my husband and daughter have been urging me to get rid of some of the stash.  This is really hard!!  I loved every bit of it when it was bought, but I have to admit that most of it will never get used.  I still make charity quilts, but those require more than the fat quarter size pieces that make up a good portion of my stash.

So I've been working my way through three large bins of fat quarters.  Each and every piece is being pressed, measured and marked with its size and a rock bottom price.  It has taken most of the day, and I'm through half of the first bin.

I have to wonder if this isn't an exercise that most of us shouldn't go through periodically.  I'm exhausted, but also feeling as though a huge weight has been taken off my shoulders.  I no longer have to feel guilty about those bins staring me in the face very time I go in the studio, and the fabric will go to someone who really wants it ( who else would buy it?)

Here is a picture of what I'm up against.  The two bins on the left have yet  to be gone through. ( Who knows what may lurk...) The laundry basket contains all of the fabric I have yet to go through from the third bin and...

 

the third bin contains the fabric I have spent six hours processing today.

 

I was very surprised to find the number of pieces that were 12" by the WOF, so I packaged them up as being 1/3 yd.  I have no memory of why I would buy that amount.  Now I need to worry about whether or not this stuff will sell.  Not that much of it is batik, and that is the hot property these days!

 

 

Otherwise, it has been a quiet week.  I delivered my beaded piece to the gallery on Monday, and then had to prepare for a private student on Wednesday.  These students take so much preparation, that I probably only make pennies an hour, but I find the whole process very, very stimulating.