Still sorting

This is turning out to be quite a process. Last time it did it, about 4 years ago, thee were manythings I couldn't part with. One in particular was all of my supplies for French Hand Sewing. This time I packaged them up into plastic bags and am planning to take them to a needlework flea market. If they don't sell, then I'll still have them, but I won't give them away as I paid too much for them in the first place. The one exception is a couple of pieces of Swiss Batiste. This just can't be bought in North America. I bought it from a private source about 25 years ago, and paid $15/yard then. I also found a yard of 100% virgin Cashmere wool made in Italy. I had bought it for a special commission, and while I got a fantastic deal, it was priced at $100/m at the time. It's the most gorgeous red colour--and I can't bear to part with it. so most of the stuff inthe sotreroomis sorted, and packaged for ultimate sale. I can now get tinto the storeroom. It sure looks empty without those huge tubs inthe middle of the floor.

I also found four partially made quilt tops and a box full of pre-cut triangles, as well as my usual box of 2 1/2" squares. These are traditional quilt tops, and I'm not sure where I might go with them. One is a "Storm at Sea" pattern. It is completely cut out, and partially sewn, but there is still a lot of work to do on it. One is mostly cut out, but here is still cutting to do and all of the sewing. Both of these may be bundled up and taken to the flea market. I doubt I could get much for them. The third is almost together. It is a very striking piece in black white and red, and has large areas that would be good to showcase quilting--maybe a feather wreath. I think I'm going to finish it. The fourth is a hand applique piece, an original design, that I've worked on, off and on, over several years. I'll keep that one.

The hardest decision I had to make was over a box of forgotten painted and printed fabric done in a class many years ago, that I've kept to use in embroidery. I've pretty well decided that embroidery is no longer part of my life--my wrists and hands just can't do it anymore. I still have to work up samples for the class I've been hired to teach next May, and these samples could have been part of that, but I "bit the bullet", and they're gone.

I have yet to go through the smaller tubs I have on the industrial shelving unit in my main studio. A charity has spoken for most of the cotton I plan to give away, and these tubs are full of cotton. But these tubs are the source of most of the fabric I use these days. While I may get rid of a chunk of the stuff in them, I think it's going to be more a matter of sorting them into different categories than they are at present, and putting them all back on the shelf. lol

I don't even want to think about tackling the big corner cupboard full of beads. I'm in there regularly, so there isn't much to get rid of in there, but in the bottom I know there is a pile of picture frames that will have to be dealt with some day.

So today we woke up to a pristine white world. First of April and we're dealing with a heavy overnight snow fall. And that's no April fools joke! Just two days ago we spoke of getting gas for the snow blower and decided that we wouldn't be needing it, and that we would wait until we needed gas for the lawn mower. Maybe it is an April Fools joke.