Hello All! How’s it going?
Last week, I blogged about a fabric I love… this 100% rayon Batik.
and a pattern I hate… McCall’s M7080.
I’m allowed to hate a pattern, right?
I offered to give it away. Guess what… NO TAKERS! Hundreds of views and not a bite. You’d think I was trying to sell ICE at the North Pole. GOT THAT McCALL’S?
But I won’t dispair, instead it will go to a charity shop. For that matter, I plan on sending quite a few things to the charity shop in the coming month. I have time off work the end of June and a proper purging of the house contents is in order. Maybe there is someone out there who will need my “stuff” (and this pattern).
I seem to go through a spring cleaning every year, but this year while making many trips to visit our parents, to help empty out their home of 40 years worth of “stuff”, I have had a revelation. What is important about my “stuff”? Pretty much nothing!
We need food, water, shelter. We need enough clothing so we don’t have to do our laundry naked. We need work, a hobby, rest, companionship. Boatloads of “stuff” isn’t ever going to give us that.
Uncertain if I was having a mental breakdown, I googled “give away my stuff” and found this blog post – “Why you should give away 50% of your stuff“. Apparently I am not going crazy. I love the lines from this article “… you are not your stuff.” and “… it will never love you back.”
I remember doing a big closet clean out in April of 2015, blogged here: “I was ruthless…” Now it seems I didn’t go far enough. So the first long break I have from work the end of June – the purging starts and off to the charity shop it goes!
If you could only possess a few frivolous “things” what would they be? Mine would be my Mother’s and my Aunt Helen’s antique sewing machines. I’ll have to show you those machines someday!
P.S. Since I was travelling last weekend and not sewing, I didn’t accomplish much on my shirt. I have to do the collar, sleeves and hemming next.
Let me tell you though, I’m still happy with it! 😍
Happy Sewing!
35 Responses to “So bad I couldn’t give it away!”
You really had me laughing out loud at “Got that, McCalls?” ;-D I am so sorry your poor pattern did not find a loving home (yet…)
Good luck with the clean-out!
Glad you enjoyed the post! 😄 The clean out is a LONG process, but at least it is moving forward!
I never buy patterns that have already been cut from second hand stores, therefore I never donate my used patterns ugly or not. Patterns that have been cut could have been altered to fit the original seamstress but not me. Pattern pieces could easily have been lost in the process. I wouldn’t want a dress pattern that was missing an important piece. Just my two cents worth. I advise just recycling the pattern.
Good points. I like uncut patterns too. That’s why I never cut my patterns but trace the pieces I want, make my adjustments on the tracings and then fold the original pattern up carefully and flatten it out so it will go in that teeny, tiny envelope 😄. I then put the whole works in small plastic bag that is just the right size – the original pattern and my adjusted tracings.
Good luck with all your decluttering. I am in the same mind as you about what we “need” but “want” is another matter and I am such a crazy hoarder that I will be found buried one day under my fabric stash. Definitely a Kondo-Free household. 🙂 Xx
I heard a story from a friend. They had to go clear out Great Auntie’s house. Her fabric stash was on shelves and filled a room. Unfortunately, it was half infested with bugs, moths and mice! Horrors! 😱
A story I heard: When sorting out the belongings of her late mother, the daughter could not help but admire her for how orderly she had been in spite of being unable to throw anything away. EVERYTHING was neatly labeled: “Fabric scraps for patchwork”…”Paper scraps for card-making” …”Bits of string too short for use”…
Oh my! And I thought I was finding too many single buttons with no mates to make use of. It could be worse, I guess! 😃
Hehehehe you can still use those! I made a patchwork throw some years ago, from a fabric sample book…and all the no-mate buttons came in handy to be sewn over the holes where the samples had been punched ;-D
Oh boy! Now I will save them for sure. I might need them someday.
I just took bags of stuff off to the charity shop, but I should just dump several boxes of patterns as well as my mother gave me all hers and they seem to be predominantly 1980s, which is not my favourite era. I quite like your pattern, but it would not suit me, but I’m stunned that someone else didn’t claim it. Good luck with your purging!!
I don’t like the straight lines of the dress but the curved hem on the top will do well on me! I always am happy to give things to a charity. There is so much stuff in the world, we should share!