Tidying my sewing box

Tidying my sewing box isn't something I do very often so when I do get round to it, I come across lots of things I've completely forgotten about. Like these pieces of paper. I was practising my stencilling ready to decorate our house when we moved here in the early nineties. Stencilled borders were very popular then along with sponged and rag-rolled walls.

The stencils and paints were from Laura Ashley and these two did end up our walls although they were painted over many years ago.

Then I came across this bundle of pieces of charcoal grey material, the spare patches and buttons supplied with so many pairs of school trousers. Each time I bought a new pair, the mending kit went in the sewing box and now nobody wears grey school trousers any more.

This needle case was belonged to my grandmother's sister, still full of needles all neatly labelled, more than enough for her lifetime

and more than I will ever need as well.

Unfinished projects linger in the box, like this cross stitch sampler which I have so nearly finished. I wonder why I stopped, maybe because I don't think I would display it in the house if I did finish it...I wonder why I started it?!

Then there are the little paper bags containing bits of ribbon and lace. Do they still make bags with the words "Thank you - Please call again!" printed on them?

So many memories inside the sewing box - no wonder it takes me so long to tidy it!

Decluttering

I know spring is the season generally associated with having a good clear out and getting everything clean and tidy but autumn also seems to be a good time to get things in order.

It is the time of year when I tidy up the garden, pruning and cutting back, moving plants or getting rid of those that are too big or taking over the garden. This year the same clearing and tidying process is taking place inside the house as well.

I can't take the credit for these bags ready for the charity shop though, they are full of books that my youngest son has decided that he has outgrown. He tells me there are 139 books altogether.

He is usually such a hoarder, I was really surprised that he could part with so many. As we dropped them off at the Oxfam bookshop, it was me that felt a bit sad, there were hours of bedtime stories in those bags.

I have followed his good example and cleared out some clothing and a few books of my own. I have listed some of last years school textbooks on Amazon and am hoping to recoup some of the money I spent on them. I'm not sure how well they will sell though, a lot of other people have had the same idea and there are loads for sale at very low prices.

Of course visiting the charity shops does give the opportunity to buy stuff as well and I must make sure that I don't get carried away and return home with more than I donated. Only one purchase this time, a pure wool Witney blanket that was too good a bargain to be missed - even the chickens approve!

Decluttering

I am tidying again today. It has rained so much lately and the ground is so waterlogged that I can't do any gardening and I've run out of other excuses!


I am having a lot of difficulty getting rid of stuff at the moment. When I started work and lived in shared houses I could take all my possessions with me in the back of a VW Polo, well sometimes when I moved it might have taken two journeys, but it was still a lot less than I have now.


There are all sorts of things I find difficulty geting rid of. Take, for instance all my university notes which are in boxes in the loft.

When did I last work in a field related to my degree? Just before my first child was born and he will be seventeen this year.

Is there any information in the notes that I couldn't get from other sources if I needed to? No, probably not.

How many times have I looked at them in the last say ten years? Maybe twice and then only to show the boys that in the "olden days before computers" Mum wrote out all her notes longhand!

So, why can't I get rid of them? I don't know perhaps its some sort of identity thing, a link with the life and job I had before I had children.


You are now probably getting somew idea of why this is taking so long. I need to become a bit more ruthless and throw out without thinking too much. Any tips on how to do that would be welcome!