Extra Extra Part II

Here's the rest of the lot I got with the two old quilts I want to use for my dogs to nap on in my home office, starting with the round table cover, also an import like the runner (pretty sure they're both vintage Pier 1.)

This tablecloth is really vintage; my guess is it's at least forty or fifty years old (maybe older.) There isn't a tear or stain on it, and in mint condition like this it's worth about $50.00.

Another vintage tablecloth, about the same age as the previous one. Also in mint condition and worth just as much. Both fit my kitchen table, so I'm going to keep them.

This tablecloth is vintage, hand-embroidered and also in spotless condition. I'd price this one at $75.00 resale because the stitching is so nice. I may use this on our porch table (which it fits) this summer when we barbecue.

Finally the larger of the two quilts. This is an old import that probably dates back to the eighties or nineties (the manufacturing label is so worn it's unreadable), and has seen better days. I dislike buying imported quilts because the workers are paid a pittance and usually have to work in sweat shop conditions. That said, it's definitely coming to the end of its life, so it's suitable for the dogs to nap on and even gnaw on if they want.

The extras in this lot are really the only valuable items, and total $175.00. I paid $9.99 for everything. Savings: $165.01.

Comments

Downsizing

This was my fabric stash once I sorted everything -- 22 full bins. I spent a day taking out and boxing up what I could part with, with the goal of trying to reduce it by half, so I'd have 11 bins. I was very strict with myself, and removed everything that for one reason or another I was sure I wouldn't be able to use. This is what I ended up with -- 12 bins of fabric that I'm keeping. It's not quite half, but close enough. Half of what I took out went to a local quilter friend, a school and Goodwill. These four tightly-packed bins will be going to the local quilting guild once I make arrangements with them for a drop-off place. I am relieved and a little sad and now determined to control my impulses to thrift more fabric. I don't want to do this again, so until I use up six bins, I can't for any reason bring any new fabric into the house.

In Progress

I promised myself I would show you the good, bad and ugly of my cleaning this year. This is what it looks like when you dump thirty years' worth of stashed fabric on the floor -- and oy, what a pain in the butt to pick up again! This is what it looks like after it's been sorted, folded and placed in containers, which took me about a week. Now the hard part is to downsize my stash by at least half, I think (that's my goal, anyway.) I've already e-mailed the president of the local quilting guild, a local friend who is a quilter, and a public school art teacher I know to see if I can donate some of the excess to them. The rest will go to Goodwill. Already I've reduced my vintage textiles from two bins to one, and my scraps from three bins to one. It's probably the hardest clean-out I've done, which is why I saved it until last. I know I have too much fabric, more than I can use in my lifetime -- but at the same time, I love it. So I have to

Other Stashes

Along with clearing out the spare bedroom and tidying my office and our guest bedroom, I decided to reorganize some of my stashes. This is all the yarn I have on hand, sorted by color. It looks like a lot, but lately I've been using up a minimum of half a bin every month, so this is approximately a year's supply. All of my solid color cotton perle thread. I go through a lot of this every year, too. I need a container in which I can fit all of it together, but I haven't found the right one yet. I won't show you all of my fabric -- I'm still reorganizing this stash -- but I went through everything and donated two bins of fabric I won't need to the local quilter's guild.

Valerean

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