Last summer when I was trying to deal with stuff at work, I would visit estate sales looking for sewing notions and fabrics. I did very well: I got one of those accordion buttonhole measuring tools (I can't find it!) , lots of tracing tools, seam rippers, books, lots bias binding and rick rack and ribbons, loads of buttons, zippers (got an amazing selection from someone who used to work at a sewing/fabric store) and lots of vintage patterns. I also got into the habit of buying patterns at the pattern sales at Joann's and Hancock's. Fabrics--well that stash grew: the bricks and mortar stores/jobbers of Happy Stop in Oakland, Fabrics r Us in San Jose, Fabrix in San Francisco (and Discount Fabrics, and Darlene's in the Mission). And representing the online vendors: Gorgeous Fabrics, Michael's, Fashionista Fabrics, Ressy's coop, Lucy's, and FabricMart. After arranging stuff on the shelving, I was quite overwhelmed when I would enter my apartment. It was time to do something.
In July, I went to Ikea and bought the Anabode chest of drawers. This piece of furniture has been making appearances on a variety of different sewing blogs, literally around the world. After assembling it, I was able to fit in all my modern patterns, but very few of the vintage ones. The Anabode drawers are quite full. Later that month, I scored some discarded shelving from work and I decided to re-arrange my fabric stash, which quite overflowed the shelves. And I realized that I own a LOT of fabric. Now that I can see it on open shelves, I have a pretty good idea of how much I have, and in which colors. It's a lot of fabric. While it's daunting to realize that I have hoarded a lot of stuff. I think that this has gone beyond stashing to hoarding, because I'm not sewing as much as I feel I should. I have achieved Stash Accumulation Beyond Current Time Commitments ( which is abbreviated to "STACTC ". So is that stacked ? ). So no more purchasing until the end of the year. I think that the only exception that I can allow is thread.
The other reason I'm re-arranging stuff is that I'm getting a couch. Its being delivered Saturday morning. I used to have a futon couch for several years after I left grad school. About 5 years ago, I free-cycled it because I was tired of it, and I've been couchless every since. No easy chairs, either. Everything that hasn't been arranged has been shoved into random spaces so that the couch can be moved in. After the couch is here, then I can sort out more stuff and figure out which stuff is going away. It's going to be a fun weekend. :)
