Kathy Roberts

Pattern Hoarding, Oh, My! Sewing patterns, how many hundreds of them do I need?

Vogue, Butterick, McCalls, the time I have spent dreaming through your pattern books an displays. Something I will always enjoy doing.

Yet, I have thousands of patterns.  Do I need more?  When does it stop?
How do I have more control?  How can I actually use my patterns and reuse them? When do you say…I have all I need?

Getting educated is a fine place to start.
We sewist know more than we realize.  It can aid us in our quest to avoid stockpiles of unnecessary hoarding.  Hoarding, something many of us do yet because it might be in just one area we feel it is not hoarding.  It is all part of our craft having materials and tools to work with.

Do you like YouTuber utube educational videos regarding your interests?  Most of us do enjoy them.  I was enjoying them when I realized that the influence was no longer about utilizing what I already owned, instead the influence was about acquiring more patterns and ordering more fabric.  I felt greatly pressured to Spend time I do not have browsing sites shopping for fabrics and patterns.   I felt encouraged to spend money I do not have.      To acquire more of what I do not need.
Time! Money! Things!  No ThAnkyou!!!

I have what I want and need.   If I happen to be in a fabric store I am sure I will browse and purchase.  It is natural really. However, what I long for is to be productive with what I have.   Do you want to be productive with what you already have?  That is the true thrill and satisfaction of any hobby.

A hundred years ago likely acquiring to the degree that we do in the last few decades was unheard of.   People were truly productive and clutter was a rarity.  People planned out their project, acquired necessary supplies and proceeded to produce.  They were more accomplished then than we are now with less stuff and supplies.

I have no intention of paring down my fabric and patterns, however I have made the choice months ago that I no longer care to regularly visit sites to browse merchandise.  I do not need it and do not want it!  Yea!  That is an accomplishment.

Now we hear of hoarding, and clutter etc. some people like a lot around them and some people like the minimalist approach.  I am absolutely ignorant to the minimalist approach however the few I know may be actually more productive than our hoarder friends because they can focus on the project at hand.  They may purchase just what they need for intended project then make the project without all this distracting stuff around.  That is the purpose to a craft to be productive and have something to show for your anticipated dream work.  Not just housing a bunch of supplies like we are a store or junk shop.

Some are so obsessed with this thing called clutter and purging that creative endeavors are put on hold never to be happening.  Cluttering their lives obsessing over new ways to handle all their supposed clutter.  Spending money and time on a bunch of methods and courses to manage stuff instead of living life to the full.  Either way it is sad some still are not gaining meaningful productivity or satisfaction.

Personally I am a stuff kind of person, dreams and projects always floating around in my mind as I work out details to accomplish what I rarely see thru to the finish.  I view myself as an accomplished person.  I make and do many things with the goal of being less a dreamer and more of a producer.  It is satisfying blending the two, for me, I cannot have one without the other and I love it.

Please do not put off your dream like…I do not have the work space…are you kidding where haven’t I cut out fabric and pattern.   Are you punishing yourself like a child?  Are you self imposing that until my work area is cleaned up I cannot do my craft?  You will never get to do your craft!   Until my home is organized I will not gift myself the time…your home will never be organized and you will never get to.   Do not use your art, craft as leverage to get yourself to do something else, that is not decent.  Make the time for your obligations to be fulfilled.  Make the time for your crafts.
Warning: They may conflict at times, yet being balanced is not being obsessed or overly restrictive with one compared to the other.  We must practice good habits so we can make time for those we love and make time to do the things we love to do.  I am striving to be more tidy by practicing better daily habits and routines.  A program helping me is Kathy Roberts “Tidy Tutor”.  Kathy is helping me practice more mindfulness regarding managing my home.  I have a long way to go as I strive to practice routines and habits that create an environment more conducive to my goals of greater creativity.  I also serve Jehovah the God of creation and order. Psalm 83:18.  I desire to please Jehovah by reflecting his standards.  I know he will definitely open the door of creativity with productivity even more so.  This motivation and purpose fuels my efforts more so, something God can bless.

There are many productive ones on utube YouTube that share their Makes videos and I appreciate it so much.   They are motivating.  We must spur each other on to the truly satisfying accomplishment of Making.  Go ahead, think of your craft, prepare, set up your work station, get your supplies for project laid out, set up a reasonable amount of time even in short sessions if you need to. Now get busy and make something!  Make yourself glad and achieve your anticipated project with satisfaction.
The example I end with sounds very hoardish yet the lady was very productive with her crafts and sewing.   She knew how to stow her stash and enjoy it.  However, owning over two hundred cross-stitch kits, thousands of patterns, and everything related to sewing she had it all.  When and how would she do it all?  I cannot say because I may be just like her.

It is just satisfying no longer being in the market for more.  No Hull watching for me, let us be an encouragement to each other to use what we have and treat ourselves to a buy with a greater rarity.   If I buy a pattern or piece of fabric months down the road do not be too disappointed in me.  Instead ask me what have I been making lately😃👍🏾.

Here is an example…we went to an estate sale.  It appeared these people walked out the door with nothing an … how sad.  Upstairs, a finished attic was every sewist dream.  A very productive sewing room. Everything well planned out an organized.  If I had $500.00 I should have offered it for the contents of the room.  I bought a body form which I had been wanting.  Thousands of patterns, organized in bins an drawers.  Fabric stacked so nicely. Shelves an shelves.  Sadly, this is just one of many similar estate sales I have been to.

 

Altogether untogether, do you ever feel this way?

At times, life’s responsibilities are so overwhelming it is hard to remember whom we are and what we like to do.

We try so hard to keep it together, then it is so easy to land onto the couch and watch an episode of Gunsmoke or something.  Yet, is it becoming our thing, our habit to drop and chill?  Is there any other way to reconnect with the joy of living the life?

My Dear mother in law is living with us.  She is 101 years old.  Overall it is going fine.  My husband nor I feel well and it makes everything so challenging.

Thankfully, she does not complain much and goes with the flow.

A friend makes pound cakes and shares by showing up at bad times and gives these to encourage others.  Although it has been a couple years and she is going thru so much herself.  I believe she deserves some pound cakes.  I asked Lisa to share her recipe and she did.  I know there are thousands of poundcake recipes online, but there is nothing like one shared by a friend you know to be good.  I brought Marcia into the kitchen and we visited as I put the cake together.  It was a nice experience and it turned out well.  This afternoon Marcia looked at me and said, where is this cake we baked?!  So I brought her a big piece and she liked it.  Which of course made me very happy.

Today, I just wanted to be in bed.  Everything hurts and I am tired.  This week there has been plans to teach a young lady how to sew pillows an insert the forms.  Her mother and she picked out many nice fabrics at a fabric store and pillow forms.  Marcia enjoyed watching us girls measure, cut and sew.  All turned out fine and it was a joy.   Her mother gave me some of the lovely fabrics.  What a treat!

When I plan time w others I have to think ahead for the meals to avoid temptations of eating out.  Our middle son Brock gave me a rice cooker so tonight I dropped in frozen chopped Peppers an onions, a couple packages of jumbulia ricean beans, Conecka sausage, chicken broth and pinto beans and just let it cook itself in this rice cooker   It turned out very well with minimal effort.   When your just tired it makes you happy when things turn out well.

We made an agreement this week to really watch how we spend and that we want to live on the leaner side.  We do not always recognize how easily we live in a luxurious manner.  We meaning anyone.  We want to pay off any debt and live within our means more closely.  Circumstances change and are we really prepared for them?

My friend Vickie, her husband is dealing with extreme health issues, she has a special needs son besides.  Vickie has always managed to keep her home together, help others and go for walks.  We were talking tonight and reminding each other of the importance of having little things you like to do.  Making time to do these activities.   Vickie is accepting help from others to take her husband for his treatments.  It is humble of her to accept the help because he and she has been good to so many over the years.  He gains encouragement from spending time with others and experiencing their care for him.

A family we cherish in the Panama City, Florida area that was affected by the hurricane expressed today that they are just longing for some normalcy.  We really were designed to have routines and steady circumstances.  Our creator designed us to be stable and that is what we yearn for.  When our world is upside down we are too!  They will be coming for a brief visit in a couple weeks and we look forward to it.

I am taking a course with the Tidy Tudor.  It is very enjoyable.  About good habits and ways of thinking that affect our life in a more healthful manner.  I am not naturally organized and would like to be.  Kathy Roberts is very motivating with a new step each day or concept to consider.

Right now the house seems a mess and it has only been six days that I finally got a shot to settle my asthma down.   I am not up to par.  My husband and I neaten up and Vaccume before bed because we like it looking nice when we get up.   Somehow, it gets totally destroyed each day, I do not know how it happens.

Three points to get out of all my jibber jabber.

  1.  Remember some activity you always enjoyed doing and include that in your life.  Whether it be working out, dancing, tennis, woodworking, needlework, gardening or baking etc.  make the time for it.  It is important!  Even Daily Bible Reading  is considered to be the most valuable of activities to include in our life.  I know making the time for it makes a difference in my outlook and attitude.
  2. Include people in your life no matter how crazy your life seems.  People help keep our perspective healthful.  I enjoy company, such a boost!
  3. Habits and routines are sanity keepers.  If it is difficult to get on track, ask for help or take a mini course.  Tap into our reset button and just do the basics until recovery is bestowed on us.  Choose something from each of the three on the list and see if it does not help a little.

Our lives are always changing and we must adjust or we can break under the pressure.

Written by:  Gina Rydin of fatfitanfab.com