This month, September, I'll be moving my home, pets and sewing studio 125 miles back near Los Angeles and in closer proximity to work. I've been blessed with more work than I can do, and the commute from my beautiful Central Coast home has become too much. In addition, my daughter will leave this month as well for her first year in college, an amazing new phase in her life, and a lump-in-my-throat send off for my only child. A lot of change for one poor quilter to take.
The move was quickly conceived because of time deadlines, and I've found that the sewing studio is the biggest challenge for packing, moving, and divesting. Out with the old...quick, before I have to pack and lift it. This has been a real purging, and almost as emotional for me as having my daughter out of reach for the first time in 18 years. I'm struggling with donating that tube weaving machine I've never used, or that rhinestone setter that I've had in a drawer for years, preferring a hot set method now that leaves stones in place longer. All these things are long ago retired, but I'm troubled by 'what if I need it one day?' But they've got to go!! Anybody else out there reorganizing? Is it this hard for you to let go?
I can't even FACE the fabric. I have dozens of clear boxes with organized quilting fabrics by style and color, labelled and in reach. But then there are the larger colored trunks full of velvets and upholstery fabrics for my purses...and the cardboard boxes I didn't quite get to unpack from the last move. Oh my gosh. Where did all the thread come from? Three packing boxes of rayon embroidery thread cones alone. Then construction thread, specialty thread, quilting thread, surger thread and wooly nylon...
Anybody else out there with this compulsive hoarding? It started when I was a starving actor and didn't have enough money to buy supplies. I'd grab things on sale and stock up for gift projects and the like.
Now it's just addiction. And it's obviously out of control.
The best I can do is vow to go through it all at the other end and downsize there. Donate, reuse, use up. It's a lovely dream. We'll see if it happens. I'll let you know.
Meantime, goodbye lovely studio, hello new space. See you in October!
