I've hung onto all of these craft magazines and stuff for years and years. Everytime, my husband has to lend his strong back to moving them, he suggests that perhaps now might be a good time to get rid of these things. "ARE YOU INSANE!!" I respond and make some suggestions about lightening up his stash of tools in the shop. "ARE YOU INSANE" he responds. It's a Mexican stand off.
One small problem. The fabric had been stored in our pumphouse and last year we had a flood that soaked all the boxes and boxes of fabric. I had to throw it all into the washer to clean and dry. The result......a big jumble of all sizes, shapes and colors of fabrics.
Just like any other craft or job, you need to have all of your materials and tools in order before you can even begin. This means, hour and hours of ironing and sorting fabrics. Tedious, boring but necessary.
Under the everything old is new again label is the discovery that while my quiliting was in cold storage, technology has been marching on. New techniques, new tools, new ways of assembling. I feel like the Rip VanWinkle auto mechanic who fell asleep in the 1960's and woke up to cars that are computerized electronic marvels that take a whole new set of skills to work upon.
Tedious, boring but necessary.
ReplyDeleteRewarding too. My wife's mother, who came from the old country, made quilts, dresses, outfits, you name it for our two kids when they were little. Also tapestries for their walls and stuff like that. Neither my wife nor her mother are packrats but guess what stuff gets saved & carefully stored, preserved and handed down?
I wish you the best for reviving your craft.
P.S.
ReplyDeleteI have the feeling that girls aren't learning skills like quilting any more than boys are learning how to turn wood on a lathe.
Shop and home ec have bitten the duct.