Was decluttering some of my little bead craft bins yesterday. As I sat looking at the different things in the bins, I realized that the probability of me doing any major beading in the near or distant future is very unlikely. I culled quite a bit out, eventually emptying two small storage bins. I haven't gotten rid of everything, but, again, I have no idea when I will - if ever - revisit this craft.
When do you say good-bye to a craft?
To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown
I don't know. It's a great question. My arthritis is making everything hard right now--that and eyes fading. Took me 20 minutes to thread a sewing machine needle yesterday.Originally Posted by happystuff
No way could I physically bead. Good for you for asking the question and trying to keep up with reality.
Ideally, I would say good-bye to crafting supplies when I find someone who is willing and able to use them. Maybe there is somebody to mentor into beading.
I just gave another quilter all the selvages I have saved for years. I did make some things out of them but decided I had too many other crafts I really wanted to do. She got a huge moving box and a huge tote bag full and it made me quite happy.
I also have boxes and boxes of wool from recycled clothes fro potential rug hooking projects. This is in addition to complete kits given to me. So another quilter is going to help me cut them into 10 inch, 5 inch and 2.5 inch squares and we are going to make simple quilt tops. The wool is all washable since I have already run it all thru a wash and dry. At the very least this should reduce 12+ boxes into two until it is all sewn together.
I am not good at letting go of crafts I enjoyed but haven’t done for a while, but I did recently accept that I would not be attempting two new ones - carving and crochet. (Ok, I am still open to the possibility that I will someday learn to crochet, and have a small box of hooks - but I do use them to pick up dropped stitches in my knitting.)
I realized that the carving was more about my emotional connection to my grandfather, and let the kits and tools go, and my Dd who does crochet actually did the project I was hoping to learn how to do, so I gave her all the yarn I was saving for it.
"I realized that the carving was more about my emotional connection to my grandfather,"
Yeah, I have some crafts that fall into this category, and it's time to actually do them again and then decide if I want to keep them in my life. My mom's rug-hooking comes to mind.
I won't get rid of a craft item unless I cannot physically do it anymore. IE: after years of not knitting, I am doing it again. After years of not doing cross-stitch, I have a project I am about to embark on.
If my hands get to the point where I cannot do whatever I want in day, I will choose what I most want to do and liquidate the rest.
How? I will 1st: contact Senior Centers in the valley, 2nd: Art program at our Women's/Children's Rescue shelter that uses art/therapy programs for kids to communicate nonverbally 3rd: Rehab facility Occupational Therapists, 4th: thrift store
I wouldn't give a 2nd thought to getting rid of something I can't do!
I do however hope that I will quilt until my last breath
Both Seattle and Portland have thrift shops devoted to craft supplies; that may be an option for you.
I have read that sometimes the reason we hang onto things is because we have the fantasy of being that person....like that big tub of knitting supplies I hang onto, cuz I want to be that person who's an accomplished knitter.
Or we want to return to who we were, a long time ago.
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