Trying to get the stash down.

I was in a segment a couple of years ago on an ABC program called The Collectors.  It featured my paper sewing pattern collection, at that time I had about 900 of them, ranging from the 1950s to the 1970s.  I love the styles from those three decades, any patterns I've got from the 80's are because they're funny, strange, or have a shape that was missing in the collection, but mostly for laughs.  (sorry 80's fashion fans)

I now have over 1600, that increase is almost solely due to all the wonderful viewers of that show, passing on their patterns (and fabric, and knitting patterns, wools, beads, buttons etc) to me (so they would be treasured, used and free up their cupboards no doubt!)  The down side of that generosity is that I've spent the last two years replying to letters, sorting through patterns I want to keep, multiple trips to op shops to pass on the ones I don't want.

The hoarder in me loved it, because every new parcel could be full of amazing treasures.  BUT I only have one room for my studio, so that soon overflowed into the hallway, and into the spare room, and boxes piled up and well, I didn't exactly know what I had anymore and couldn't lay my hands on anything! 

So, I think I've spent the last eight months or so trying to organise what I've got into some semblance of order and make my studio nice to work in, rather than feel like I'm going to drown in fabric due to all the teetering boxes!  

Many thanks to Dark Cloud for helping me, ordering storage and generally holding my hand when my eyes started to pop out of my head, or I got distracted by all the cool things I'd rediscovered.

What I've set myself to do is as well as finishing things I've already started, is to not buy anymore fabric (which I used to buy in lieu of shoes, clothes, books, anything anyone else buys for a whim really...) but to use what I've got.  I recently found a stack of curtains from the 60's in one of my boxes, and voila!My first beanbag! 

I did this because I've never had a beanbag before (deprived childhood indeed), I had a pattern, my husband wanted one and one of my studio mates (more about that later) decided that our studio really needed some beanbags (conducive to creativity I guess).  So this one will live at ours, and I've got enough material for two more, although one will have black stripes I think.

The beanbag is sitting on a rag rug crocheted by a great friend of mine who has been such an inspiration for me since she was my kindy teacher (there is a bit of an age gap, I'm younger than her youngest).  And she's always made such cool stuff over such a range of media!  I'm happy to finally have a space to place it in, as we now have a lounge room, before it was a non functional dining room/office/printing area, which just didn't work because it was trying to be too many things.

And a new couch - a friend said that buying a couch definitely means I'm now a grownup. 

how about that?