2012 Craft & Hobby Supplies Use It Up Challenge

**dcompton** · 12-12-2011, 03:51 PM

I don't go in thrift stores often, but have never seen yarn there. That's probably a good thing, or I would have to move to a larger apartment.

**peanut** · 12-12-2011, 05:17 PM

Spent some time in my sewing room cleaning up. Unearthed the wool I was spinning...but can't remember for sure if it's the one!!! I'm going to have to get out the magnifying glass and check the fibre. Or the microscope! Maybe I can find someone who can tell by feel... Too much fibre, not enough time!

Went through a stack of donated linens and discovered a lady had already sewn some cotton feed bags into square cloths and tea towels ready for embroidery.

Added those to my "to do" pile...which is growing higher and higher.

Did have a few pieces beyond repair that I am tossing.

**Sumacaroni** · 12-12-2011, 05:43 PM

That makes me jealous, peanut! (Does that make me weird that I am jealous someone is going through and organizing their supplies?!?) Am going to start going through my stashes tonight. I made a mental list of the types of things I will keep and the things I know I will donate so someone else can have the joy of finding them at the thrift store.

**Spirit Deer** · 12-12-2011, 07:16 PM

I was messing around with the sleeping bags I started modifying a few months ago and ran across the vinyl bag I started making for my mom's power chair, also a few months ago. It was conveniently hiding under the sleeping bags since I messed it up and didn't think I'd be able to make it from what I had. I had forgotten about it. BUT after looking at it and the scraps I had left, I figured out how to make a rather nice bag after all. So I worked on that a while. I have to add a piece at the top that can be gathered closed and have that figured out already, then all I have to do is wait till I go over to Mom's so I can see where the straps need to go to hold it on the back of the chair. It'll be good to get that done. Mom gave me the vinyl for it and it's an exact match to the red of the chair, right down to the metallic flecks in it. She asked about it a few weeks ago and I said I had messed it up, and she was disappointed. So this will make her happy. I'm hoping I can unearth my notes I took when I brought the vinyl home. Then I could just complete it and surprise her at Christmas. We'll see. I'm not optimistic about finding my notes.

I forgot exactly what I was doing with the sleeping bags so will have to re-invent those, too, but I think I might have that figured out as well. The first mistake I made with those is it looks like I was trying to sew them on my home sewing machine. I'm filing that stupidity in the "What was I thinking?" file and moving on.

If I can get the yarn under control, the chair bag done, the two sleeping bags done, window quilts made, and all five chair pads out of the sewing room, that'll make a big dent in the mess in there. Maybe then I'll feel more like working on organizing in there.

Oh, yeah, then there's the curtains I started several years ago for the back porch. I wonder what I did with those things...

**nuisance26** · 12-13-2011, 08:58 AM

~My motivation is less stuff to move and clutter items turned into useful items not saving money or avoiding the lure of new supplies. I spend less than $50 a year on all my sewing and crafting supplies because nearly all my materials are things to upcycle.
My main problem is having too many projects in my to-do boxes. If my time was all my own they'd be done no problem. But as it is I'm lucky if I squeak in 3 hours of crafting over a week. That's hardly enough to accomplish repairs and absolute necessity sewing. My really creative pieces are hardly ever touched.
So my plan is two-fold:
1. Prioritize and purge-I simply don't have the time to save everything I think has possibilities
2. Carve out more time to work on the projects that are important. This is tricky because I cannot see enough to work at night so I'll need to fit it into my already crazy days. My toddler's naptime is the best option but we're usually still doing school. I'm going to try starting school 30 minutes earlier from now on and see if it helps. ~

**madhen** · 12-13-2011, 09:36 AM

A friend of mine asked me to knit her a belt for her sweater, so I am HOPING I have some black yarn in the pile of extras!

**Debbie-cat** · 12-13-2011, 09:52 AM

One pound of Red Heart is GONE from my stash! Used it up last night on an afghan. Woo hoo!

**Spirit Deer** · 12-13-2011, 11:54 AM

I'm really getting into this. It came at just the right time, when I've been slowly poking through my sewing room and sorting a bit now and then and working on UFOs. So I'm primed and ready!

I got out a new calendar for this month through next year and I'm going to note all the items I complete from stuff I have on hand. I'm guessing it's going to be an impressive list at the end of the year.

I wonder if I get to include the new deck. We spent about $300 on it last year and bought joist hangers and screws and stuff like that before the state put the kibosh on buying lumber. And we also spent another $100 to rebuild the existing steps on the small deck we have, as a part of the whole deck project. So it's technically a UFO but the bulk of the expense is still yet to be incurred. Decisions, decisions.

**dcompton** · 12-13-2011, 12:13 PM

Spirit Deer - I would count it. It's a UFO with some supplies on hand so you will be using those up. For my part, I'm taking credit for everything I can! It's a matter of motivation.

I used up a skein of RH Melonberry yesterday.

**peanut** · 12-13-2011, 02:03 PM

Okay. Actually got into my sewing room to do some sewing. Cut up the feed sacks and turned them into tea towels (mine are a cotton cloth). Threw out what wasn't going to be used that was damaged. Kept some of the good stuff that was too narrow. Might find a use for it some day.

Also cut and sewed the binding for the sampler quilt.

And mended a zipper in a top for a friend. And pinned in a shoulder pad for her. I'm downstairs ready to sew that in right now.

Can't say the stash went down much, but it's slowly being transformed!

**Trishagirl** · 12-13-2011, 04:56 PM

Thanks, I need to do this too and organize my craft room...so I can get organized to so some new projects!!!

**AliciaKnits** · 12-13-2011, 05:04 PM

I'm in on this challenge as well for 2012. I'd like to organize my stashes of yarn, scrapbooking supplies, sewing supplies and small beading supplies to make stitch markers by the end of this year.

Just to give an idea, I have roughly 13 bins (think 1 cubic foot fabric boxes) that I want to get down to 8 bins so it can fit in my Ikea Expedit bookshelf it's designated for, as well as one small basket of knitting needs, crochet hooks, and other knitting notions.

As far as scrapbooking supplies, I have one rolling tote, two 12x12 paper plastic storage boxes for paper and embellishments, and one large shoulder bag. I'd like to get down to only the rolling tote and shoulder bag for traveling (I crop once per month a few towns over with friends, and once a year I go to Portland, OR for a scrapbooking weekend convention in March).

For sewing supplies, I have one small box with about 40 fat quarters to make up for project bags, and two bags of extra fabric for 1 Christmas table runner and two jersey knit dresses. I'd like to get down to no fabric at all and to purchase only as needed per project by the end of 2012.

Also, my stitch marker making supplies are only in one very small plastic storage bin, but I'd actually like to make them this year. I only have supplies for one or two sets of markers (5 each set) or so, once I complete those I can buy on a per project basis.

Once I organize everything this month, I'll have a better idea about what projects I'm working on next year

**Spirit Deer** · 12-13-2011, 07:33 PM

I finished up Mom's bag for her power chair, I hope. I had to guess at the length for the strap to go around the headrest, so if it's not right I'll have to change it. But it's done for now and out of my sewing room and into the gift cache.

The new step stool/chair arrived and I assembled it and put the last chair pad on it, so all the chair pads are out of the sewing room, too. Love the step stool except the heads on the screws are too small, so will have to put washers behind some of them so they don't pull through. Otherwise, I'm happy with it. It's a lot sturdier than I expected.

Tomorrow I hope to make storage bags for my swift and my blocking board so those can be hung up in the sewing room out of the way.

**craftypam** · 12-13-2011, 08:03 PM

LadyV; This is funny (not really) I would not be able to go to a craft store the rest of my life LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am in! I have been telling myself I am not stepping foot near a craft store until everything I have is GONE!
__________________

Spirit deer; You said you have blankets that are pilled and are going to use them as window quilts; and this is only if you are interested in learning this piece of info. You can buy a battery operated "depiller" can't remember what they are called. They work wonderfully on sweaters too. They actually shave off the pills.

**Spirit Deer** · 12-13-2011, 09:45 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, Pam. The blankets in question are not worth the trouble. They're old and stretched out of shape and just not very nice anymore used as blankets. To be honest, I'm not sure what I have of them anymore, since I donated some to our vet to use with sick animals at the vet clinic. They're good enough for that, and good enough for window quilts since they'll be enclosed and invisible so as not to be an affront to anyone with their ugliness.