Readers, I must provide some backstory to yesterday's post. I used to have a lot of clutter -- no, not clutter exactly. Stuff. And I've gotten rid of tons of it, primarily on eBay and Craigslist, but also through donations to thrift stores and just throwing stuff out.
Here's an eensy weensy taste; thank goodness I took pictures!
Vintage TV sets, and the phones, readers, the phones...
Danish modern barware.
Funky decor items; I could write a book.
Fifties dinnerware.
Miscellaneous.
But there's more, friends, much more. I have discarded hundreds of record albums. But I still have quite a few and I don't even have a stereo set up anymore.
So you can see why I need to get rid of some of those sewing machines (I fear my Elna Grasshopper may be first to go.). And I still have many more items hiding in closets and cupboards I now need for all my sewing paraphernalia. I still don't know where to store my sleeve board, for example. Where do you keep yours?
Readers, thank you for allowing me to unburden myself this holiday weekend. I know it's a lot to handle and probably stirring up difficult memories for many of you. You probably long for more sewing projects and less catharsis.
Now that we've returned from Michael's parents, I must go to the flea market later and see if I can find more Samsonite luggage to store things in.
And who knows what surprises may lurk there? It is the holiday season, after all!
Arabia Ruska dinnerware for four, anyone?
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Oh, Peter, that settles it: I'm coming to NYC to thrift shop. My heart just about stopped when I saw that Iittala liqueur set. But, yes, I know what you mean about decluttering. We've gone from a 3storey 5bedroom to a tiny bungalow and we've sold/donated more things than are currently in this house, and I'm still decluttering. Better that than ending up on Hoarders.
ReplyDeleteHeather
I fully understand your problem. I don't like clutter, but I have a lot of stuff --and not a lot of room.
ReplyDeleteYou asked yesterday about machines. I say keep the best and get rid of the rest. Nothing beats that 15-91 and treadle! I think keep the Spartan too. And a good zigzagger. Don't you have a friend that wanted the Elna --Johanna was it?
I keep my sleeve board hanging behind a door that normally stays open so no one sees it. The board has a little hook on it. I also have the large ironing board and iron behind a door. Lowes had a hanging iron organizer I bought for that. I have my rulers hanging on nails behind yet another door too. It's those patterns that take up so much room!
You don't need to get rid of your stuff, just get a bigger place
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, Serenity. YOU understand me! LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure how many sewing machines I have now. I seem to relegate them to closets when they tick me off. In order of favorites: 1 industrial serger, 1 Pfaff Tiptronic, 2 Brother sewing/embroidery machines, 1 vintage industrial sewing machine, 1 industrial strength POC ebay purchase, 2 home sergers. That's only 8. I'm good, right?? LOL I also have 2 steam presses that I don't use plus a gravity steam iron that I do use. And no sleeve board. hmmmmm...
ReplyDeleteThe best sleeve board storage I ever has was in a home built before 1900. The owner had a small door in the wall and when opened had a fold out ironing board with a sleeve board that could fold out to "stand" on the ironing board. They were both hinged to the wall and you had to lower first the ironing board then, if needed, the sleeve board. It was so very handy & I miss the whole set-up terribly. Even cooler - the first owner's entire family measurements were written in pencil on the wall behind the ironing board. Joe died 25 years ago but his measurements are readily available. Someday I'm going to build a set-up in this house, until that day I love the idea of behind the door storage.
ReplyDeleteSTUFF! I have a bellow/chant/mantra when I start to drive myself crazy. "STUFF! no more STUFF!" I mostly just ask myself if I like/need *fill in the blank* enough to get rid of something else, something big. I just sold my mid-century chaise (s-curve, blue fur upholstery) because I need more room for sewing, and to rationalize buying my Rocketeer. It felt totally worth it. I love that you have/had a Fritz the Cat poster and a Snoopy phone.
ReplyDeleteRuska Dinnerware!!! Yes please!! How much are you asking, but more importantly what pieces do you have? (And don't you dare get rid of Chrissy and co.!)
ReplyDeletebtw I recently found your blog and just love it! I too love to sew, having been taught by an ogre named Mrs. Plant at my boarding school in England. My grandmother was also very instructive when it came time for me to make curtains for my first apartment. Less time to sew now, sadly, but I can still whip up a bridesmaid dress when asked!
p.s I am serious about the china. Even though I live in Maine, my in-laws are in Brooklyn...
Having lived in NYC, I'm actually amazed at how nice your place looks despite your love of stuff. I live in a huge house but can't seem to manage keeping all the stuff in check. And I only own 4 sewing machines.
ReplyDeleteIs it Danish or Finnish? http://www.iittala.fi/web/Iittalaweb.nsf/fi/tuotteet_juominen_erikoisjuomat_ultima_thule
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind having Arabia Ruska. I haven't found it in any flea markets here. Not that I have really looked for it though.
It is indeed Finnish. Good catch! :)
ReplyDeleteCollecting things is so damn addictive! It's very hard to stop unless, for instance, a particularly nasty rainstorm floods your garage and destroys boxes of stuff which then need to be thrown out completely. That'll put quite a sharp stop to things.
ReplyDeleteThe dinner set is just gorgeous, though, and I have quite the love of that paint-tin sculpture.
My sister "stole" the Grasshopper that my father bought for my mother when I was born. I want your Grasshopper--waaaahhhhh!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been getting paid to help someone pare down and organize her home. If her stuff was half as novel as yours, I'd have a serious dilemma on my hands.
ReplyDeleteThat's some amazing stuff you have shared your home with. I shall be sure to stay far, far away from NYC thrift markets. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe pics are super cool though, thanks for posting them.
Beth
I'm in need of some of this, too. I have five large cardboard boxes of patterns that I need to start selling. Since I got most of them for free, I figure if I can get $1 each via ecrater, I'm ahead of the game.
ReplyDeleteI need to organize my sewing closet. It's so cluttered and crowded with misc fabric and scraps right now that I can barely squeeze into it and it's a nice-sized walk in closet. If that closet was clean, and all the extraneous patterns sold off and sent off, I'd be a lot happier!
Those Michael Jackson dolls are on the heavy side of awesome.
ReplyDeleteI want your doughnut phone! Am I too late? My family had one in the old days but no one knows what happened to it.
ReplyDeletep.s. I'm in NYC, so I'm kind of serious...
Guys, sadly these are all gone -- except the Chrissy dolls, of course! Can I interest anyone in a few dozen Doris Day LPs?
ReplyDeleteLaura, you could also sell those patterns as a lot, rather than individually. At $1 per pattern, that's an awful lot of work for very little payoff, imo, and just makes moving those patterns out more difficult.
ReplyDeleteDoris Day! I love her. And I just learned the phrase "Doris Day parking" yesterday. :)
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE that Doris Day collection. I was going to suggest you could make some extra $ selling your clutter in the vintage section of Etsy. People eat that stuff up, even if it is highly marked up. Do NOT sell your sewing machines unless they do not work. If you reeeally want to get rid of one it would make an amazing gift.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see a picture of your fabric stash.
my sleeve board, shaped like a "U" fits nicely hanging from the legs under the ironing board
ReplyDeleteBrandy (or is she Chrissy)? I wanted one in elementary school and you had 3! SOOOO jealous. And not one but 2 panasonic donut radios! Wow.
ReplyDeleteThe radios are history, Dawn. But I still have the Chrissys!
ReplyDeleteYou threw out Doris Day? You WHAT??
ReplyDelete