2009: Identify and Rid Myself of 43 Items of Überclutter

As tough as it is, I think I’m just going to cut out the pages that interest me to add them to my scrapbooks sometime. Most of these yearbooks are from grade school where my friends and I are just in one page. There may be a couple more pages of interest, but not to keep whole books of very-heavy pages that I won’t be lugging in my next move. As heart-breaking as it is, they’ll have to go.

Although I already threw out a few photos & negatives, I would like to get rid of at least 3 kilos more. Also my ultimate goal is to also get rid of all negatives when I scan them. This will also help me preserve them, as many of them are already showing decoloration and little spots because of the acid in plastic :( But this step will come when I see about the scanner, which won’t happen immediately, and most likely not even in the next year…

I’ve got more patterns than I need or plan on ever doing. I must go through them, and hopefully I’ll end up with half —or less…

Twenty years ago, when I embarked in a failed-before-it-started entrepreneurship of making bags, I bought these button-makers and buttons by the thousands.

They have managed to move with me at least ten times, even to the Yucatan Peninsula. But there’s no way they’re crossing the pond, so they’ll have to go as soon as I’m done with all my fabrics.

Some of them will be easier to dump as I have moved on and have no more interest in them. But I know myself, and I know I’ll still browse through them instead of just directly recycling them.

Yet some will be harder to get rid of as they have practical info I need or are beautiful works of art.

The first “sifting” of prints and negatives resulted in 11 kilos of unfocused, uninteresting, duplicated, moved photos, or give-aways.

This is my full pile of items to repair, sew, and cut & sew. This is not nearly a quarter of what I used to have —although I must admit I have some others back in Seattle.

Some of these fabrics are 20 years old!! And a few are so out of style. And all of them are at least 11-12 years old :P So this is my last chance: anything that doesn’t get sewn before spring, will be given away, as I won’t be lugging fabrics that won’t be turned into garments for another 20 years!

As I recently adopted this goal and having a major move early in the Spring, I’ll be stretching this goal until then. Of course, the sooner I accomplish it the better. Some items will take me longer than others.

Today, at first glance, I spotted 12 items of überclutter! Today was a big de-cluttering day, and ahhh… feels so good :)