clutter

Thanks for the comments on my Affluenza post. It was a bit off topic (like I care with my garden/chook/kid posts), but I’m glad I wrote it, and it’s good to know others feel the same.

I have been thinking about stash, creativity and clutter. For a long time, every time I wanted to do something creative it necessitated a trip to the shops to buy the ‘ingredients’ (and more). I have a love affair with cloth and fibres; I find people who can go into fabric shops and not touch a bit odd). I continue to buy wool even though I realise (sshhhh don’t tell anyone) I don’t really like knitting (I know, stupid aren’t I, fancy not enjoying knitting……. oh yeah and buying stuff I have no use for too!). I think I would like to learn how to crochet, but I figure I’ve got enough going on at the moment with quilting and embroidery (and finishing the three knitted scarves I’ve promised before I hang up my needles forever). What I actually want to make is a great big freeform crocheted coral reef (no granny squares for this learner!) So that’s not happening for a while, and I’ve gone off on a tangent!

When I started my adventures I didn’t have a stash, and I had read enough magazines to know a stash is important, having more stash than you could ever possible use in your lifetime is required if you want to really be able to get creative. Right? So hi ho hi ho a shopping I did go. And I had fun. Lots of fun. And we ate baked beans occasionally, because I’d spent the grocery money. (I am not sure why patchwork fabric has to be $22 or more a metre). Now I have fabric coming out my ears, lots of threads, beads galore, wool (see above), paintstiks, pencils, paints…….. I don’t have any zentangles yet (marketing ‘genius’ –that is), but I figure I can rustle up some paper and a pen from somewhere if the mood hits.grin.

And am I more creative? I don’t think so. I am starting to think that my creativity might be a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I’ve chucked at it. Instead of heeding the ‘excellent’ advice I give the children (Child: I’m bored. Me: You’ve got plenty of toys, find something to do. Child: they’re boring toys, I want something new. Me: go away, don’t be ridiculous), I have decided to lull my creativity into a stupor by buying it too much stuff to play with. We lament the fact ‘when I was a child we made our own fun’ (Yes, I say that and I’m not 40 …yet), and ‘kids these days’ have too much stuff, they are spoiled for choice….and yet I’ve done that very same thing to myself.

I have had some time to think about this while I’ve been stitching the binding on my quilts (one down, one to go). If you want to read what someone sensible has to say on the matter check out Nicky’s posts: keep it fresh; the power of immediacy and Radical Clutter Clearing. I think part of my problem is I buy things that I think I will use ‘one day’ but when I go to use them, they aren’t quite right, or a bit out of date. We go to the library every week, and I always get several embroidery and quilt books, and I get all enthused about a new technique, which if I am feeling particularly frivolous I will buy bits and pieces for. The book goes back to the library and the bits and pieces get filed into my stash. I feel a bit guilty having all this stuff, and if I stopped to think what I spent on it, well…… I’d just rather not. I also have a problem actually using it** (this is where I start to sound like more of a fruit loop than usual) – when I know I have spent say $60 on 10 fat quarters I hesitate to chop them into pieces in case I make a quilt and it looks bad – not only have I wasted the money, I no longer have the pretty fabric and I have the dubious distinction of being able to make an ugly quilt out of attractive fabrics. What I have found is the gifts of stash have the opposite effect. If someone gives me something from their stash I feel excited and stimulated and I don’t have the same problems using it, which is strange because the gifts are often unique, and once it has gone from my stash it’s gone.

Another part of my problem is I don’t know what I like yet. I have a sneaking suspicion I prefer embroidery to quilting, but there are aspects of quilting I really enjoy (and not just buying the fabric). I am torn between being a jack of all trades and dabbling in everything, and knuckling down and specialising in one area are becoming really good (Paula good, not excellent good)at it. I think that is another post.

** I tested this the other day and used all but two lengths of my favourite colourstreams thread – Arabian Nights. I told myself it didn’t matter, I can always buy more. But, because it is hand dyed – when I went to get more the colours had changed. Not a significant, and it’s not like I am in the middle of a giant project with it and the colour change will actually affect my work, but still. A sad little sigh and grief for a thread colour that is now a memory. I can almost guarantee I won’t use those last lengths of that colour….It will probably rot on the bobbin, while I wait for the right thing to use it on……fool that I am.