Saturday, October 21, 2006

I'm still alive...just!

Oh I have been such a bad blogger. It is over a month since I last wrote anything here but there are mitigating circumstances. Since the summer I have had one blow after another culminating in a notice to quit from our landlords. This has been quite devestating as I thought we were here for life or as much life as we wanted but this isn't to be. So I have been clearing out as if my life depends upon it. Well I suppose in a way it does! We have been here nearly 14 years and it is amazing how much stuff one can collect in that time. I have had to make some very big decisions as to where I am going in the future and what I need and want to keep and what I will never ever use and must get rid of. Books have been the first things to be pruned. I have over 2000 books; well I did before I started moving them on. I have so much fabric that I could start a shop so that is being sold, given away or chucked. It is hard but I am being ruthless as I don't know where we will be or what room I will have. We are just so glad that we didn't start the major overhaul and re-decorating that we had planned. I would have been so cross if I'd spent masses and then had to go! Oh life is hard for those of gentle birth! (Big grin!)
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But I have not yet succumbed to despondency and have even been doing some patchwork (for class samples) and some ribbon work (ditto). Although nothing world shattering this has been very therapeutic. One of the biggest problems has been that a large box of fabric is sitting in my living room and since doing the silk ribbon work I've been sneaking pieces out as I've ideas as to what to use them for....immediately! Well as I'm going to use them up now I reckon I can do that! (grin)
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I have a pleater and a four shaft table loom with warping mill to get rid of. If anyone in the UK has any ideas as to what I should ask for these I'd be truly grateful as I haven't a clue. Also if anyone in the UK wants a list of what craft-art-embroidery-quilting books I'm getting rid of, do ask.
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Nothing much else to add. I spend the majority of my time emptying two boxes into one and grovelling under tables and benches to access things I haven't seen in years. The amount of dust I'm finding isn't as much as I feared which is one reason to be cheerful. I'm now going back to convincing myself that I really don't need as much embroidery thread as I have. At least I've given all the wool away and I don't even knit!

13 comments:

  1. I hope you've found a really lovely place to move to. It must be a weird one to have to prune your stash but I did have to laugh at the wool scenario with a "i don't either" look at my 3 huge boxes full.

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  2. I'm so sorry you're having to go through all of this upheaval. I know how hard it was when I moved last year after living in the same place for 5 years. I can't imagine how much stuff can be accumulated in 14 years.

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  3. try looking on the Loom Exchange for prices or to sell your weaving stuff: http://www.theloomexchange.co.uk/

    I'd like to say I'd buy your warping mill but I'd have to hang it from the ceiling!

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  4. What a shock this must be. I have been trying to whittle down some of my possessions. I have boxed some things up, but that's not really getting rid of it, is it? LOL! Good Luck on finding a new place to live.

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  5. Oh, dear! I went through the same thing four years ago-- ended up having to live with my oldest son for 2 months, me and my 2 daughters and he and his wife and son, all in a little apartment. My younger son had to go somewhere else. The whole thing was pretty devastating, and frightening! But we ended up with a wonderful landlady and this little place, which I love! You'll end up someplace wonderful, too, I just know it. (You're dealing with your upheaval a LOT better than I did with mine!) --Lori

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  6. Welcome back Valeri. I missed looking at your work.
    Your ribbon work is just amazing. I know this might be a silly question but how long does it take for one to do a bouquet of flowers like this?

    Joanna

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  7. Joanna this one I did in two hours as I wanted it to be something that the students could attempt in a workshop and get done! I design as I go and once I've set the parameters, such as bowl and centre flowers then I'm off on a roll. Hope that answers your question.

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  8. Sorry to hear about your upheaval to come, Val... I hope you manage to find somewhere nice. I'm sure a lot of good will come (eventually!) of being forced to prune your stuff and be focussed...

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  9. Thinking of you and hoping it all turns out as you would like.Sometimes a big sort out is useful, but it is hard to part with treasures so don't be too ruthless. Keep smiling if you can!

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  10. Ohh, I'd like to enquire about the books . . . . .

    But I understand about upheavel though. When I moved down to Dartmoor from Oxford almost 5 years ago I spent months going through my old life. It's amazing though what powerful things come into being when the space is made available to them. Good luck!

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  11. Oh No! That "quit" thing sounds menacing to my American ears. Kinda like "Evicted" but not your fault. A management decision, no doubt. I can sympathize with the need to downsize the hoard. We lived in one house for 15 years and then had to relocate in the dead of winter with about two months notice. I am still missing things.

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  12. FWIW, Val, we thought we'd be in Inverness til we retired...we've been in Norfolk over two years now, and love it. This is the right place at the right time for us...I hope you find somewhere that suits you just as well. And if there are any books you think I'd want, just holler...you know me and books!

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