Time to purge

I warned DH last night that I was going to start bringing stuff up from the basement that we no longer need/want and that it would sit in the living room/family room until I could get rid of it.

First I need to book a pickup by the Diabetes Society to get rid of the stuff that's already sitting in the family room.

I'm sure that you can all relate to some of the stuff that I'm about to post. Hey - it all seemed like a good idea at the time!  FYI - some of the stuff I'm posting is up for grabs and some I'm going to keep - I'm just sharing some silly things that have been sitting for a while and why they've been sitting.

Let's start with the paper products. Seriously - this was sitting on a chair tucked in a corner. There's a cardboard sleeve from a bolt of fabric. I need to keep that because? Then there is some brown paper that probably came from boxes that we received. Oh, there's one paper that I need to show you. Let me run and get a picture.

This is the packaging from a parcel from The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw - they have since closed.

Parcel packaging that I kept because?

The mailing date??  Actually it's from 2013 so not so bad, but still. This piece of paper has sat for 6 years????

Postage date - 2013

I hate to throw all that paper out, but unless I need it to pack some more glass things that we're getting rid of. But I don't think there is more glass stuff - at least not at this moment. Oh wait - I have some framed pictures. The paper will protect the frames. Perfect - found a "home" for the paper.

These rolls of paper are sitting in the storage room where they've resided for years. I see the weight of them is starting to crush my laundry basket. They were originally stuck in the beams beneath the house. It's the leftover rolls of newsprint from a printing press. I think I used this paper ONCE. There's a lot of it. I'm going to contact my local school and see if they can use it for the younger school kids to draw on.

Rolls of paper - they need to go!

Then when I was in the kitchen trying to find a piece of paper to write my grocery list on, I found this small notebook FILLED with stuff from M. Dated 2002!!!!!!  Even a list of what she was going to do one day. I don't think we need that anymore. 

Notes from a 6-year-old!

Here's a lovely family portrait!! We all look like we're doing aerobics!

A family portrait 

Now here's a couple of things that are up for grabs. This is a BRAND new ironing surface for the Reliable ironing board. I always use mine in the rectangular shape and this is the one with the pointed end. These ironing surfaces last forever. But I have no need for it. I can't even get the extension off my ironing board so that I could use this. Free to anyone who can use it! I've no idea that it would fit on another ironing board - they are kind of propriety in size.

Ironing board cover

Here's a picture with the size. It's about 46" long and 18" at the widest.

Reliable ironing board cover

Here's a cute tote bag. I bought a kit from Cockadoodle Quilts (another quilt store that closed a long time ago) and what do I do with the tote bag? It's very cute and there's a lining inside so you can draw it up and close it. I never used it after I made the kit and the tag from Cockadoodle is still on the bag!!!

Tote bag - needs to find a new home

Here's the tag on the bag. Red Dawn kit??  What the heck was that?????  I think I remember and if so, then my quilt top is done!

Tag from the kit that was in the bag

See how the lining pulls up with a drawstring to close the bag? 

Lining pulls up so you can close the bag

I have this rolling wheel tote as well. I don't think I ever used it or maybe I did once or twice. It's technically a scrapbooking tote.

Rolling wheel tote

See there are all the dividers for the scrapbooking stuff, but they come out.  I don't see why a smaller sewing machine couldn't fit in there.

Inside the tote

The total case is about 17" long

By about 11"

Then I have these two bags. As you can see - these tote bags are mine! I made the one in the back and members of my previous sewing group made the other one. The one that I made is stiff as a board which I like. However, I made the wimpiest of handles for that bag. I don't think I even put any kind of stabilizer in them - just fabric. Who the heck in their right mind would do that? I was very new to quilting at the time and had no idea. So the handles have been removed and are to be remade with stiff interfacing in them. The fabric is in the bag, but not done!

The second bag is quite limp in the body - I believe it only had batting as a filler. But the handles were also terribly wimpy and I can't deal with wimpy handles. So those ones were taken off as well. I think it's time to fix those two bags so I can use them. I mean - really - that's just silly to have not fixed those handles before now. I might take them to the sewing retreat where I have no choice but to get them done!

Two tote bags that need new handles

So I love wind chimes and I have a nice big one in the backyard. It hangs in the gazebo and I love the tinkle from the chimes on a windy day. Where they hang, they don't clank and make a huge noise, but just enough. Matter of fact, I was enjoying them yesterday as I was outside doing some backyard spring clean-up. I found a bamboo wind chime. Hmm - I remember these. It's been needing a wee bit of repair as well and then it can hang up. 

Bamboo wind chimes in need of a wee bit of repair

All that has to be done is to reattach one of the pipes. Seriously???  This is totally irresponsible of me. How can I leave these things that need simple repairs to languish for years when I could have been enjoying those tote bags and the wind chimes for the last 10 years?

Just so you know - I'm not totally irresponsible or incompetent. I just used my can (never been used and no idea when I purchased it) of compressed air to clean my keyboard which had a few unresponsive keys. All is good now in the keyboard department.


Here's one more thing that I found. Technically, I'm not finding these things - everything that I posted today? Oh yes - I knew it was there. Just hidden, but not forgotten. This is a wrought iron chair that I made when I was in a high school welding class. I know - who knew!!!!

My wrought iron chair that I made

It even swivels.

The front of the chair

I'm keeping this chair, but I really need to make room so that I can actually use the chair. It's not the most comfortable chair but it's really not bad. I already have two chairs in the bedroom so can't add a third. I'm going to try and make room for it in the basement so I have a "reading" chair.


That's just a minor dent in the bucket of what needs to be done in the basement, but the more I go around the piles of stuff that the guys set out, the more I look at the stuff and realize that I'll never use it. So why am I keeping the stuff???   Trying to find a home for the stuff is the biggest issue. But I'm going to check with my local elementary school on Tuesday and see what kind of stuff they could use and that might help to open the flood gates and start to get rid of some of the craft things, including that big box of pens and pencils!

I've got a super busy day at the long arm. I'd better get my head down there before the sun comes out. I hate to be in the basement on the nice days, but I have no choice today. If everything goes well, I'll be out for another walk later today.

And I have ONE minute left before 7:30 post time, so people like Audrey and Shelly (who I know are chomping at the bit) can read the blog!

Have a super day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!