What's Old is New Again

These are some of the patterns that I have in my stitching library. I also rediscoverd a Judith Kirby Victorian Winter House (not pictured) as well as a great Liberty and Justice and Apple Annie by Imaginating.

I recently checked out a book from the library titled Howard's End is on the Landing by Susan Hill. It is a non-fiction book, and the premise behind the book is that the author was looking for a book, and in searching through all of her books (she couldn't find the one she wanted), she realized that she had so many books, and as she put it, "I wanted to repossess my books, to explore what I had accumulated over a lifetime of reading, and to map this house of many volumes." In other words, she decided that over the course of a year, she would only read books from her own library. She had two caveats to this. One was that she could borrow academic books from libraries, and the other was that she could read some of the books that literary editors sent her. This got me to thinking about my stitching. Now, I could never, ever, give up my weekly trips to my public library (I'm a library person and check out six to eight books a week, and I read most of them), or to Borders or Barnes and Noble (Sometimes I browze; sometimes I buy). However, in finding an old pattern last week, Becky and Max by Kindhearted Woman, I realized how many patterns I have, not to mention threads and fabric. I have decided, and I have given it some thought, that I will only stitch what I have for the next six months. At the end of six months, I will evaluate what I have accomplished and what I still have. I am then going to give away what I'm no longer interested in and continue to finish what I still have in my stash. In terms of threads and fabric, I will use what I have on hand except in the unusual case where they just won't work. Then I will allow myself a purchase to finish what I already have in terms of a pattern. I have three caveats to this decision. They are:

1. I have already signed up for With Thy Needle and Thread's Mystery Sampler, Birds of a Feather. I will of course purchase the remaining two patterns.

2. I will be attending a Weekend Stiching Event in August. I will work on two new projects for this week-end. I have already paid for this event, so it will not be a new purchase.

3. I will buy Primitive Betty's new Old Schoolhouse Sampler. I have been following her progress on this pattern. I am a teacher, so this pattern intrigues me.

Other than these three caveats, I am going full steam ahead with only patterns, fabric, and fibers I already own. I am not a super stitcher nor a super-fast stitcher. I have some friends who stitch more projects in a month than I do in a year, but I am going to try to do this, and I think it will be a motivating factor in enjoying the patterns I loved enough to buy and not adding to a stash that has become too intimidating to work on.

I know I will save quite a bit of money and also finish some beautiful patterns I already own. I'm sure this will not be attractive to many people, but I think it will be quite fun..