How Much Stash is too much

I confess I am a stash-a-holic, and the wonderful resource of the
internet and eBay is fueling my addiction.

I have kits, charts, fabric and threads that would take me several
lifetimes to get through, but I see a CA Wells kit and I haunt the
auctions until the end, in the hope that I will further enhance my
stash. The recurring theme in my collection seems to be kits only
usually available as class pieces, from classes that I am never likely
to be able to attend (Western Australia seem to be thought of as far
too remote for most tutors) and charts of European origin often now
oop. I am unsure if I am addicted to the thrill of the chase or the
desire to acquire the pieces - a proxy bidder has at least made the
process unemotional.

I have also developed tendonitis in my right arm, and this is making
my stitching even more infrequent, but I still have the desire to
enhance my stash.

THis all begs the question - how much stash is too much?

Joanne in Perth, WA

what a question....lol.....while i don;t have a stash of kits i do have a
collection of books of charts and books of instructions, and a cq stash to
beat all.....not including the fabric for sane quilting which would fill a
smallish shop- threads beyond threads and i still don;t have the threads i
would like....i think the words " too much" are very laden, not only with
cultural meaning, but also psychological meaning...what seemed like a fine
and dandy amount 10 years ago is wayyyyyyyyyy too much now. What also seemed
like a fine amount before i developed a buddhist practice, now seems quite
excessive. perhaps the real answer won;t be untill we have to move to
someplace smaller or find ourselves unable to stitch at all etc etc....or
even when our families have to dispose of what we were unable to resist.

I do feel that i have too much fabric- not only could i not use it up in
this lifetime, but if i started piecing now and worked 8 hours 7 days a
week,I would probably not get through my fabric stash.

Probably the same with the thread stash- i could embroider now till
whenever, and still have stuff leftover....but does that stop me from
wanting a collection of flat silk to use in Japanese embroidery? Not a
chance.

ktj

wrote in message
...
I confess I am a stash-a-holic, and the wonderful resource of the
internet and eBay is fueling my addiction.

I have kits, charts, fabric and threads that would take me several
lifetimes to get through, but I see a CA Wells kit and I haunt the
auctions until the end, in the hope that I will further enhance my
stash. The recurring theme in my collection seems to be kits only
usually available as class pieces, from classes that I am never likely
to be able to attend (Western Australia seem to be thought of as far
too remote for most tutors) and charts of European origin often now
oop. I am unsure if I am addicted to the thrill of the chase or the
desire to acquire the pieces - a proxy bidder has at least made the
process unemotional.

I have also developed tendonitis in my right arm, and this is making
my stitching even more infrequent, but I still have the desire to
enhance my stash.

THis all begs the question - how much stash is too much?

Joanne in Perth, WA

wrote:

THis all begs the question - how much stash is too much?

Joanne in Perth, WA





Like Alcoholics Anonymous, it's only when you yourself admit that it's a
problem....

Some of us are working on SABLE to the 3d power, and still don't think
it's too much. (I mean, what if I live to 215? I don't want to run
out of stuff to stitch!)


--

Karen C - California
Editor/Proofreader www.IntlProofingConsortium.com

Finished 7/7/08 - Christmas Music Bellpull

WIP: MLI Christmas Visit, Oriental Kimono (Janlynn),
MLI The Teacher (gift to the library), Bethany Angel,
Flowers of Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel

CFSfacts -- where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf
Newest research blog: http://journals.aol.com/kmc528/Lifeasweknowit/

Don't you think keeping our very talented designers in business justifies
our stash build up? Imagine how bleak our design selection would be if every
stitcher stitched every design purchased before moving on to a new one!
Also, a cup of coffee and a stack of charts to browse through is far better
for a stitcher than a cup of coffee and a brownie.
--Mavis

I have three 65-litre boxes full of needlework stuff. That does NOT
include books and charts and magazines. It includes different kinds of
fabric, one or two bell-pull things, smallish hoops (the stands live
outside separately), boxes and boxes of threads (and I still have no
yarn or silk), any number of kits (along with about a dozen I
inherited from someone who had to give up stitching), rulers and
tracing paper and carbon and graph paper and all the other useful
things that seem more appropriate for a maths class than in a
needlework box, and goodness knows what else. Yesterday, quite by
chance, I discovered an envelope full of printed charts and charts
copied by hand on graph paper, and it took me a while to decide that
they'd been overlooked when I unpacked on my return from the States
two years ago. That means (yes, you've guessed it) I'm going to spend
the afternoon billing and cooing over them while I put them into a
great big ring-binder that I use to put assorted charts in some kind
of vague order. My husband says that his possessions have practically
trebled since I came into his life and house, but considering that I
have as little value for "things" as he has, he is more than happy to
indulge me in my two obsessions of embroidery and reading.

our stash build up? Imagine how bleak our design selection would be if every
stitcher stitched every design purchased before moving on to a new one!

Usually, I have three projects going on at the same time. One cross-
stitch, one freehand embroidery, and one "learning" project. That way,
I never get bored doing any one thing.

Also, a cup of coffee and a stack of charts to browse through is far better
for a stitcher than a cup of coffee and a brownie.

Absolutely! I frequently forget to eat my lunch, though I'm
hypoglycaemic and cannot afford to skip meals! Ah, that reminds me, I
must have my breakfast!

-Shanti.

THis all begs the question - how much stash is too much?

I've got 4 plastic shelving units filled with fiber - cottons, silks,
candlewicking, wool -- plus a huge basket filled with my ebay purchased
crewel, needlepoint wool plus a bunch of shoe boxes filled with buttons
and beads plus 2 drawers and several large plastic tubs filled with
fabric and ribbon, 2 bookcases of books and magazines, one little file
cabinet of patterns and ideas ...

I've only been doing this seriously for a little more than 5-6 years and
I never have exactly what I need for a project so I gotta buy more g

--
another anne, add ingers to reply

On Jul 15, 7:43*am, "Mavis" wrote:
Don't you think keeping our very talented designers in business justifies
our stash build up? Imagine how bleak our design selection would be if every
stitcher stitched every design purchased before moving on to a new one!
Also, a cup of coffee and a stack of charts to browse through is far better
for a stitcher than a cup of coffee and a brownie.
--Mavis

Mavis this is a delightful point of view !!!!
mirjam

On 7/15/08 12:43 AM, in article dWVek.242$Cw5.177@trnddc01, "Mavis"
wrote:

Don't you think keeping our very talented designers in business justifies
our stash build up? Imagine how bleak our design selection would be if every
stitcher stitched every design purchased before moving on to a new one!
Also, a cup of coffee and a stack of charts to browse through is far better
for a stitcher than a cup of coffee and a brownie.
--Mavis


I want the stack of chart, the coffee and the brownie!

Cheryl

There is no such thing as too much stash.

Cheryl

On 7/14/08 10:52 PM, in article
,
" wrote:

I confess I am a stash-a-holic, and the wonderful resource of the
internet and eBay is fueling my addiction.

I have kits, charts, fabric and threads that would take me several
lifetimes to get through, but I see a CA Wells kit and I haunt the
auctions until the end, in the hope that I will further enhance my
stash. The recurring theme in my collection seems to be kits only
usually available as class pieces, from classes that I am never likely
to be able to attend (Western Australia seem to be thought of as far
too remote for most tutors) and charts of European origin often now
oop. I am unsure if I am addicted to the thrill of the chase or the
desire to acquire the pieces - a proxy bidder has at least made the
process unemotional.

I have also developed tendonitis in my right arm, and this is making
my stitching even more infrequent, but I still have the desire to
enhance my stash.

THis all begs the question - how much stash is too much?

Joanne in Perth, WA

I have also developed tendonitis in my right arm, and this is making
my stitching even more infrequent, but I still have the desire to
enhance my stash.

THis all begs the question - how much stash is too much?

Joanne in Perth, WA

Easily answered. There is never, ever, ever too much stash. Ever.

Donna in Virginia