Tuesday, July 18, 2017

What it looks like when I have to move my "stash"...

In March of 2017, we learned we had 90 days before trucks came to move us far away to our new home.  I was NOT going to let anyone else pack any of my sewing supplies, machines, or my "stash".

(Actually most of my stash was already in plastic boxes--I stored them that way, on a rack, on shelves, and stacking the big ones on the floor.)

First I took my original boxes and packed my good sewing machine and my serger.  Then I adapted a box for my old serger and cut out odd styrofoam pieces to stuff around it.  (Around each machine, I packed the parts and supplies that would fit--i.e., machine parts, bobbin collections, tools, etc.)

In other boxes I packed all of my sewing and serger machine feet, all of my thread-holder-boxes, and all the small boxes of things like zippers, elastics, velcro, buttons, ribbons, patterns, etc.  These boxes all had labels indicating the major categories in that box.

Pattern boxes, quilt backing, etc.:  (You can see the "Craft Room" blue tape labels on these boxes--every box was labelled.)


The smaller boxes ended up in this stack:  (The purple patterned duct tape was the designation for things to be taken to the Craft Room upon arrival.  You can see a lot of writing on the boxes indicating contents.)


The big (permanent) rack for fabrics (mostly quilting fabrics):  (These large plastic crates were moved "as is", in stacks on the moving van.)


Some of the other crates of fabric -- flannels, and many other kinds (anything large enough was also moved "as is").




I have no photos of the iron, steam machine, sewing machine, and two sergers in their boxes.

(If you wonder why I am moving my old serger as well as my newer one, it's easy.  It's a good one, but the kind that will make you lose your religion changing threads!  I keep it threaded in white, and use my other one for all other colors and the variety of other things for which I have feet.)

Upon arrival, all of the boxes were taken to the Craft Room and the boxes went straight onto the big rack.  Other fabric boxes were piled all over the craft table, underneath it, etc., waiting for final destination.

Eventually I spent a couple of hours finding boxes whose contents would enable me to at least be able to stitch up something needed (like a temporary curtain, mending things, sewing on a button, etc.).  The labels were so well done I was able to find critical threads for all machines, machine feet, and my "tools".

In a couple of hours on another day, I began organizing my portion of the (shared) Craft Room:  (By now, it was July 18, 2017--but I was  relatively "functional"!  This space felt like heaven!)


Eventually a home was found for the remaining boxes.  Yay!

Now the chore is to sew it all up, someday (when we have unpacked more stuff).

[This post actually written Jan. 2, 2019 -- there hasn't been any time!]