Project Minima:

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Oh No! A Moment of Clarity.

When did Project Minima turn Maxima???  I was just sitting on the couch last night when this thought came into my head like gang busters, totally unbidden.  "I have too many clothes."

~ painting by Jocelyn Hobbie ~

(You shouldn't have bid on that.  I didn't bid on it.  It just came in.)  

Out loud, I said "I am going to have too many clothes."  See, I changed it up a bit.  That went back and forth between my true love and I for a bit.  Being the practical person he is, I don't remember a thing he said, other than it helped clarify what I said, or the fact that I said it.  Meanwhile I was reeling with the ramifications.  I mean, this changes everything.  Everything.  First, I took a meandering trip down the river of deNile.  Followed by bursts of kick boxing with my shadow self.  Then got lost in a fog.  Oh, don't forget the naps.  You know, the usual 5 steps.  And here I am, true confessions.  WTF am I going to do now!?!

sigh.  sigh with arms folded across chest.  that's a little defensive isn't it?  hmmm.  Well, let's stop moaning and groaning and take stock.  It's a new world out there/ in here.  Ha!  It's a new year.  

It's not all bad.  I did stop going to stores (including thrift stores) and buying clothes.  I did get to the point where I now have clothes that fit me, I like them, and I feel good in them.  That's huge.  I was batting zero on all three when I started the Project.  And I've come to know, stumble across really, what I like to wear.  That was something I wanted to get to and I have.  yea.  I wear what I want, where I want, even at home.  I like that. 

Downside is, consumption has steadily crept in.  First with ebay shoes.  Then with sewing patterns, and sale fabric.  Now more fabric and some warm socks.  I don't need any of these things.  None.  I have enough of all of them.  Really, but I know in my soul I'll at the least buy some more patterns sooner or later - probably Tina Givens.




Unexpected side effects.  I'm getting to the point where I'll have (notice future tense) too many clothes that fit me well, I really like and I feel really good in. (!)  omg.  And I love to sew.  I love to sew.  I can't imagine stopping.  

But before I get to dealing with that, how about the mindset I've been in about using whatever I have as grist for the mill????  That has really been my mantra.  And I do have tons of stuff waiting in the wings to be harvested, rehabbed, refashioned, etc., etc.  That's the real rub.  Do I just get rid of it now?  How can I?  This is where all the flannel shirt dresses came from, for example.  How do I come up with criteria for what needs to go?  It can't just be I don't like it, or it doesn't fit, etc. because I have used those types of things to make great new things. 

I don't know.  Maybe if I made a thing that's rather involved and I like it, but it no longer fits, I can give it away rather than keep it for scraps.  geez, such a problem, huh?

One thing's for sure.  Stop Buying Things!!!!   And keep wearing beautiful things that you love, yeah.

~fade to black~


14 comments:

  1. This is a dilemma alright! I've noticed something of the same going on in my closet. In the past, when my closet got too full, I purged all that didn't fit/was no longer my style. Now I have figured out my own style and my size is pretty steady now that I'm not having babies :o) so my closet is getting full of stuff I love and wear. I have decided to not keep EVERYTHING for refashion purposes. If a garment has life left in it I donate it for someone else to enjoy...unless it just screams at me exactly what it wants to be remade into! :o)

    JJ
    www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

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    1. Okay, that eliminates a lot of things...I guess. queasy gut feeling quickly follows.

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  2. My what a quandary! One thing is for certain, you could never stop being creative and that's what it's all about, right? You may as well keep going, if you stop all that creative energy will just transfer to something else and it could be very unpleasant!
    I actually do spend less when I'm happy with what I have, I think I'm just fickle. If I enjoyed sewing clothing more than I do I'd be in my little room every day and buying up fabrics and refashionables weekly for sure!

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    1. I am in my sewing room every day, and I have p-l-e-n-t-y of fabric on hand to work with. This is my medium for now and I have so much more I want to discover with it. I do realize I buy things when I'm not being creative, or instead of being creative. It's easier, quicker, not as challenging, etc., etc.

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  3. Maybe rename your blog to creativemaxima?

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  4. I think you only have to get rid of things if they are bothering you in some way, otherwise no worries! Create, recycle, enjoy!
    I recently filled a large box with debris for a future collage project and so long as space allows I will gather even more.

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    1. I like the idea of a more carefully curated stash of my clothes-to-be. Rather than just automatically stowing whatever it is that doesn't work, fit, etc. for later harvesting. That way I can give away intricate pieces I've made and liked, but are long past fitting. Perhaps that would feel better than cutting them up for some other use...Sure I'll probably miss out on some possibilities, but, so what, ya know? Maybe that's a plan...

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  5. If you enjoy what you're doing, don't stop! Are you spending money you can't afford? Are you drowning in stuff yet? Can you not find a place to stow everything and is it trying to burst out and smother you? If the answer to these questions is "no" then keep having fun making clothes and squash that guilt.

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    1. All good points, Louisa. What I'm drowning in is my lapses of organizational skills. When I'd just rather plow ahead and sew in the midst of chaos, rather than tend to the mess I've left surrounding me. I do periodically tidy up when I can't find anything. But just enough to get by, not enough to really solve all the issues of "everything in its place and a place for everything." That's where getting rid of some things might be helpful...yikes.

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  6. Happy New Year! Don't stop doing what you LOVE to do. It's like a writer saying, "I have written too many books, I better stop." Or an artist who painted "too many" pictures. There is no such a thing as "too many" if that's your true love. Maybe at the beginning of your blog, you needed to realize one goal, and at this point, you need to realize another one. We constantly grow and change. You can start your own shop (Etsy?) and offer your creations for sale if you are not going to wear them yourself or have no room for them. You are such a talented artist - keep going, you create absolutely unique things!

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    1. No, no, no, I'm not going to stop sewing. I love it too much and I love wearing what I've made too. Friends have suggested e-bay and the like, but I'm not interested in putting my energy there - with all the on-going hassle involved. nah. Maybe, possibly, I could have a page with "things to go" on my blog and contact me if interested. Something low key. Thanks, Natalia, for all your thoughts.

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  7. Oh how I love this post and it sounds familiar. Not the sewing part, but the "I have too many things" part. I have many pieces that I want to let go of, but haven't figured out how to do that yet.

    Happy New Year Pao, to you and your True Love!

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    1. I should keep that in mind, Judith. And you're doing just fine, better than fine! Happy New Year to you.

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