The overhead photo doesn't show the depth of the box - this is 30 years' worth of crafting magazines, about to go down the road to the charity table in Tesco, which is always a good way to pass books and magazines on (local charity shops don't take magazines and one of the charity shops in Llandeilo doesn't take books).
I may list the Fons and Porter's magazines on eBay, as that's where I bought them, but the other patchwork magazines will probably be offered round at my class (that's where I got rid of a big pile recently).
A small pile stayed for me to go through a 2nd time and try to harden my heart. They might just have one project in I particularly like, or as is the case with the Australian Inspirations embroidery magazine, just be so useful for techniques etc that they are staying on as reference books. Some of the magazines were harder to shed - the Just X-Stitch mags ARE 30 years old and I got Keith to pay for a year's subscription as a Christmas present for me. Several of those I am still keeping (the Christmas issue for one) but most I have decided to move on. Some of the Quilter's Newsletter magazines are from the same era, and I have had to break the emotional attachment to them as they represented rare purchases (when we were skint) - several copies having been bought in the Blandford Patchwork shop one year - and I have the clearest memory of sitting in a supermarket car park in Shaftesbury whilst Keith took the kids in to get food for the journey back to Wales, and I had a blissful, peaceful quarter of an hour just diving into my patchwork magazines without 3 small children (all under 5 then I think) wanting my attention.
I did start making a prototype of this for a cushion front, but my leaves were much smaller. This picture's from the Belle Armoire magazine, which will probably go on eBay.
I also hardened my heart over material - I had quite a bit stashed away on the shelves and went through it yesterday with the result that 3 bags went to the Green (Charity) Shop in Llandeilo. However, there is a fairly big pile of material to list on eBay - some of it Laura Ashley, and some vintage fabrics. It takes time to take photos and make the listings, but it's good to get some money back for that you have spent on things down the years.
There is also a big book-swop going on as the big unit at the back of the junk room which held my crafting magazines and material is now reverting to a bookcase again, and upstairs I am emptying the biggest of the bookcases in my sewing room and putting all my craft books in there. A handful have gone up so far, and - below - some have moved down. There will be a cull of these at some point, but the Phil Rickmans, Barbara Erskines, Diana Gabaldons, and Philippa Gregorys are all staying.
Right, this won't do. I must attend to my eBay empire!
