I do not want to Machine embroider

[Celia]

I have at last after a large amount of thought and a long time decided I do not want to machine embroider.

There it is said now I can stop beating myself up about not doing it, don’t get me wrong I love these  machines but I no longer have a desire for the finished pieces, life has changed.

Does anyone else ever feel like this over something, I cant believe how difficult it has been to come to this decision but after Christmas I am determined to sort out all my embroidery things and get rid of them, I think I am typing this just to reinforce my thought, hope no one minds.

[Bowerbird]

I'll put my hand up for this too.

I decided I was never going to do scrapbooking so I boxed it all up & put it on the local 'pay it forward' page on FB. It was collected that afternoon by someone who was so appreciative of it. So, a clear out, two happy people & I didn't even need to leave the house.

Mind you, nature abhors a vacuum, so I've taken up crochet again.

[Efemera]

That’s the trouble ...too many interests, many many years ago I got rid of all my sewing stash....oh how I wished I had kept it!.. getting rid of my stamping/scrapbooking stuff now, by the time my interest maybe rekindled I’ll be dead!

[Iminei]

Have you any stabilisers etc you want rid of @Celia .... I really need some but havent a clue where to start!

[Helen M]

Celia I think you've made a good decision!

That’s the trouble ...too many interests, many many years ago I got rid of all my sewing stash....oh how I wished I had kept it!..

I stopped sewing for around 12 years apart from shortening and repairs and I did got rid of a lot of fabric and patterns. I regret that to this day.

Francesca I have a load of crosstitch stuff too that I really should try and get rid of.

[Celia]

Hi @ Iminei yes I do have stabilisers, as soon as I have time I will sort them out and list them.

I do have a lot of machine embroidery items as I have been doing it for a long time and teaching too, so it might take a while for me to sort through it all.  I am going to try to sell the machine as I would love someone to have it but if I can’t get the price for it (love to be able to give it away but it is a very expensive machine) maybe I will just have to use it as a sewing machine.   I also have a lot of embroidery threads which I will need to sort.

FRansesca I know what you mean about being really good at one thing, I have often thought that but somehow it doesn’t work for me, I love sewing , knitting, beading and  weaving to name a few, don’t like paper crafts though.

I really do feel better for the desicion

[Lowena]

I dumped the stuff I'd bought to do jewellery making. I couldn't manage to do the initial hoop which joins the clasp to the chain... after trying for months I decided I wasn't ever going to get anywhere so I threw the supplies out.

[Acorn]

I have given up on knitting for myself.  I am (if I say so myself!) an excellent knitter, but I am the wrong shape for hand knitted items.  Having made an aran cardigan three sizes too big and found that it still clings to all the wrong places, my knitting efforts are now directed only at my Goddaughters - and maybe Mr Acorn if he's very good.

@Lowena - I bought a kit to make a necklace, read the instructions and put it away again.  I was going to say that it was like a foreign language, but it was more like a familiar language but with all the words in a really weird order - and I don't usually have problems following instructions (unless it's something I don't want to do, obviously...)  My jewellery making efforts are now limited to repairs.

[Lowena]

I found the whole process very frustrating @Acorn 

[sewmuchmore]

@Celia Await with bated breath to see what you have for sale.
Must say you may have persuaded me to sell my Coverlock machine. I have been debating for the last couple of months whether to get rid of it. I bought it 9 months ago and apart from having a play when it first arrived it has never been out of its dust cover. Not sure why I bought it really as I very rarely sew with knits.

[Lyn-J]

@Celia, haven't we discussed this many moons ago in another universe.
If your still feeling the same way then you should sell your machines and move on. I gave up machine knitting about 25 years ago, yuk, just wasn't what I wanted to do, so sold everything. Even though it's a hobby I have gone back to, I have never regretted that decision.

[datcat23]

Having grown up poor, its really hard to "get rid of a perfectly good .......".  My grandmother would be horrified; you don't get rid of stuff, what if you need it?  (her voice in my head).

Like you, I decided that I was just one hobby overloaded.  I boxed up, and got rid of all my cross stitch stuff, because I had lost interest, and just couldn't face the tedium of sitting and stitching.  While it created space for another hobby, I feel lighter, and less constrained.  I figured, I was doing this hobby, because "its a waste not to".  Now, I realise that I can apply the same approach to my other hobbies.  I don't have to sew everything I can ..... I can just sew everything I want to.  I could probably sew a bra, but I don't want to.  I could probably learn to knit more than squares, but I don't want to.  I could learn couture techniques, but I don't want to.  I don't see anything wrong with exercising the skills we already have.  Why stretch ourselves to always learn more.  More isn't always better. 

[Bowerbird]

@datcat23 Exactly! A hobby is something that brings you joy. If it doesn't then it becomes a chore, and life's too short for chore-ish hobbies.

[Celia]

Yes you are right @Lynn-J I have been thinking about it for a long time but now I am certain, it will take time to get rid of everything

Datcat I love your approach to what you want to sew, I feel the same, recently I saw a coat I liked and thought I could sew that - then I thought but I don't want to, it's a good feeling.

[Tamnymore]

What an interesting thread! I suppose the problem is that these are all craft based hobbies so they come with all the equipment and materials which one naturally accumulates over the years. DH and I have just decided we aren't going to do Spanish lessons any more but that hobby only comes with a few books and CDs!