Thursday, September 24, 2015

My once a year paper cull...

I really don't purchase a lot of fabric - in fact its become less and less as the years pass.
I'm quite content to look, admire, and move on these days, but I cannot say the same thing about my love of magazines. 
Take me to the newsagency and if there's an interesting decorating or crafting magazine in my line of sight I'll most definitely stop to open my wallet - especially if it's from the UK.

Magazines of the home-making, country life or sewing kind are "my one true weakness" as Miss Lane would say (ever watched Lark Rise To Candleford?) and I'm quite okay about that, as is my beloved Mr E, bless his precious heart!

I never allow my magazine or book collections to overfill my bookcases so once a year I pull all the magazines off their shelves and I sit for a day or two with scissors, coffee, snacks and a bin.
As I'm still not 100% recovered from this head cold I thought a couple more slow days at home would be in my best interest, so today heralded the start of this year's magazine declutter.

The morning began with a good healthy breakfast...
...then I waved Mr E off to work and settled down to the task at hand.


I work on one shelf of magazines at a time...

...cutting out photos of homes or rooms that inspire me, patterns I might make, recipes, colour schemes that catch my eye, how-to's, and other things that I'd like to have on hand for reference.

Over the course of the morning and into early afternoon I thoughtfully turned each page of over 50 magazines, removed what I wanted, and threw the rest in the bin.
Everything I keep is stacked on one of five themed 'piles' so that when I finish this task sometime tomorrow they can be placed into plastic sleeves and organised into a set of binders for easy access in the future...

I'll show you how I do that with some photos next week, just in case you'd like to sort through your magazines too.

I filled and emptied my bin many times over today, and having clear shelves to look forward to means I might just change the furniture around too. You know how one task leads to another which leads to another? I thrive on these 'adventures'.

I should say that there are some magazines I do not take apart or throw away, but I'll wait till next time to show you what they are.
I wonder if you can guess??


Thank you for the prayers over our little Frankie! She's getting better every day. We appreciate your care and concern more than we can say. xxx

hugs

21 comments:

Maria said...

Great way to sit and slow down while recovering from your cold.. Lovely dolly quilt you sent to little Frankie, hope her mum and her are better.

Sharon - creativity and family said...

I'm so glad Frankie is improving, I hope all continues well. I am the opposite to you, yarn and fabric are my one true weakness but magazines I generally pass by except for the one I treat myself to as reading material on the train when I have my hospital appointment in London. x

Ondrea said...

I have culled quite a few mags but still have an overflow. I tend to remove the pages and patterns I like and put the rest in recycling or , if there are a few projects in one mag I photocopy them and give the mags away. I put these saved patterns into binders. I , like you, particularly enjoy the British mags and Country Homes and Interiors is fav of mine as well as Period Living. I share them with my mum but now have a pile which needs to be reduced drastically. I have vowed not to buy any more for a while. May Frankie's guardian angels be with her and protect her.

Baa. xxx said...

Great to hear Frankie is improving - very cue dolly quilt you make her. You are one tidy, organised bunny. That head cold sure is hanging on!

Anonymous said...

Jenny,!this is a wonderful idea. I enjoy magazines also, quite a bit actually and once I look them over, I cut what I like and make a nice collage of pictures. Thank you for sharing :0)

Annette said...

Jenny, any mags I cull that are intact I give to local op shops....often bring another home too! Do you happen to have Fons & Porter Fall magazine.....still looking for it. Such a relief to hear Frankie is on the improve. Annette

Unknown said...

I taped recipes onto paper in 3 ring binders for years and finally threw out about 3/4 of them so I'm down to 1 binder of things I may actually make/bake! and a while back did the same thing with my quilting articles because what looked good years ago just looks dated now.

Patti said...

Such a simple task....why didn't I ever think of it? Can't wait to see how you save your bits and pieces!

Brenda said...

Jenny, Like you and so many others I love magazines! Only, I very seldom buy them at a store; I purchase mine at garage sales or 2nd hand book stores. When I am ready to downsize, I go through and photocopy any pattern that I want to make and then resell or give them away at a garage sale we usually have once a year. I also set aside quite a few to give away on a blog give away. Thank you for sharing and do not overdo while moving furniture about. Have a wonderful creative day!

Marie Atkinson said...

Praise God for touching Frankie, continued prayers for you all. Yesterday I culled quilt patterns that I had saved on my computer. Even computer storage needs cleaning out from time to time. I look forward to seeing how you organize your clippings. I purchased a spiral notebook with black pages back during the gel pen craze and it made a nice book to glue clippings to. I still have it and I still love the clippings that are there, and it's nice that what I liked then I still like today. I love the sweet little quilt under all your magazines too. Such simple beauty.

Createology said...

When I was working I bought lots of magazines and spent way too much money. Now I only occasionally purchase one that really speaks to me. I give them to my sister after I read them and then she gives them to another friend who reads them. I do have quite a few I need to sort through and pass along...or toss out! Healing Energy continues for you and Frankie. "Sick Bugs" are so difficult to culture these days. Our local hospital gave up on my throat culture and therefore the doctor didn't have a clue what antibiotics to prescribe me. Blessings Dear...

RoseMary Baty-Willcox said...

I also have a weakness for magazines also.
I wish more US places would carry UK magazines. I love them.

Anonymous said...

I'm guessing you keep ones where your designs are published. I know I would! I used to keep a lot of quilt magazines. I once had every Quilter's Newsletter ever published - about the first 30 years of them! Now I hardly ever buy any. If I had access to some of the Australian stitching magazines that publish you and Val Laird, and some of my other favorites down under, I would buy those, though.

MissesStitches said...

Good for you, Jenny! I try to do this as i read my magazines. I tear out pages I want to save and put them in file folders as to whether paper piecing, Christmas, Kids' patterns, traditional quilts, etc. Feels good, doesn't it! Then periodically I have to look through my file folders and cull out the patterns that I know I will never do and get rid of them, as my file cabinet gets too full!

Águeda said...

Me alegro mucho de la mejoría de Frankie. Deseo que se recupere del todo cuanto antes.
Yo creo que las revistas que guardas enteras son de bordado :)
Tengo una pregunta. ¿Podrías decirme qué es eso apetitoso que unes a la fruta con la cuchara? ¿Un puré , una gelatina?. Me temo que yo a la fruta sólo sé ponerle yogur, zumo, o azúcar.
Os deseo un buen día a toda la familia. Muchos besos.

shirley flavell said...

I've had to toughen up and stop buying craft/patchwork magazines. My bookcases shelves are bowing with the weight of them all. I culled some a few months ago. Luckily to a very grateful recipient but I still have so much. Daphne's Diary is a beautiful magazine, difficult to stop buying.Do hope you can kick the head cold into oblivion this week end. Have a good one

Martha Roberts said...

I love Lark Rise to Candleford! So much so that I finally bought the set of dvds. When I need a slow down day or I can sit and stitch or crochet, I pop one in dvd player and immerse myself in the beautiful scenery, lovely accents, and days gone by. Since having knee replacement surgery, I have been able to enjoy several of the dvds (between physical therapy sessions!). Love the sisters who own the ladies shop.

Martha Roberts said...

I love Lark Rise to Candleford! So much so that I finally bought the set of dvds. When I need a slow down day or I can sit and stitch or crochet, I pop one in dvd player and immerse myself in the beautiful scenery, lovely accents, and days gone by. Since having knee replacement surgery, I have been able to enjoy several of the dvds (between physical therapy sessions!). Love the sisters who own the ladies shop.

Kaylee said...

I have MANY magazines, when I finish work this will be a job I need to get into that's for sure, they take up so much valuable space.

C Reeder PhxAz said...

I do this regularly too. I make sure the magazines are donated though and never toss them. The hospitals use them all the time for crafts too. Especially the veterans care center here. Just an idea in case you can recycle too.

C Reeder PhxAz said...

I do this regularly too. I make sure the magazines are donated though and never toss them. The hospitals use them all the time for crafts too. Especially the veterans care center here. Just an idea in case you can recycle too.