finding

In case you haven't heard, we're building a house.  It is taking for-ev-er.  (Drywall this week?)

But I'm ok with that.  It's not stessing me out.  Yes, there are moments when I just want to get.out.of.here.already.  Like when the roof sprang a leak in May which both stained the wallpaper and shorted out the dimmer switch in my sewing room.  (Thank goodness there wasn't a fire!)  Or when the dishwasher died 2 weeks ago and there is no warranty left on it.

But for the most part, I'm very patient.  I'm trying to use this extra time to de-clutter and get organized for the big move.

Which brings me to today's topic ...

I recently came across this this sweet little thing - a plain white bib that I'd bought and then embroidered for my first daughter's first birthday.  I got the idea and the embroidery design in one of the Martha Stewart "Baby" issues.

I have a fabulous picture of my little girl laughing as she squishes pink buttercream-frosted chocolate cake thru her tiny little dimpled fingers.  Then I put this bib away until my second daughter's first birthday.  We didn't know it at the time, but she was Celiac and had already started to instinctively refuse wheat.  She wasn't interested in eating her birthday cake.  But no matter.  I remember the day well. 

So this small piece of soft white jersey knit with some pretty stitches holds only a few - but very precious - memories. 

I'm becoming more mindful about "collecting".  I don't want my new home to be cluttered with the past, but little treasures like these give me pause. 

Keep or toss? 

I ask myself that question a lot these days.

I've decided this little memento is a keep. 

Comments

[Deb H.]

It certainly is a keep. It will bring back cherished memories and maybe a granddaughter will wear it on her first birthday. That will come in the blink of an eye. I remeber the thrill to my daughter and I when we dressed my first granddaughter in some of the dresses I had hand smocked for my daughter.

[Mary Fioretti]

S for Stitch and Zakka arrived last week. So excited.

[A Little Blue Dragonfly]

So sweet! I'm glad you decided to keep it! Good luck with organizing everything for your big move. Now that we've moved, I'm trying to find the right place for everything. And it's slow going over here, too. :b

[Chrissie]

It is a keep, most definitely! In fact, a keep that should be framed, with photos of the birthday girls on either side... Chrissie x

[Donna]

I agree that it is definitely a keep!

[Cheryl]

Oooo, making the decision what to keep and what to toss/give away is always so hard. Here's my thinking, for what it's worth, learned over the course of more than half a century and packing up the homes of both my own mother and my mother-in-love: When in doubt, keep it. You can always part with it later, but there is no getting back something that's already gone.

[Hildy]

Keep it! One day your daughters will be glad you did:-) Good luck with organize everything.

[Kristy]

Your mantra should be ..."keep...keep...keep!" anything that has handwork should be kept. My children now 30 and 32 love all those treasures from their past for their little ones. There are some items I allowed to slip through my hands and I do so regret it.

[Elizabeth]

I agree with Kristy's post. Keep, keep, keep. I too have put away any handwork that was given to my children (fair isle sweaters, crocheted blankets, smocked dresses etc.). One day they will thank us for saving such items for them to share with their little ones. eliz.i@sympatico.ca

[Jane @ Handiworking]

Absolutely keep! I have a newborn sized sleeper that belonged to my going on 17-year-old granddaughter. I keep it in a dresser drawer and every time I open that drawer and see it, I bury my face in it and remember how tiny she was. Makes me feel happy and misty all at the same time ... great memories!

[Sandy B]

The little bib IS beautiful but keep it where? Perhaps you could frame it (with or without other bits). Or save the essence of it...gulp...cut the embroidery part out and include it in a memory quilt of say bits and pieces of other kids stuff and hang it on one of your new walls. That way it can be admired instead of finding it in a drawer every 5 years or so. Best wishes for the new home.

[Bari Jo]

YES - gasp - KEEP IT!! Love it!

[Bonnie Nyquist]

Keep it!!! It is a total treasure. a legacy! Pleae keep it.

[Carolyn]

Definitely a keeper! It is beautiful ?

[Carolyn]

That is...it is beautiful!

[Cheryl]

Yes, keep! I have my little bib my mother made me,
and my granddaughters put it on their dolls when they are here playing. So much joy that little bib has given over the years.

[Tiffany]

Ugghhh! Drywall! We're going through the same issue in our house right now, only we decided we should live in the upstairs while they finish the downstairs (big mistake). They applied the first coat of paint and realized the drywall was done so poorly they had to get the guy back in to fix it before the second could be applied! I hope your house building goes smoother than ours!!
As for the bib, a definite keep. I like the idea of it being framed along side of pictures from your girls' first birthday.

[Christa]

Keep it!! I threw away the first stuffed animal when I started sewing at 10 when I moved my sewing room. I remember thinking what do I need this old thing still but I really regret tossing it. It was a sign of how far I had come! Too late now....spilt milk!

[Marie Atkinson]

A keeper for sure. Sorting is so liberating but also so much fun when you relive those precious moments.

[Siobhan]

Oh my gosh, how precious! I agree with what people said above--keep the items made by hand! We did a transatlantic move 10 years ago, after living in our house for 13 years. Oh my gosh, the amount of junk we tossed. It was unreal. I thought, when we moved again 5 years later (this time literally just around the corner from the new old house), that we wouldn't have so much stuff to toss. Wrong! I read a tip that helped me a lot. You know the artwork that your kids did or things that had special meaning at the time but in reality you don't plan to put out or use in the new house? Take photos of them and toss the item. That way you still have them, to a degree, and when you see the photos you'll reminisce about the special times involved in that item, but you won't have the junk cluttering up your new house. I say that yet worry at times that our attic might cave in on top of us, but yeah... just thought I'd pass on the tip.

[Sarah]

Yes, a keep! It's so sweet, and how is it not stained with chocolate cake or icing. What is the quilt/fabric you have laid the bib on?