PHOTO UPDATE Silk Neckties for Crafting or Wearing: The Destiny of Things, Story 580

PHOTO UPDATE Silk Neckties for Crafting or Wearing:  The Destiny of Things, Story 580

The "after" photo is truly amazing!  BEFORE:

These ties have sold out, but I have another set for silk fabric crafting available here.  Photo via The Destiny of Things

BACK STORY on these silk neckties:

I'm selling these for less than a dollar each, right now they are about 50 cents each, because a couple decades ago my Quilter Mom made a hand paper pieced quilt (photos of it below) and earlier this year asked if I wanted the leftover ties.  Even though I'm a recovering hoarder, I said, "YES!"  And little did I know she sent me 10 or 20 pound box crammed full of all silk neckties.  Well, at least, the first 25 I've rummaged through were silk, although some are not labeled.

 

I remember when my mom first started that quilt, she was using my Dad's silk ties and eventually the rest of our family gave her other silk ties and soon friends did and later on tons of people, even my Dad's customers and my mom's quilter friends and then her Quilt Guild were giving her silk ties.  In the end, she had a great amount to choose from.  My Mom is a purest when it comes to quilting, I'm pretty sure she would throw out all the polyester or blended ties.

There are so many silk ties that it's quite overwhelming.  I think there's a life time supply of ties in there for many people!  I picked through the top of maybe 2 inches of the box and saved 3 for my own crafting needs and the rest I'm just listing for other creative souls.

Well, someone bought them to wear and it's quite impressive how he combined them to look so good!  Like GQ good, if you ask me!

 

Here is his note and photo:

 

Thank you so much the five handsome looking ties! The shipping was quick and packaged and wrapped so nicely! To show my appreciation, i have enclosed a photo of me wearing one of the ties! Thank you so much, take care and continue to stay safe!

AFTER:

Mr GQ in his Serica silk necktie!  Photo via Etsy buyer!  Thank you!

There are so many creative souls out there!  I would have never thought that brown tie would look so good with a navy shirt!  And in another email, he said he was going to wear all them!  I certainly would love to see how he matches them all up with which shirt and how it will look!  I can't even imagine!  As you can tell I am not a matching clothing diva!

Saying Goodbye:  Luckily there are so many pounds of these  silk neckties that there is no way I can use them all.  I've asked all my friends and none of them want any... for crafting or for wearing, so I'll be listing 5 at a time at each shop until they are all gone!  That might take years, but it's worth a try!  I'm hoping to retire from Etsy in two more years, actually it's now 19 months and counting and then move on to something else or just keep one shop.

4 all silk ties for crafting, you will receive all 5 but the first one isn't labeled silk, the rest are.  I guess I should take a photo of the fronts, will do that this weekend, available here.  

Photo via The Destiny of Things

What I Learned:

1.  There are creative souls everywhere!  Not just crafting ones but wearing ones!  I call these silk neckties, "crafting starter kits," for Easter eggs, rugs, origami butterfly brooches and more!  You can see all the crafting ideas in the listing!  There are tons, but I just added my favorites to the other photos.  If people want to wear them, then even better!  Nothing like eco friendly recycling at it's best!

2.  I would like to try the Easter egg silk necktie transfer, I've read the directions and they look and sound easy! And they look eggsceptional and unique!  I wonder if they'd still work with blown out eggs to make into ornaments, since everyone is into Easter tress now!  Next year!

How beautiful are these beauties?  Eggaxctly eggcellent, right?

3.  The weather here in Southern California is acting really weird and I'm thankful for it!  It's still gloomy a lot, been that way since April, but I guess it's normal for June gloom.  At least I don't have to water the garden as often or as much.  Growing edibles this year, the soil here is really bad, very clay and rocky, but we've been composting for years, so hopefully it will be enough to eat good stuffs!

What's your favorite summer past times?  This year mine are stitching, gardening and critter watching!  We have families of critters in our backyard, although the skunks and raccoons have left, the squirrel, possum, feral cats and all kinds of birds have stayed.  Which reminds me I need to plant more blooming flowers, so I can butterfly and bee watch too! 

 

Here is a photo of my Quilter Mom's hand paper pieced silk necktie quilt.  It used to be her most impressive quilt, until she made a mathematical infinity boro quilt.  I'm so thankful my mom made me a quilt similar to this one, it's all hand paper pieced too, with all our families clothes, curtains, aprons, childhood sheets, like our favorite Snoopy sheets, childhood clothes from baby to teens, etc.  Every time I look at it, there are so many good memories, especially my Grandmother's dresses and for this Father's day remembrances through my Dad's work shirts!  There are closeups of it on the silk necktie craft starter kit, here.

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your impressive GQ style and photo story!  It has motivated me to list more silk necktie bundles on all the shops!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see all your necktie combinations with shirts, maybe I'd learn how to do it myself!  Thanks again for the motivation and thoughtfulness.

Sales crazy on the weekends and very slow on the week days!  I power listed again this week and now I'm done with new listing too!  On to day dreaming!  And going through my new books!  I have Studio by Sally Coulthard and The Foraging Home.  Hope they inspire me to stop hoaring and to clean and organize instead!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 169 items, The Destiny of Things- 158 items, VintageToGoEasy - 164 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 162

items.   And now, Mending Ways with 77 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep 70 on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

I don't know what happened to the alignment up there, I've tried to fix it several times, but no go!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

Love the necktie rug, looks easy too and could be a quilt too!

Photo via google.

 

"Whatever you are be a good one"--- Abraham Lincoln

 

Happy Father's Day!  Thank you readers for your visit and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

UPDATE PHOTO Ultra Mini Metallic Tinsel Pom Poms for Squirrel Girl Project: The Destiny of Things, Story 579

UPDATE PHOTO Ultra Mini Metallic Tinsel Pom Poms for Squirrel Girl Project:  The Destiny of Things, Story 579

What an imagination!  I would have never thought to use them like this!  BEFORE:

 First she bought these!  1/2" to 3/4" mini metallic or iridescent tinsel pom pom balls in sets of 10 ore more, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

I like to give something extra in each order, if I have any spares, and in hers I sent her these even more ultra tiny mini metallic tinsel pom pom balls, as seen below:

These are even smaller!  About 1/2" or less, ultra tiny mini metallic tinsel pom poms in sets of 10, available here.  Photo via JunkDrawerAndMore

After she received her order, she wrote me and asked if she could order more ultra minis!  And she did!  Normally Etsy buyers use these as easy cat toys and just dump them on the floor for their cats to play, but this person did something totally different!  and I love it!

Here is the email I received and the "AFTER" update photo too!

Hi again Kennedy! Here's what I'm using the glitter balls for! When the new ones come I will add more of those... this figure is Jubilee from the X Men. Well, the original figure was Squirrel Girl, and I converted her into Jubilee. I don't know if you're familiar with this character. Her power is she emits powerful exploding plasma orbs from her hands. She calls them pafs. They sparkle and glitter, and I thought of cat glitter balls to use for them! I think it works! Please feel free to put this and the photo anywhere you want, on your blog or whatever. Thanks again!

AFTER:

Photo via Creative Etsy Buyer.  So cool!!! Thank you!

What I Learned:

1.  I still learn something new everyday!  And this Etsy buyer's project is one of them!  I love how the pafs match her outfit.  I like the name Squirrel Girl better than Jubilee and love the squirrels in the photos helping her.  Squirrels must be her totem animal.  As you can tell, I don't know much about X-Men characters or even to call them comics or anime or?

2.   I've been working on our garden lately.  All these years I've called it "Our Garden of WeEden," but this year it's turning into something more.  We've been composting the ground for several years now, it's still rocky and clayish, but much better now.  Enough so that corn, beans, ash gourd, potato, kale, cilantro, collard greens, cherry tomato, jalapeno, shishito peppers, cucumbers,  swiss chard, cat grass and much more are taking over the front and back.  Many of them are volunteers!

What new projects have you started since covid?  I've been doing more cleaning and organizing of all my craft and textile art.  And of course, weeding!  I need to go back to walking.

                     If you need plain pom pom balls of 1/2" to 3/4," they are available starting from sets of 10 or more here.   Photo via The Destiny of Things

Saying Goodbye:  I am happy to see these find "forever" homes!  They used to be very difficult to find when I was teaching, but now I can find them.  Although, lately I can not find the iridescent tinsel ones, so write now we only have a couple of backs left and then we'll be out of stock for who knows how long.

We only have a couple of these available in sets of 50, they are about 3/4" size iridescent tinsel pom poms, available here.  The 50 count is what is showing in the photo.  After these sell out, I'm not sure if we'll be able to re stock them again.  Photo via Hoarder Rehab

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your inspiring story!  It has motivated me to list more pom poms in all the different sizes I've saved over the years!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see all your hand made characters!  Thanks again for the motivation and your kindness.

Sales were crazy during Memorial weekend and today we've had one sale, so here I am!  I power listed again this week and now I'm done with new listing too!  On to stitching!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 172 items, The Destiny of Things- 154 items, VintageToGoEasy - 163 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 168 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 77 items!  My new goal is to list 170 items on each shop and to keep 70 on Mending Ways.  I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

1.0 inch Metallic tinsel pom poms in sets of 10 or more, available here.  

Photo via VintageToGoEasy

"The most authentic things about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering." ---Ben Okri

Thank you readers for your visit and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

PHOTO UPDATE Mending Hearts for Face Mask Embellishments: The Destiny of Things, Story 578

PHOTO UPDATE  Mending Hearts for Face Mask Embellishments:  Mending Ways Story 18

An Etsy buyer uses these in very special ways for friends and family!  BEFORE: 

She used the purple LOVE patchwork mending heart.  More Mending Hearts with Words 2 Live By, here.

Photo via Mending Ways.

Here is her inspiring note:

Your hearts have my heart. What a wonderful creator you are! More more more! and Bravo! I am currently sewing these sweet hearts inside my hand-sewn face masks I'm making for friends and family to let them know how special they are. Thank you kindly for the extra goodies. I also super adore THE PURPLE LOVE HEART.

What a unique idea!  to add them to the "inside" of the hand sewn face masks as embellishments and a special note!  Of course, I wanted to see one and she added a photo!  YIPEE!

So beautiful!  Very inspiring!  Love the butterfly too!  Almost too beautiful for the inside of a mask!

Photo via Etsy buyer

A hand sewn mask would be a lot of work and take a lot of time!  And it looks like the purple flowers are going to be hand appliqued on there too!  Lovely!  I wonder who got that mask....

                    More Mending hearts with words to live by here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

What I Learned: 

1.  Etsy buyers are so inspiring!  Which reminds me, I have a many Etsy buyer stories stacking up into a hoard pile!  So many stories, so little time!  Plus last April, it was one of those months, yes practically a whole month! where my computer just wasn't cooperating.

If it wasn't one thing, it was another!  First my keyboard stopped working, so much so, after awhile, I couldn't tell which letters weren't working.  Got a new keyboard.  Then the tracking stopped working.  Ordered a new track pad.  The Mr. said since he was changing those two things, he also ordered a new battery.  He installed it all, but the keyboard that was sent, didn't work, so we had to wait for another one to arrive.  The whole computer ordeal took more than 3 weeks.

I kinda got used to not having a computer.  Well, I had a back up one, but it was so slow, I only used it when I had to, so by the fourth week.  I felt almost computer free!  I'm not saying I would have posted new stories, but I didn't have the option!

2.  Did I mention I stopped buying stuff?  One day I woke up and did other things besides ordering stuff I think I need for crafting.  It just came over me and I didn't even really notice it, until I saw how much money I had saved!  It didn't last long, but long enough to know I can do it!  Next year, I can give up buying crafting stuff for Lent and know it's possible.

Did you give up anything for Lent?  I forgot this year, but I know what I'll give up next year!  and I might not even wait.

                   More Mending hearts with words to live by here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your inspiring story!  It has motivated me to make many more mending hearts!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see all your hand sewn embellished masks!  Thanks again for the motivation, I've hooked on making these and even made a larger one for my mom for Mother's day!  It was so fun I made two more!

Sales were crazy, then up and down and now it's slowed down, so here I am!  I power listed last week and this week, I'm taking my time and it feels so much better.

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 171 items, The Destiny of Things- 153 items, VintageToGoEasy - 161 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 166 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 76 items! I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

Wondering what to do with all your little scraps of fabrics?  Make "mending hearts!"  Here is the one I made for my mom for Mother's day.  I made a second one like it.  It's listed at Mending Ways, here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

"Recovery is the gift you give yourself!"  -- Unknown.  I think I saw it in a movie.

Listed here.  Photo via Mending Ways.

Thank you readers for your visit and support from my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things!

Just Like Grandma's Vintage Jesus Crucifix Sick Call Box Last Rite Cross: The Destiny of Things, Story 577

Just Like Grandma's Vintage Jesus Crucifix Sick Call Box Last Rite Cross:  The Destiny of Things, Story 577

 

Bringing back old memories to make new ones!

 

This crucifix sick call box is sold out, but I have another one like it here at Hoarder Rehab.

Here is the note from buyer:  This sick visit crucifix is identical to one my grandparents had when I was a kid, 50 years ago. I just love it. It reminds me of them, and my visits with them as a child.

That is such the sweetest story to me!  To find the exact same thing from 50 years ago to bring back memories from their grandparents!  Brings back many memories of my grandparents as well!

This crucifix sick call box is sold out, but I have another one like it here at Hoarder Rehab.

Saying Goodbye:  At the time, back in the 90s, I had great plans for these!  Yes, these!  I had several and I only have one left.  When it finds a "forever" home I will be ecstatic because it's my last one and in my little hoarder mind, I can move on!

This crucifix sick call box is sold out, but I have another one like it here at Hoarder Rehab.

What I Learned:

1.  I really need to start writing down my project ideas in a notebook, so I can remember what I want to do with them.  I am writing them down but usually on random slips of paper, scrap paper, envelopes, napkins or whatever is handy and then I can't find them!  One baby step at a time!  I'm sure I'll find those scraps of paper with projects on them and I can just add them to my daily journal.

2.  Curiously enough, one day, I should have written it down too, lol, I just stopped buying stuff.  Yes, hoarder me, just stopped!  I didn't visit my favorite Etsy or Ebay shops anymore, I stopped searching for the endless list of supplies I need to start or finish projects.  I think it might have started this January.  It was like something FINALLY clicked inside me and I finally knew "enough is enough!"  I don't know if "knew" is the right word, I guess I can say, my heart and mind were finally aligned on the right page together.  I'm not really sure what happened, but I am so THANKFUL it has!

3.  At first I kinda felt lost with my new found freedom and had so much time on my hands from not searching for every little thing I thought I needed!  So I started stitching more and cleaning and organizing all the stuff I already have.  Then I hit a wall and got kinda depressed, it felt like I lost a big part of my life and it's taking some adjustment to get used to, but I'm starting to think of new things I can do and try..... like self defense!  I  know, I know, what?

4.  I'm a tiny old Asian lady, probably with fragile bones and I used to take walks by myself in the wee early mornings to watch the sunrise and then later in the afternoon, but with all the violence erupting everywhere, it's kinda reinforced my agoraphobia and now I only walk with others once a day.  This feels so limiting, so I found some self defense moves on youtube that don't take strength to get away if someone tries to attack you.  It doesn't harm the other person and will give me time to get away.  I just need to practice them now! 

5.  Just watching the simple self defense moves, or at least they look simple and easy empowered me in the right direction, so I'm going to try them out with a partner this weekend and practice!  If I can get them to work for me, I'll post the link in my next writing.

What have you been up to lately?  Trying anything new and/or empowering?  I'm really excited about practicing the self defense moves and hope they are as simple as they look!  I've always wanted to try a peaceful martial arts class for exercise.  Exercise with more than one dimension, so maybe I'm on my way to something new!  Only time will tell.

This is my last crucifix sick call box or last rites box.  I hope it finds a forever home soon!  I don't know it's age, so it might be made from early plastic or celluloid?  Available here from Hoarder Rehab.

Thank you Etsy buyer for sharing your memory filled story!  I wish I could be a fly on the wall and see where this is in your home!  I bet it has a prominent spot somewhere on the wall, so when it's seen it brings back many fond memories!  Thanks again for sharing, it has brought me a lot of insight into my own hoarding ways!  Plus I just love it when one of my items brings back memories for others and in the process makes new ones too!

Sales have been crazy for a long while, then it was up and down and then it was crazy busy again.  It's finally slowed down and I can take a breather.  Sales were so crazy that all I did was package!  Sometimes daily!  I didn't even have time for much new listing and then I needed a vacation from Etsy and did the minimal, just packaging!  So stories are so backed up now!  It's okay, baby steps!

Click on the shop names to visit my hoard: HoarderRehab with 171 items, The Destiny of Things- 158 items, VintageToGoEasy - 163 items and JunkDrawerAndMore - 168 items.   And now, Mending Ways with 71 items! I am immensely grateful, thank you all who are supporting my alternative to hoarding!

Maybe you'll find something and give it new life and a new home!  All pleasant lookieloos are appreciated!

 

This does have a slight issue.  If I remember correctly, something needs to be glued down because either the crucifix or the brown background has become unhinged and slides when moved.  Available here from Hoarder Rehab.

Thank you readers from all over the world who continue to support my Hoarder Rehab and The Destiny of Things by taking part with your visits!

"Christ is risen!"  Happy Easter to all!