How much is too much?

Is your stash of crafting and/or sewing supplies taking on a life of it's own?  What about all those projects for which you have purchased everything you need to get started?  I dare you to try to count those!  My sister, Brenda, once said that "I'll have to live to be 200 in order to do all these projects".  So true!!!
How do all those unfinished/unstarted projects make you feel?  How many years have they been calling to you?  Have their voices turned from being lovely and beckoning to being mocking and shame inducing?
As a devout Flybaby (flylady.net), I have had my eyes opened to the concept of only keeping things that I love and that make me smile.  This goes for everything in your home.  I found that my craft room was a huge source of dread - how could I possibly want to start a new cross-stitch picture, when I had 2 others, a crochet lap blanket, and a partial quilt top still unfinished???
After taking a long hard look at why I had never finished those projects, I realized that I no longer loved some of them.  One of the cross stitch pictures was for my ex-(12 years ago!)mother-in-law.  The crochet lap blanket was supposed to be for my sister, when she moved into her house in Tampa (she now lives in Jacksonville!), and the more I looked at it, I realize that I have forgotten how to crochet!  Yikes!
So, one day, I just did it!  Despite all of my internal arguments about having invested so much time and effort in those projects, the bottom line is that I didn't love them anymore.  Their time had passed.  I threw them away.  Along with them, I threw away the guilt of not having finished them.  Done.  Very liberating!
Having done this gave me the courage to view my crafting/sewing supplies in a new way.  I now had what it takes to view my individual crafting supplies as recyclable.  If I can't use those 100 pipe cleaners, I bet someone shopping at the Goodwill can!  I now actively try to cull my crafting supplies as I see them in order to bless myself with less guilt and more real estate as well as blessing the person who sees this great find at the thrift store.  Win-Win!

Tea Cup Sampler by Stoney Creek Collection

The second side to this story is that I picked up where I had left off on my remaining cross-stitch picture.  I realized that I had put it down over discontent with a mistake that I had made in it.  Not noticeable, but I knew it was there - mocking me.  Because I was just too lazy to fix it, I put my perfectionism aside and was able to move forward and finish the picture.  Another one bites the dust! Now I just have to get it framed!  :0






So, for me, the bottom line is this - how many projects is too many?  I say, when they start to cause you shame and dread, that's when it is time to do something about it.  Either offload them or finish them.  You would be amazed at how good it feels to have these crafty little monkeys off your back!
What about you?  I trust I'm not alone in this!!  (Yikes - what if I am???)