Sorting through the creative supplies of other crafters has become one of my favorite pastimes. I’d have never known it before launching Remnants. Each time I get a new bin of goodies, I feel a feeling akin to wandering through a thrift or antique store. There’s magic in the possibility that I’ll discover something truly special. It’s invigorating. As I open boxes in my studio, my oohs and ahhs are met with audible eye rolls from my husband who says he couldn’t possibly be 10% as excited as me about the unused 1960 vintage apron kit. I believe him.
He’d never know the delight I feel encountering an entire tea themed collection from a crafter.
My tea-cuppeth, runneth over.
Or the joy I’d experience seeing an unfinished crewel embroidery project of the sweetest little 1970s owls.
We crafters are collectors. If I didn’t know this before, I certainly know it now. Every drawer, every shelf, every tucked-away bin tells the story of projects past and possibilities yet to come. Scraps of fabric too pretty to toss, buttons without a match, bits of ribbon and paper saved on the off chance they’ll be just the thing someday. We don’t just gather materials—we gather inspiration, ideas, and the quiet hope that every piece will find its perfect purpose.
Digging through the bins of donations, things I bring home—from estate sales, thrift stores, and unexpected finds—has given me a glimpse into what others collected over a lifetime. Thimbles, measuring tapes, stacks of fabric still waiting to be cut. Embroidery kits with their floss untouched, patterns traced but never sewn, spools of thread in every shade imaginable. These remnants of someone else’s craft remind me to consider my own.
Lately, I’ve been thinking more about what I keep. Will I hold onto the owl crewel set, imagining the quiet hours spent stitching it? Should I save something with a tea motif, just in case it finds its way into a future project? With every discovery comes a decision—what stays with me, and what do I let go?
And that’s the beauty of Remnants. It’s a place to pass things on, knowing they’ll find hands eager to use them. A way to let go of what no longer fits our creative journey—and to find the materials that do.
