The meaning of words

Hoarding. This word has gotten a lot of use lately, as many crafters have stated that their New Years resolution is to clean up their craft supplies. Cleaning up your stash and using it to make awesome quilts and projects is great. However, one should never feel guilty for collecting. I have had one collection or another since I was little. You never know when you will need something. I started with stamps (and still have them), my mothers pen pals would send me stamps. I have some from Australia, Canada and the UK. I also embroider, cross stitch, quilt and have gotten back into coloring books. I have a decent collection for each. Many overlap and I keep my collections organized.

Lately it seems that many feel that having a large collection is equivalent to being a hoarder. While the definition for hoarding is to collect much, being a hoarder has turned into collecting trash to the point where one cannot move. I say that there is no reason to feel guilty about collecting things you need, for a craft you love, as long as you are not collecting for the sake of collecting. If your craft area is organized with totes and boxes and the craft stays in the craft area for the most part, you collect. If your craft area is spilling into other parts of the house and your house is starting to look like this


should you consider using the word hoarder. (pic borrowed from the Houston Press)