Joanie2

Yesterday afternoon I started to clean up my sewing space. I have so many started projects going at the same time that I felt I needed to prioritize. First up was to complete some of the bibs and burp cloths for my up-coming first grandchild. I've been obsessed with making quilts and receiving blankets and need to get them finished. And I still need to make the diaper bag as well. Collected all of that stuff and put it into one single pile. Second was to put away all of the fabrics I had purchased at Fabric Depot on my vacation 2 weeks ago. I needed to admire them some more. I'm teaching a class on lanyards next week and gathered all of that stuff. Feeling like I am getting somewhere, next on my list was to decide which of my on-going projects were going to retreat with me in 2 weeks in Lake Tahoe. Another pile getting started. Then I made my big mistake...heading into my walk-in closet (my very own fabric store!) I needed to put away my new purchases after all. But as I surveyed the land a thought popped into my head (now I know how the monster got out!) 'why do I put my fabric into colors rather than what plays well together?' I know if I made this change I might not spend so much on fabric and perhaps spend my money a little more wisely...like a new sewing machine cabinet or a new sofa, both of which I badly need.
So here I am a day and a half later still putting groupings together. My bedroom is in total chaos and I want to stop but I can't. Gotta keep going. I can see real progress and I do have so many lovely "kits" tied together. I know I'll be very happy in the long run and will have weeded out some of the 'I'll never use this' stuff which will make my friends really, really happy. Just another few hours, or many another few days, to go. And then maybe the monster will be tamed...until next time... Do you have a monster inside you just itching to get out?

cathyre

I can so relate to this , three weeks ago I decided to clean my room also , I was having a friend to stay who is a neatness freak .....never anything out of place in her room , Oh says me this will take a day to do ....five days later and a bag or two of stuff I know I will never use , neat as a pin , but I might add I have always kept my fabric's in colour's , I had a pile of mending you couldn't jump over so that went in one pile and has bee done some of t sat there for months . I did find some "Treasures" as my husband calls them , I had forgotten I had so I am excited gin about them and now that I can find things again I am so keen to get in there and sew again .
Husbands answer to the monster in my room is can my wonderful friend please come every three months !!!!!

cashs_mom

I find it really funny that you are putting your fabric into kits. I've just finished taking some of my "kits" apart and putting the fabric back in the general color arranged boxes. I find that the "kits" I've put together never got used and I was cannibalizing them for other projects.

ManiacQuilter2

I too am cleaning my quilting studio. Trying to get more organized so that I won't buy any fabric unless I need them to finish a quilt top. Have gotten a lot of quilts and table runners finished. Haven't had time to take photos.

annette1952

My sewing room desperately needs to be organized also but just haven't taken the time to do it. Maybe this will give me a little push in the right direction. My biggest problem is my sewing room is sooooo tiny & I am very limited as to what I can do. It will help to just get things more organized. I'll be busy until Wed. but after that there is no excuse. Wish me luck!

nancyw

my gd's are here for the summer and the oldest organized my sewing room for me.

Reba'squilts

My monster is really trying to get out. I have been cutting 2 1/2 strips from leftovers. Have lots. I want to separate them into groups that play well together. I keep buying fabric, I should be checking out my stash first! My sewing area is in the unfinished basement, has big door wall for light. Very large space. My daughter has moved home with her 4 yr twins, so a lot of that space has to become playroom for munchkins. My computer room will become their bedroom.....so lots of organization and change going on in my life!

Quiltngolfer

I love to organize my sewing room. I find all of these beautiful projects that I want to start! I moved mine around last month, but I need to organize the closet in the sewing room most of all. I just hate dragging out all of that stuff and messing up my room again. I moved the furniture and sewing machines all around because I bought a new sewing table. It looks pretty good now. I too organize my fabric into kits. I seem to use it better that way. I just pick up the kit and start on it. I have Christmas fabric and Halloween fabric organized by color.

luvstoquilt

I know that monster very well! I get on the organizing bandwagon every few months. I decided to finish all UNOs in 2014 and I did it! Then I made kits of quilts I wantEd to make and I made them! I was thrilled and decided I really had control! 2015 came and I had 5 quilts to make for family members and I put several more kits in the "kit basket". I have made 4 of the gifts and the 5th is cut out. Only a few of the kits have been done and the pile of fabric I was going to donate is slowly working its way back into my stash. I can't go in a fabric store and come out empty handed so on it goes. I am trying to use fabric left overs on the backs of quilts and that cuts down on my scrap pile. What I can't use I cut into strips or I make "piano keys" or "prairie points". I am doing the 6 part quilt in McCalls and have to get part 5 done. Part 6 is just assembling it. It has been fun and I used only stash fabric. I can't finish all of my fabric in my lifetime and I will continue to shop. I could say it is hopeless but prefer to say I love fabric and every time I reorganize it I find treasures. It is my own personal party!

EmiliasNana

You hit the nail on the head. I was thinking of doing the same thing...........sort my scraps by color. I hate pawing through things to find the right piece, so usually don't do it, and go buy more. I have scraps from years and years back, prior to the quilting bug hit. Yes, they are all cottons, as I did do some quilted wall hangings etc. and many are folded into little bundles but they aren't all together in one place. Now that I am close to finishing up my current projects and just need to quilt on my Tiara, I thought it would be a good time to sort in piles of red, yellow, blue, etc. Since I do a lot of applique, it would make searching for the right color easier too. I definitely need a better system!