My HOPES for 2014 in my rooms
 

My HOPES, and goal) for 2014 is to NOT spend as much
money on fabric and other sewing stuff. Except for what
I NEED (which in all honesty is not much I tell you).

I want/need to get both my sewing & fabric rooms cleaned,
organized, and get my fabric folded so that I can SEE what
I actually have and make use of it, and any thing I DON'T
like get rid of!

My fabric room is so full from stuff that was in the sewing
room that I had to move out when I got that huge new (to me)
desk last year. Honestly it almost looks like a horders place
because of all the junk in there.

My biggest problem is I don't know WHICH room I want to
try and tackle first the sewing room which is a mess but not
as bad as the other room or start in the worst room and work
my way out.

Just wish I could afford to hire someone to come in and help
me to get the rooms organized.

What are your organization goals for this year?

In a little over a year, we plan to put our house on the market and downsize. My sewing space is stuffed. I really want to use up some of my fabric to make our downsizing easier and to only take the stuff I love.

It took me 9 months to work through my home using 15 minutes a day, on the timer. Some days I'd feel like more and do an hour or so but the timer is the magic :) That isn't 15 minutes leafing through magazines it's 15 minutes tossing OUT Donate Keep. It is kind of like having a bear on your heels!

Just doing my fabric (and I don't have a huge stash at all) took 2 weeks.
I guess what I'm saying is you can eat an elephant with a spoon if you do it one spoon at a time, steadily.

Just standing in the doorway, what do you see you can toss or donate? Just start there until you have a path cleared.

Take a before photo. I've got mine on my old quilt blog just to keep me honest.
And all these years later it generally still looks like the after photo

I wish you all the encouragement in the world, it is worth the effort!
It certainly made me a better steward of our finances and learn the difference between need and want.

It also put me on the fabric wagon, going strong since 2001. And yes, even with a smallish stash, I'm still making quilts out of it. I think about 2 more years and I be buying fabric again. A little bit :)

edited to add: my goal was to downsize by HALF. I've done that and more. What a waste of time and dollars that showed me.

Ohhhhhh THANK YOU!!!! this is the PREFECT inspiration that
I think will work for me.

My back starts hurting like crazy after 10-15 minutes so I think
using this timer method might help me from going to long.

Thanks again!

I'm thinking I would tackle the sewing room. If you did the fabric room first, you might get really inspired to sew, but then not have the room in the sewing room. So then if you do the sewing room first, you might get inspired to dig into the fabric room to find something to sew. Sounds like I'm talking in circles.:confused:

I'm not bragging, but, just saying that my room is in pretty good shape right now. I TRY to keep it is fairly good shape. Just wanted to say, that if you have some good cast offs you are looking to get rid of, I'm your girl. Fairly new to all this, so I'm always looking to build my quilting stuff.
Good luck on your hope & plans.

Okay, Louise - I want you to keep track of your work. After 4 hours total, post a photo of your progress and I will send you a Vermont mug to add to your collection. I'm going to keep track of this thread and will wait for your photos. Maybe someone else will reward you with a mug after 8 hours. Sound like a plan?

The timer is my best friend! I recently cleaned my sewing room (which is also my fabric room, but i don't have much fabric since I'm a newbie).

Here's my 2 cents' worth for a plan:

1. Start with an empty trash can.
2. Get yourself a big box for giveaway/donate. (I wouldn't bother separating those categories.)
3. Get another big box for Keep.
4 Set your timer for 15 minutes and don't stop moving till it beeps.

5. For the first 15 minutes, clear off your cutting table--just CLEAR IT, don't organize anything except to dump obvious trash. Don't overthink what's trash, either! Don't get touchy-feely-warm-fuzzy about your stuff. The goal is to breathe and to create again. Can't do that in a mess.

Seeing a clear surface is mentally invigorating. If you have time left after clearing your cutting table, give it a good wipe-down with something that smells good. You'll have not just a clear table but a CLEAN one to start sorting and folding things on.
'
Take a picture of your clear cutting table and call it success! Then treat yourself to doing something you enjoy doing. We can do this--I say "we" because my sewing room is always evolving, and is always a challenge to keep neat. I let it get to the overwhelming stage before Christmas but tackled 90% of it on New Year's Eve and Day. I feel so much lighter when I walk in there and my creative juices are really flowing now!

I got a wild hair one day and started ruler folding my fabric -- a week later and I was done with all the drawers and had hung all the backing fabric on hangers. It gave me a new lease of life!!! I knew that I had in fabric and that helps a lot! I was doing a project with my granddaughter - she thought it was too bad I didn't have any Cars fabric or Spiderman fabric -- two minutes later I had it in my hand. In just a couple of days I made a quilt for my youngest grandson with that fabric. Now I tell myself that I just need to go put 3 things away -- I usually do more -- it adds up and makes for a more organized room. Good luck!!

to bad we don't live closer I am retired and I would come and help you for free