I have found that if I clean and organize completely it looks great until I start a project. Of necessity, I must make a mess. My dilemma is that if I clean I have no energy left to sew (and cook, and clean, and do laundry, etc) or if I sew, the cleaning is left undone. Somewhere (maybe on here) I read that to be creative you must make a mess. Or something to that effect. And, if I have more than one project going at one time (oh, Mom, can you make me a baby quilt? thanks, I need it in a week!) my piles and stacks build up until I can't see the tables or the floor. Then I take one day (or two or three) and clean it again. Now, where did I leave off on this project? Another couple of hours digging all that out again...you get the picture. I just no longer worry about it. I keep the floor swept, projects in their own little "world" with notes about where I left off, etc. I don't care what it looks like, I know where everything is. But, and I realize that not everyone has this option, I do have a dedicated room (a shop out back) where I can leave everything out. I don't have to clean it up to prepare dinner, whatever. I sympathize. There was a time when I had one small corner on a small table in my large kitchen to sew. Four children and a husband meant that I had to clean first, cook next, clean some more, then sew. I made the kids clothes back then...I really don't how I did it. My word to you is, "Don't worry about it. It makes no difference at all if your sewing area looks like a hurricane went through as long as you can find what you need when you need it.