I'm messy for the duration of each step in the process of making a quilt, real messy but I always clean up in between stages such as if I'm adding embroidery to a quilt top or before quilting. It's an old but useful habit because it's associated with learning and creativity from uni days - uncluttered desk, uncluttered head. It works for me especially so at the beginning of a project. I guess it works along the same principles as fenghui