I think my DH is getting desperate. He has been trying for years to get me to clean up the basement. I have good intentions but just can't seem to get it done. Then when I got my new sewing machine, the sewing room was to be edited and cleaned. Fabric bins got moved into guest room but that's about as far as it has gone. He just came up with this challenge that if I can get them both cleaned out and up, he will go on a road trip with me to Fillmore, Utah (about 1700 miles)to get my treadle sewing machine that great-aunt left me. It has been visiting at a friends house there. I want to get this SO bad but it just seems like an impossible task. I think I need one of those cleaning shows, lol. This board has been such inspiration and blessing. I guess I just needed to tell someone to make it more real. Maybe I need to make a schedule, something to tell me that, 9:00-11:00 sew; 11:00-2:00 clean; etc. Oh, I just don't know. Please, someone help me out! I really know what I SHOULD do. He has been so very, very patient. I owe it to him. Thanks friends.
Wendy B

The best way to tackle something that seems so big is to break it down into smaller chunks. So say you start in the basement work for about 20 minutes and then stop , walk away and do something else for a bit. Go back after your "break" do another 20 minutes or so and walk away again. Also have bins with you so you can decide right away what is going where. When a bin is full take it to the room that it belongs in.
GOOD LUCK and maybe for some extra motivation tape a pic of the treadle in a couple key spots so you can see it and know what your final reward is :thumbup:

Ok, you have half the battle won already... the motivation!! You can do this!! If it were me, I'd start by buying (or cleaning off) shelves. Book shelves in your sewing room for fabric and quilt books, and big metal or plastic shelves in the basement for "stuff". Start with 3 boxes or bags, one for trash, one for sell/donate, one for keep/put away in other rooms. Set your timer and work for short periods like sharon suggested. Work as fast as you can, putting stuff you want to keep on your shelves and when your time is up, take the trash out, put the garage sale or donate stuff in the garage, and put anything that goes in other rooms away where it belongs. Take a break, get a cup of coffee or tea, read a quilt magazine, and then tackle it for another short period. I've been amazed when doing this how much you can get done in 20 - 30 min! Even if you only do one session a day, it will be done before you know it! Too often we look at a huge job like this and think we need a long weekend to do it all, and it never gets done! If you have a garage sale when you're done, you also get to have some extra money for your trip!

I third that motion! Do it in 20-30 min increments. YOU CAN DO THIS!!! I know it seems like an impossible task right now but break it down into small managable goals. I psych myself out and end up getting nothing done sometimes because the project seems too big to handle. Make it smaller. Do it in sections, make small goals, and reward yourself each step of the way! Set the timer so you HAVE to stop within the 20 or 30 minutes for a break then go back so you don't get overwhelmed and burnt out.

GO GO GO!!!

Come on! You know that you want that treadle.... really, really bad!!! So what if you have to suffer through with cleaning the basement and finishing the sewing room! Think of all the GREAT rewards you're going to get!!!

1) It'll be done, so you won't have it in the back of your mind all the time that you need to do it and feel guilty for putting it off.
2) Your sewing room will be all nice and neat and such a joy to work in! Everything will be "findable".
3) The basement will be finished to do with whatever you have planned.
4) Like Pamela said, you'll have extra money from the garage sale for your trip.
5) It will make your dear patient husband very happy.
6) You get to go on a Road Trip!!!! And not just any old road trip, but THE Road Trip of the Century! All the way to Utah to pick up a real, genuine, antique, collectible, beautiful, heirloom Treadle Sewing Machine, that will make you the envy of every sewer and seamstress around!!!!
and last but not least,
7) You will finally get to keep your own treadle sewing machine that your great-aunt left to you at your house, instead of at a friends.

With all these "rewards", what's keeping you??? Get busy!!!

For a treadle that had belonged to someone in my family? I wouldn't sleep until it was done! ~laffin~

The others are right...set the timer for 5/10/15 minutes and clean like a madwoman for that time...then do something else for a bit, and go back and set that timer again. I bet you find that you work past the timer bell....and once you get started, you're not going to want to stop!

One thing I have to add to all the other suggestions, get some music going. Something with a nice beat that will help you move, maybe sing along. Play it loud enough to dance to, sort of, while you work.
I can work so much better sometimes if I put on some music with a lively beat.

I like to start in one specific spot and clean and clean and clean until that one spot is clean. Like cleaning everything off of say the desk. Then when that is done I pick another spot and clean. That way you can really see the progress. Good Luck! You can do it

Yes, you can do this!!! I agree with all the others -- work in 15-30 min. increments and you'll be able to see progress immediately!!

Do you have a plan for how you want these rooms to look when finished? That helps when trying to sort and organize. Buy some pretty boxes for patterns (JoAnns always has some beautiful ones!) and some "roll around" carts for notions. Put all the same kind of stuff in one area (fabric here, thread there, etc.) and before you know it -- you're on your way to get your beautiful treadle!! :D :thumbup:

The others have great ideas and like to add that
I'd CONCENTRATE on cleaning (and very little sewing fun) until everything was DONE so I could get that FAMILY HEIRLOOM into my house.

Turn on the music and start with a trash bag - start in ONE CORNER and walk around and throw out the obvious trash. Take things that are in your sewing area that shouldn't be in your sewing area - out of your sewing area. If you have to go back to the room start IN THE SAME CORNER. PUT A PURPOSE to your room! This step may take you 30 minutes or 3 hours - only you know.

If it's near lunchtime have something quick and light and make sure you include some type of DESSERT!!! Gotta have the sweet for the afternoon work session!

Then like Sesame Street - PUT LIKES TOGETHER - patterns here, totes of yardage here - bins of FQ there - threads here - etc.

Once things are ORGANIZED TOGETHER you'll find more motivation to QUICKLY get through one pile at a time and toss or donate or save. BUT at this point your area may be LOOKING PRETTY GOOOD!!! and may qualify you for a ROADTRIP!

If necessary, have something for dinner and keep at it or work on it the next day! Unless you have a quilt that HAS to be done in this coming week, I'd put off sewing to get the family heirloom in my house!

You can do it! You can do it! Take before and after pictures - We'd love to see them!