Misty Marie- do hope you're feeling better both physically and spiritually.

I didn't read the whole thread but I get the picture and understand where you're at. Here is my two cents on the deal.I have four different craft that I do regularly. I couldn't not do them if they were not organized. At times one of the crafts get into a mess and I have to consider the other people who live here and out of consideration for them (clue to myself and you)I need to afford them the same happiness that I get out of my crafts and that is not to mess up the whole house. So sometimes I take the whole day to put everythink back before starting a new project.

So, stop buying, stop sewing. Box all the fabric and notions up in containers untill everything is gone. Now hire someone to build you shelving from the floor to the cealing (if you have tons of fabric). Get one small chest of drawers and that will be for your notions, one pegboard for you rulers.

Now think of all the fun you will have putting the fabric on the shelves. You will find stuff you never imagined you had. Group them in color groupings. You will be so happy afterwards to be able to see everything and the rest of your family will be happy too.

This will take maybe weeks but the end result will well worth it all. There is no other way around it. You must do it.

A good thing is never put anything on the floor, put it in it's place.

If it was a neat craft so many people wouldn't be doing it. Get some plalstic containers and put each project in a container and that will make it a little neater. Get drawers for your excess fabric and drawers for your notions. i have a den but I am glad also have an arts and crafts room to sew in. I carry my things back and forth in a shopping cart. My son told me I needed a bigger apartment and I told him if I did I would only buy more fabric. In fact i am going to the fabric store today. i also do alterations for my neighbors and I make hankies trimmed in lace and i have lots and lots of fabric and things. Please don't feel bad and don't get discouraged. :lol: :oops: :mrgreen:

I'm in the messy club. When I quilt at my boyfriends house I have it all over-cutting in the dining room, sewing in the bedroom, ironing in the laundry or tv room. He is very good about it but I still clean up everything before I stop for the night. At my house I just don't do that. I usually leave to do something thinking I'll get back to it and don't or I sew until I can't see anymore and just go to bed!

This thread really hit home with me. I had an organized sewing room. Then, last year we had a fire. Lucily, I didn't lose any sewing stuff, but the whole house had to be emptied. When we returned, yardage fabric was put up; but there are still boxes & totes in center of my room. I love crafts, so have quilting stuff & crafting stuff.
I've been telling myself I need to go thru everything and see if I can find room or if I need to discard. Guess I've done what some others have done. My machine is still in sewing room, but I have a card table in the den where I cut my fabrics and my laptop is on. It's so bad in my room, I only have a space to walk to my machine.
My youngest DD has volunteered to empty the room so I can go thru one box at a time. So, that's my next project. First, I'm going to clean up mess around my machine. Then, I'll have her come over. Her kids are on spring break next week. So, I hope to be ready for her in 10 days. I'm too embarassed to take photos of the current room; perhaps I'll take photos when I'm finished, lol.

This thread did at least inspire me to go and dig out an unused canvas box, which is now housing bags of scraps and big pieces of backing fabric, so that there's space in my two big plastic boxes for more fabric (i.e. the stuff sitting around and on the way - I just placed an order). I also gathered together all of the fabrics for an upcoming project and squeezed them into a sort of plastic biscuit container we had spare, so that's easier to move around. Unfortunately, the top of the piano is still covered with clutter, and yes, it's a grand! I'll get there. A lot of it is big stuff rather than basic fabric, and I ran out of space for books a while back.

I don't like to put fabrics in totes, I like them on shelves in plain sight much better and makes less mess when you need something. I do like sewing notions in small plastic clear boxes in order to keep them sorted according to what I want to do with them. I put my binding leftovers in a box, all of them, and then use them to bind charity quilts. Put all threads in clear plastic boxes for easy selection. Embroidery stuff in another box and thread in a special container. Sure helps to have things where you can find them.

I have been very messy in my quilting hobby but have had our house for sale for 5 months now and have had to always keep it neat and tidy. Hopefully, if the house ever sells, I will keep in my "new" habit but can honestly say I don't get half as much accomplished as I used to!! So, there you have it, the good and bad to "creative chaos.", obviously, nothing is all bad!

Don't stop sewing!! That's what will help to get you out of your clutter. And don't buy anything else. Tidy one corner by your machine so you can sew. Then on saturday mornings, sort out what you want to donate. Take your time, do it little by little, but don't stop sewing. Sewing is for de-stressing. Buying causes stress when it's out of hand.

You can do this. :thumbup:

I had a clutter problem, so I hung a peg board and put most of my notions on it and then I made a behind the door storage
hanger like a shoe holder and tagged each pocket,with what was in it this held lots of items I do not know how to add pictures or I would. I will put pictures in the picture section.I use drawers for my fabric so I can use the top for a cutting and layering surface.