Any words of wisdom for the helplessly disorganized?
 

I have been trying to reorganize my sewing room for the past four days. This is my job, I have my products in five shops on the coast of Maine. I should be sewing, but my sewing room is such a mess I have no room to work. I have to do it.

I decided to refold my fabric to make better use of the space I have. I have been folding fabric for three days straight for at least 3 hours a day and I'm so sick of looking at it I just want to quit. I know it will look great when I'm done, but it seems never ending. Anyone else felt like this? How did you stay motivated?

Once, I helped my sister fold all her fabric just so I could fondle and enjoy it. Having a friend over to help might make it easier and faster.

My studio was a mess before I decided I HAD to get in there and reorganize etc. What a blessing it has been since I donated some things and gave away other things. Getting new furnishings didn't hurt either!! Take it one day at a time and soon your room will be looking great and you will be SO glad you took the time to do it.

I am not an organized person and have to really work hard at it. I follow Flylady and one of her motto's is "You can do anything for 15 minutes." So I set a timer for 15 mins and work. Then I can take a little break or set the timer for 15 mins longer and maybe move on to another task that I don't like and take the break after that. You can get more done in 15 mins than you realize. One of the keys is to FINISH after the 15 mins, if you have something to finish putting away or throw away etc make sure you do it before moving on. That doesn't mean the entire project - just what I worked on organizing during that 15 mins. It's still a struggle but it's helped me a lot! Good luck, you can do it!!

Don't be so hard on yourself. Some people can only create in chaos. I had to completely empty out my sewing room for new flooring to go in, then I went to the hospital to have both knees replaced. I thought I would never get my new sewing space back in order because I wanted to strip wallpaper and repaint before I started moving stuff back in. I just started setting small goals for each day based on what I could physically handle. So, you could just set aside an area each day you will get organized before you do anything else that day. If you find things in that one area that belong somewhere you haven't yet organized yet, just put it somewhere in the area it belongs and get right back to the area of the day. If something belongs in an already cleaned area, put it where it belongs. Most of all, enjoy the process.

A very long time ago I was given one of the best life lessons I could ever receive. Do the most distasteul task first whenever you can. The rest is icing. I put things back where they are stored when I am done with them. I practice this in just about any task I have to do from cooking to housework, gardening and at work. It follows me through my sewing too although there is nothing I dislike about sewing! I do have the most problem with selecting fabrics for projects, pulling lots of trial pieces from the stash wall and then not choosing them. I have found over the years that waiting till the end of the selection process to put all the fabric away works for me. I put the chosen pile in one basket then take my time to enjoy refolding and returning the rejects back to the shelf for another time. It is sort of a self perpetuating rotation of the fabric stash wall.

It is not a chore if you love it!

peace

My suggestions to use if they work for you:
Play music. It makes time go faster (even when getting cavities drilled... Don't ask how I know)
Grab 3 boxes: junk, donations and homeless items so they don't get handled a million times or clutter where you have already cleaned
Use those new temporary/removeable hooks to hang things like stencils
make a list of goals and a cleaning schedule. Do the room one section at a time.v
make your reorganization as functional as possible.
get rid of decorations that take up space you need for storage.
get rid of stuff that you reasonably believe you will never use and don't feel guilty about it.
post pictures of progress to get encouragement

Thank you everyone who gave me encouragement. I am trying to do some of it every day, but I am starting to dread going in there. I think I may end up taking a day off and sewing for a while. I will have to make decisions about getting rid of some of it. I could never use all of it if I sewed all day every day for the rest of my life, and I keep buying more!!

Eeek! I'm a very different organizer. Actually I like organizing but hate cleaning...go figure. I try to mix them up and do them together so that I don't "suffer" the cleaning so much. Sometimes I do have to make myself stop sewing to clean and put stuff away so I can find space to work. Mostly, I just try to have fun, if I get messy having fun......oh well!
Mary

I'll bet you shop at Maaaahhdens. So much temptation!!!!!!!

My best suggestion would be to throw all the fabric you can fit in a large box, then go to your private message box on this forum, and send the fabric to me. LOL. seriously, take a break and IF you want to sell some, this board is an excellent place to do it. Good luck and take the weekend off. Start next week refreshed, or as My mom used to say "Bright eyed and bushy tailed.".

Fly lady is wonderful! Do set a timer and work for a short time on a task. 3 hours at a time is too long to work on a project. I would be exhausted doing that. So, get out your timer, set it and get to work. You can work with the timer several times a day, just don't try to get it all done in a day.

I don't have nearly the amount of fabric that some have but I didn't even want to go in the room because it wasn't organized. I started cleaning it up and setting aside some things to sell or give away. I also got frustrated and discouraged, but I decided I can do anything for an hour (like sitting in the dentists chair) so I certainly can work on my sewing room an hour at a time. That's what I did. When the time was up I walked out and closed the door. Then I would do it again. I think in all it took me three months to clean and organize. Some days I didn't work on it at all. But, it is done.

How do you eat an elephant???

Answer: One bite at a time.

I've been working on organizing my sewing room this summer.
My room has been torn upside down and inside out. First, decide on where you want things to live. Set up stations if you'd like. For example, I've set up a Cutting station/Sewing station/AccuQuilt station/Pegboard wall/Stash Storage/Design wall, etc.

I just set out to accomplish small goals each session at working on the room.
Ex: Today I will clear off my cutting table and put those things where they live.

Take breaks and sew some, otherwise you'll lose all motivation.
At least I do. :)

I agree with the "play music" suggestion. Nothing like a little Motown (or whatever turns you on) to get a body moving while working. A little dancing lets you multitask and get healthy, too. I also love listening to books on tape -- now they are actually on my MP3 player, courtesy of the local library. I have "read" so many books while my hands were busy with other things. This works great if you are doing mindless work that doesn't require concentration. Another suggestion is to plug your bluetooth into your ear and call friends and relatives you need to catch up with. Leaves your hands free for your labors and makes the hours fly by.

I asked an acquiantance (she's very organized) if I could hire her to help me organize. When she came to my home to look over the 'mess', she told me that she would help me organize if i would teach her how to quilt. What a deal!!!!!

I feel your pain! Good luck prayers and thoughts your way!

Remember that being organized is a learned skill, and you can't go from one extreme to the other without some mistakes along the way. The "one bite at a time" advice is excellent. You would be amazed at what you can do in 15 minutes, and once you realize you don't have to do it all at once, you will find it easier and easier.

The best part is that in the long run, being organized saves time and you will have more time to play without ever feeling guilty like you should be doing something else.

an aorganized sewing room.. only in my dreams my sister has helped 2 -3 times in the past 2 yrs but it doesnt take me long ...some days just to be able to see the floor would be a blessing ..wishing you good luck..

I do not know but when you find out how let me know!

Maaahdens
 

Sure Love that place. Take a pile in another room and sit and fold fold fold, then go get another pile and do the same. I did that last winter. My sewing room is in the basement and it gave a different scenery for me. And I watched tv with my husband while I folded. Lots of luck Pal. I m not that far away here in Augusta. I thought sometime we could meet at Mardens but I guess that wouldn't be a good idea now. LOL Take care and keep plugging away. Barb

I also use Fly Lady. I am so happy I found her.

Funny how we're all so different. Figure out a set amount of time and put in that much time each day - first thing, to get it out of the way. Playing music definitely helps. I don't mind organizing but I HATE cutting fabrics, and that's what I'm doing right now. Eventually I'll get it all done, but at least I'm only doing it a bit at a time, and then take a break with something FUN.

One way I do a large project is to go in to the room/space face the corner of the room start there And work with my back to the Door Never look behind Me, So I can't See the Mess As I Go working my way Out of the Room Seeing the 'Clean' as It Appears in front of Me! Stop if I get Worn/tired/go back the next day! Don't Know If this makes Any sence But it works for ME. LOL.

I think now is a really great time to get rid of the things you don't remember or are outdated. Put a box at the door and just start tossing. I was really surprised at how much new storage I was able to get by doing this. I also try to cut my scrap pieces into managable measurements, ( 5" square, 3.5" square, 2" square and 2.5" strips, I throw them into boxes labeled by sizes. Our local Bernina store offers classes monthly called scrap therapy. We use up all those tiny pieces and make them into beautiful items. And of course a good friend and a bottle of wine will make the job a little bit more fun!

but when it is folded SO much More will fit in the space :) ask me how I know!!!

Stopped by as I need to do this too. I've read the 15 minute timer before and use it. My youngest son will be moving back home for awhile and so I'm trying to get my sewing in one room instead of spreading out in both extra bedrooms. This posting is a good pep talk to take it on with some energy. Organization is not my strong suit, but have always had what I would call a creative method of organizing. On to adding some efficiency to it.

When I was a kid, I hated hearing my Mother say: "Go clean up that room, and don't come out until it's clean!!" So...I made up a game to get me through the awfulness of it. I would stand in the doorway and say to myself, "What's the most important thing I could do to make this room look better?" Then I would go do it. Back to the door, and the same question! Before long, the room would look 50% better, then 75% better and finally...finally....it would be clean! I still hate housework, so I still play my little game. Works for me! Then I can quilt!!!

I am a supreme organizer. I like to sort my fabrics by light to dark and then sort out smaller pieces into my scrap bin. I also use small plastic shoe boxes for cut squares, shapes, etc. so they are easy to find. Once you make the big leap to organization you will find that it is easier for projects. Get peg board to hang rulers, scissors, etc. I am also a huge fan scanning in pattern ideas that I want to make and getting rid of the magazines, books, etc. to make more room and also to know right where that pattern is without going through all the books looking for that one that would have got away other wise.

Just make the supreme boring beginning to cleaning up and before you know it you will wonder how you functioned before. Best of luck.

I like a clean organized room. I HATE clutter. First rule is you cannot organize too much stuff. I am given alot of fabric for my charity quilting. I must be ruthless in discarding what I do not want to use. I am not sewing fabric that I do not like. I give to other charity quilters.

I store my fabric on shelves ruler folded except for small things like FQ. I pass along scraps smaller than 5 inches and save strips 2 and 2 1/2 inches.

I sewed myself a great Christmas quilt then gave all that category of fabric away. I do not make Christmas quilts for charity. If I ever decide to make another---I will buy what I want.

Along the way I bought too much fabric but am making great progress on whittling it down. I gave myself permission to discard what I do not love. I took myself off all email alerts to fabric sales. The fabric stores are happy to store fabric for me at no charge. When I need it I will go purchase it.

My sewing room now is a happy place without so much fabric making me feel I had just too much and others had so little.

Oh, but don't get rid of it - that's like saying I probably won't use any flour this week - so I'll get rid of that to make more room... As long as it is well organized - it becomes an inspiration - not a burden.

Update on my mess
 

It was August 22 when I posted a plea for words of widsom regarding the organization of my sewing room. It is now September 11 and it's still a mess! Most of the fabric has been refolded and separated into colors and themes which, I know, is huge. The rest of the room continues to wait for me to finish it. I have stopped to sew because it's what I do for a living and right now the tourists on the coast of Maine are still shopping so I still have to sew. After that's done there will be Christmas to sew for family so I suppose the real clean up won't happen for a while, but I am already finiding it easier to locate the fabric I want when I want it.

Thank you for your kind words of encouragement and I will have to check out Fly Lady.

I often wake quite early, like 3 or 4, and can't make any noise or I'll wake my hubby. This morning it was after 3:15. I went into my quilt room and decided to put things away as I couldn't sew my blocks (noise). By the time I looked at the clock again it was 7:30 and most of my quilt room was reasonably tidy again. I still have lots to do, of course, but now I don't cringe when I walk in there. So my 'prize' was quilting ALL DAY with no interruptions. I break it up a bit usually and reward myself in some small way for a job well done. Added bonus was finding several 'treasures' I'd totally forgotten I have.

I hang my larger yardage and and mark size and width and the 1 1/2 under fold and mark. Works gread for seeing and of course had a best buddy to help me. ( her idea by the way ) and smaller pc's cut to different sq's 5" 3" 4 1/2 " 2 1/2 " some binding strips when width was not alot. Have fun with it and you will not believe how much easier it is this way. Love looking for what I need for a project now !!

I also follow the fly lady technique, but I set the timer for only ten minutes.......and it has worked! I only take out a bit to fold and organize, and I can see the immediate results........
Don't be too hard on yourself.....

I don't know if I have anything useful to add that hasn't been mentioned.
Yes, I am one of those mousies that doesn't read pages and pages to the end.
Having said that, is there a tv in the room where you fold fabric?
If not and it isn't viable, how about music.
Music helps everything,...and a timer.
Set the timer for a segment of time so you can look forward to stopping.
Tell yourself that it is a guide, (not a punishment), and you can stop whenever you really want to.
Then when you get going, you won't want to stop.
You'll want to reach your goal.
I do agree, if you had a friend it makes work go by so much faster.
I am refolding all my folded fabrics, just bc it is reccommended to keep creases from setting in permanently.
I don't buy expensive boards etc. I put tinfoil over cardboard (got it from a book), and I use blue painters tape and attach it to the covered board so it doesn't move.
It goes a lot faster.
The timer will give you breaks so your muscles won't feel like you've had a blanket party.
(blanket party: where someone has a blanket thrown over them and gets a pounding :shock: )
Your doing it, brag on yourself.
It ain't all fun...but alas, it is necessary. I highly reccommend rewards of some kind :thumbup:

now see, if my husband had just been picked for that moose tag, he'd be in Maine hunting right now and I could come over and help - I LOVE organizaing, tho you wouldn't know it from my own sewing room just now. okay - that was the inspiration I needed - I'm headed in there!