I get the strongest Urge to Purge, like a lot of people, around the New Year. I tend to do a deep clean-out then, reorganize, make new labels that give me a happy visual lift, and reclaim my space from the gremlins of chaos.

I also like to purge in an ongoing system to lessen my sense of overwhelm. So I have giveaway games for scraps, I have one person I save postage stamp size scraps for and send them when I have an envelope's worth. I have a bag hanging off my sewing desk for scraps that I'll sell for postage when I've filled it. I also have 4 trash containers (two small, two medium) around the room so I don't have an excuse to just move tiny pieces rather than trash them on the spot.

But, despite my methods, the only method that works is the one I struggle with the most: consistently tidying as I go. If I would only "put it away, not down" , my spaces would be so much more delightful.

I'm so guilty of not cleaning up after a project!!! Therefore, my sewing room is always a mess. You'd think I would learn......... :D

Our rental house sold that made us have to make an unexpected move. But I got a bigger sewing space. it was painful but when you have to touch just about everything it is a good time to purge. I have an old dresser that holds alot of stuff. I keep the things I use all the time on top or it.

I keep limits of the things I have to fit my space. When there is too much I find a place to pass things along. I am not leaving a huge mess for my daughter to have to deal with when I pass away.

I also made a spare room my sewing space, and when I moved my sewing stuff there that was the last time I purged. I do every now and then get rid of some items. A few months ago our guild had an activity where you could auction any of your items and I had a tote full of quilting gadgets, patterns, rulers, panels etc. I have tried the system of going through your fabrics and have a pile to throw, donate and keep. I end up keeping everything.

I just started to have a sewing/quilting class on Tuesdays evening in our church and decided that I will use my stash to start these ladies in this hobby..some may become addicted like I did..

At a recent retreat, the prizes were things donated by the members of the retreat. Dug through a shelf unit in the closet. Had about 20 objects. All but one received a new home.

Anyone want a floor standing round quilting/embroidery hoop?

I just reorganized my fabric stash last week. After I finished the last donation quilt for this year I decided I need to reorganize so I could see what I had. Found I used up a lot of blenders,off white, greens, navy blue, grays and such. With what I have left I will try to use it wisely. If I don't then I will be forced to buy more. LOL.

so I am not the only one? I am working on organizing my sewing room now, got a lot of work ahead of me! 3 years of not doing anything, wlrk ahead of me. I have rejoind this and whnt to get back into sewing those quilts,mugrugs, etc. my problem is when I start a project, don't finish, lay it aside and start another, and do the same thing. Guess what my son said is right, I don't focus and finish the one project befor i go to another. as for the utincils, I wanted to get a pegboard and attach the items there, Haven't done that yet, got to find the pegboard material, but I don't want to sp[end a lot on that pegboard. anyway, working on the sewing room I plan to make that table topper, and mug rug, and quilt before the end of the year!

I saw where someone got those comic book card boards (they are pretty thin) and used them to wrap up fabric. It actually works pretty well and you can get 100 of them pretty cheap on Amazon. It helped me get my fabric wrapped up and I can actually see all of my fabric on the shelf because it makes them thin and they stack on their ends.

What a great idea, find one thing every day to purge. I need to do this. I haven't bought fabric in at least a year or 6 months, because I receive others scraps as they know that I make lots of scrappy quilts for charity. I go thru the bags and discard the really unusable but sometimes I keep too much and lately I'm not attending the usual places that save the scraps because it also takes so much time sorting etc. A lot of what I do get goes into dog beds so then I spend more time making the dog beds then I would like. I am trying to get better at getting rid of stuff and saying no thank you to the scrap bags offered.