:D:D:D I totally agree, Watson!

A few months ago I asked my sewing group for help with strips because I wanted to make the boxes of strings top from our tutorials. I got a wonderful response and finished my top. (Pic #1 can't seem to figure out how to post a pic and then write between it and the next)

But then I had all these strips left and I could not just put them in the bag for dog bed stuffing. I really need the 'mindless sewing' sometimes. I have now completed a lap sized top for our president's challenge (can't show it because our Prez is a member :D) and am working on these blocks for a charity quilt. (Pic #2) The problem is trying to get a handle on all the various lengths and widths of strips. Right now they are in a pile on my table and I just grab and pull. Not the best system.

Normally I work on one project at a time. (The exception is, if I take a class, then I have two "live" projects). I do not empty my trash can until the last stitch of the binding is done. There have been too many times I have had to dig through the trash to find "a piece just big enough for that one spot". :-). I'm sure you know what I mean.

I agree! I am. NOT a stasher so that is good. I DO have projects in waiting....I have been purging the plastic storage these last few years. Storage ....OUT of sight...out of mind...not a good thing. Still...there is room for improvement.

My sewing room got fairly organized this past year, but my problem (well, ONE of my problems!) is that I have so many projects going at once. I have can't seem to work on just one project, so I have one thing on my wall, another on this table, another on that table, and so on. I feel like I need a better system for housing UFOs and WIP. But if I store them, I am not convinced I will return to them and actually complete them.

Same here!

Thank you Watson, well said.
It's great to know that I am not the only one that has had a creative tornado going this year. I won't feel so lonely while I struggle to get it all back in order..... in January I promise, no new projects for at least a week :D

GingerK, I love your strip blocks quilt.

Gingerk- your boxes of strings is beautiful! And I love what you’re doing with the remaining strings.

Rob

HaHa...I already know what I'm going to do 12-26-18....start a new little project...woe is me!

Somebody dumped a large amount of scraps and unfinished projects in our church quilting space. Nothing we were going to use so we made smaller bags and took it to the free table at Quilt Guild where it was quickly snatched up. :)

All my stash and supplies are in storage. I have the very basics in the rental we are in now. I find I am liking the no clutter sewing space. If I need a special ruler or some yardage I know I have, I can go to storage and get it. DH says same as going to the store and getting it so why not let the fabric store be your stash when we get our new house built. Maybe. I know I will not put everything I have back into a new sewing room. Most of it I don't really like the fabric prints or colors anymore. And really I don't remember what all is in storage so don't miss it. LOL
'

Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes! I am coming across fabric that I barely remember buying! Oy.

Thankfully most of the fabric I have, I like a lot--or did at one time. January will be the month I see if I'm still in love with everything, but I know better. It's time to break up with some old flames. But how do I tell my fabrics we have to go our separate ways? "It's not you; it's me. Actually, it IS you. You've stayed the same, but I've changed. Our relationship has grown static. I need my space. I wish you a happy life wherever you go!"

At least there should be no repercussions from the other side of this relationship breakup!

Oh so much batting!!!! I sew in my dining room and keep fabric, etc. in an extra bedroom. Of course it stays out on the bed until the holidays when family comes to visit. So when I was getting it all packed away last week, I was overwhelmed with all of my left over batting - many bags full (which had to be moved to another room's closet temporarily). Come January I will be sorting through it......

The only way I intend to get rid of any fabric is to make it into quilts. I am working on a king size, a couple of queen sized and a bunch of 45X60" donation quilts. I may have to buy more fabrics to go with some I have.

Gonna start with my master bedroom today. My goal is to finish decluttering thoroughly (every shelf, drawer, under bed) by Jan 9 , then give it a deep clean. The impetus (other than it'll feel so good and look good) is that my DD and her hubby will be coming to start the bedroom makeover as their big gift to us. I will also be going away for a few days mid-month to visit my sisters, and want to come home to a clean, orderly room.

(Well, unless my loves have started sanding off the faux-finished walls while I'm gone. Then it'll be dusty and maybe a bit chaotic with everything moved around so they can work.)

I don't know her timeline yet. She's only off on Wednesdays and weekends, and we rest on Sundays, so there's that.)

But today I'm starting on the bedroom. WHy wait till 2019? I am making a plan to declutter the whole house, room by room, area by area, space by space, in a year's time.

Today I pledge an hour of time. I've taken Before pictures and will keep myself motivated every hour with After Pictures as I go.

Wish me luck, say a prayer, cheer me on--I need every bit of encouragement I can get for the long haul .But the results will be so freeing!! I'll be out of clutter prison ! My one-year sentence starts now! (Boy, that sounds terrible. But it's one day closer to freedom!)

Reporting in: One hour down. Room looks much better already. I'm tired, but it's a good tired.

My organization/progress:

Donate -- 1 bag of giveaway clothes
Trash--there wasn't much to pick up
Relocated: a full, off-season bin of clothes
Laundry--all clean clothes put away, all dirty clothes sorted, one load washed

Congratulations on your progress, Zozee! I like your idea of decluttering a room at a time. I've been trying to find one thing every day to get rid of (trash, donate or sell), but even though a lot of things have gone out of the house, I can't really see that I've made much progress-- I think I'll commit to decluttering one room each month while continuing to find at least one thing to get rid of from other parts of the house each day. Here is my list for the first three months of 2019:

Jan.- the upstairs hallway
Feb.- the guest room/sewing studio
Mar.- my art studio

That list is already making my head spin, but I think it's do-able.

Rob

Thanks, Rob. I"d never feel motivated to do more if I only got rid of one thing a day. I have to see a big "chunk" of space look better after I've worked. That's why I take pictures before, several during, and then again after. You might want to break your month down into sections. Could be the traditional 4 weeks, but I'm dividing my months into thirds. I seem to do better with 10-day segments because I know I take off Sundays and, realistically, nothing gets done on Thursdays because I'm cleaning my dad's house and babysitting my niece. So that takes out 3/10 right there. Psychologically, 3 days off of 10 sounds better than 2 out of 7. Oh, the mental games I play to get through life. LOL

Great idea!!

I see I'm not alone.... whew!!! After I finished the big put-everything-Christmas-away, I stood in the doorway of my little sewing room and just sighed.... was going to start this afternoon, but DH is sick and we're headed to urgent care when they open... poor guy... it's been through the whole family including me... anyway... before I can do any quilting I MUST clean out!!!!

Mousie, how sad is that! Forced to sell your sewing room? Do you mean you're forced to sell your whole house over a family thing? I am crushed for you! THe quilting room sounds amazing. If I lived in FL or even close, I'd love to help you rehome some of your stash. Maybe offer it for sale here? You'd know it was going to be appreciated.

I like your attitude cause all my stuff is cool!

I want to organize. But knowing me, I plan to list where I'm putting it in a notebook then when done, will put list on computer and hit alphabetize it. Maybe that will help me find it again. Faster than trying to keep in order as I'm listing items.

By subject first then authors name.

In general...while I work on a quilt....I total out my sewing room...and most of the house! Once the project if finished, I clean the whole mess up...then start all over:cool:

I don't have a sewing room...just some space once in a while. If some room has too much it is moved to "'my space" so I just shrug and say I have a bad case of piles. Have son, and daughter-in- law and grand plus two dogs and a body that functions like old age