Connie- I hope he has a speedy recovery and that your grandchildren have managed to avoid getting it.

Julienm1- what a frustrating situation to be in, but it sounds like your plan for going through all the quilting boxes, repacking and relabelling will help alleviate some of it.

This morning I am going to put away the materials for a project that I’ve been working on so that I can have room to work on a new one that has a closer deadline. I had been trying to finish up the one instead of putting it away, but Last night I realized that I was feeling stressed out by having materials for both projects scattered around my studio. Fortunately all the organizing I’ve done over the last few years means that I now have a safe place to put the “in process” project https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png

Rob

Started the search 4.00 am this am. Went thru 7 boxes an found...not what I was looking for. However DID find 1x6 ruler, more rotary blades, seam ripper, fab calculator, felt to make pincushions and aquarium rocks for weight, several patterns that I KNEW I had but no Drunkard's Path templates. If we haven't moved in 3 mo I'll order a new set. Maybe by then shipping charges won't be so expensive.

I hope everyone here is having a wonderful quilting day and hoping if you are waiting for news from family/friends it's what you were hoping for.

Found bobbins I had no idea I had them, more pins, and scissors OMG the different types, length, colors. I told DH I have no business buying anything quilt related until I die...except for DP templates.

Connie...prayed for your son and family this morning. Will continue and have included you, as well. Stay strong and faithful, darlin...hugs!

With so many challenges around me with friends, family, and quilting community, I had to organize my prayer list today so I don’t forget anyone... this is a difficult season for so many of us.

My new motto courtesy of Oksewglad..”Adapt and adjust” and stand strong.

Adapt and adjust has been my go to phrase through all the ups and downs of 50 years of dairy farming and life in general, Teen. And then we just "breathe"!

Thanks for the prayers. My son still isn’t feeling the greatest. I haven’t been in face-to-face contact with them for quite a while. I sure do miss his twice weekly calls on his way home from work though.

Adapt and adjust: I guess we did that when I was growing up on the farm too. I certainly did it when I was teaching and then subbing. Thankful that we are ok with adapting and adjusting especially now.

Julie: Oh so frustrating. I was thinking I missed your move somewhere along the way. Good luck with your organizing of the boxes,

I sorted through more squares while watching a college football game. It sure doesn’t seem like I’m making a dent in the container. Lol!

Did your team win, Connie? It's okay if they did here. Now if it was the red and gold team rather than the black and gold that would be a different story!

I've been an occasional lurker on this thread and find it inspiring! Finally decided it was time to try the fabric boxes to store fat quarters and my stash of fabrics. I started quilting about ten years ago, and love making scrappy quilts. That means lots of different fabrics. Yikes, my large cupboard was really a mess. Many times I had color grouped folded fabric and stacked them as neatly as possible. Then, the next project and pulling/auditioning of fabrics meant more disorder. I have sewed boxes, sorted and folded fabric all week! It was much more of a project than I ever envisioned it would be and now wonder about some of my earlier fabric choices! The fabrics I know I'll never want to use in a quilt are now going into making of more fabric boxes! I think I'll get finished today (fingers crossed). Looking at my organized efforts does give a warm fuzzy feeling.

Don't now it is organizing but I am going to start the borders on my Frolic today so I have room to start the new Bonnie Hunter mystery in a couple weeks. Have been ill and had arm joint replacement so have not sewn for a long time. Feel better and want this thing done.
Love seeing what everyone else is doing

This pattern came yesterday but instead of making a pillow, plan to make a tote for DGD! Making a few adjustments and need to go to JoAnn's to get more fusible. Need to get this done asap due to delays in shipping with USPS. https://www.missouriquiltco.com/shop...-santa-pattern


.

You sound like a normal quilter! Especially one who works from scraps and stash. Isn't it fun to play with the fabrics to find the right pieces? I have made boxes to fit my plastic drawers (2 boxes per drawer), too, using those unwanted good fabrics. Currently have waste triangles in them and can pull the the box out when I want to play with them. Enjoy the warm fuzzy feeling!

Due to the size of this property and our only child moved across the nation, I expect to move within 5 yrs. Maybe even 1 yr. So I keep downsizing, now more seriously. As space opens, it's easier to get into the long forgotten.

Nothing like moving to get organized. I recommend moving every 5 years..lol... will you move closer to your child? It’s a daunting task but once I got started when I moved, I uncovered all kinds of stuff I had long forgotten. My Hubbie was worse then me with his packratting. Plus, once moved, it’s a blast refreshening the decor.....I keep hearing “deep sighing” from Hubbie when I buy or make new decor...lol.. he’ll get over it.

Ah the moving motivation!

I had to use the "company coming motivation plan".A few months ago we got new flooring in the studio and nearly completely moved stuff out and piled it in the two guest rooms. Now we have company coming for Thanksgiving so I've finally got it all moved back where it belongs and did a bit of organizing and downsizing along the way. The studio still needs some attention but most of the remaining clutter is caused by WHIPS that I'm not ready to put away just yet.

Yep. Moving and company, the biggest two. DH's got more stuff than I & I've got a lot. My motivation is," I can't stand it anymore."

oksewglad: Gophers lost to Iowa Hawkeyes. 😢.

liking quilting: Organizing does give a warm fuzzy feeling. My sewing area is much more organized than anything else in my house. It’s funny because I was quite organized in my classroom.

ka9sdn: Finishing up a project qualifies in my book as organizing. 👍 Sorry to hear of your health issues but glad you can start back with your quilting.

Julie: That pattern is adorable!

DJ: The ‘company coming motivation’ plan sometimes has backfired on me because I will throw non-important things into bags and find them much later and then need to go through them. Lol! But it does help with getting areas cleaned up, dusted, and vacuumed well.

Good luck to people with their downsizing. I took a small trunk load of things to a charity today. Also dropped 3 large tubs off to a niece who will be moving in a few months. Next week, I’m hoping to drop electronics, batteries, etc, off at the local environmental place. I wish I had the mojo I had in April and May to clean out stuff. I guess spurts is what I need to be content with for now.

Today I washed, pressed, refold fat quarter and half yard cuts in white ToT for drunkards path quilt. Washed other fabric too. Quilter Twins recently had great sale on backings so bought 8 yards of ivory pattern. I have to wash most of my fabric due to chemicals. Backing was 108" wide. HUGE AND I MEAN HUGE amount of fabric. Cut in to chunks and now that is washed and dried. Tomorrow have to work on the Santa totes. Hope to get them in the mail right after Thanksgiving.

Today, I mailed off some greeting cards and realized that for probably over a couple of years prior, I’ve been stuffing my address book with slips of paper with updated addresses or new people to add etc. The book was bulging and I’ve avoided sitting down and recording all those slips of papers etc. So, today I spent some time and worked on that. Not done but it’s a start and will work on it more tomorrow.

Well it happened again. Over night those naughty gnomes came in and decided to play with my fabric. Luckily they don't know how to use scissors or cutters so no damage...just messy, very messy. Even tho it's frustrating I keep saying to myself...at least you don't have scrapbooking for a hobby, too. Just thinking about all those stamps, trims, papers, etc. Quilting is hard enough for me to handle...lol

Well for goodness sake don't teach them how to use scissors or cutters! Then indeed a mess...or maybe you should and then it saves some cutting time!

New studio priorities and time re-organization
 

Today I want to have a rethink about my studio notebook. I've used it for several years to help me organize my time and it has been an effective tool for times when I was busy with entering quilt shows and art shows, etc. However, this past year I have found myself looking at it less and less. I finally realized it was because I've got it structured to help me meet deadlines when I'm actively involved with in-person shows and events- all of which are closed down and have been for months. I tried to organize it for on-line shows, but with one thing and another, I just haven't been that motivated to enter the on-line shows. It's clear to me that my studio priorities have changed, at least for now and I would like to have a think about what they actually are. I need to decide what it is that I am truly excited about and structure my notebook to reflect that so that I don't just spend time in the studio spinning my wheels.

So, back to basics:
Studio Time organization- 1st task- figure out what I really want to do with my time in the studio- I need to learn how to use instagram as one of the organizations I am involved with is moving in that direction. I know I want to translate some of my abstract drawings into quilts. I am obligated to finish an art piece for a charity show- it's due to be delivered on Dec. 5. I have signed up for an on-line Helen Godden class that I've been wanting to take, and I now have all the materials to do it. I really want to finish the Big Butterfly quilt, but it needs to have a bunch of quilting ripped out. I need to make more scrap scarves as they are selling well at the gallery. There are Christmas gifts to finish up. There is still a stack of UFOs (I started with 33 this year and am down to 20). I have some show quilts that came back from shows nearly a year ago that need to have storage bags made for them. I have several finished show quilts that I never put labels or hanging sleeves on because Covid hit just as it was getting to be time to enter them. I really just want to sit and do some mindless sewing and quilting for relaxation ... Clearly that's a lot of things that I want and/or need to do. I think I need to figure out how to narrow the list down so that I don't feel that I've got pinball brain... So that's my organizing goal for today.

Anyone else having this problem???
Rob

decided to use some scraps. Got them all out and pulled out the strips. Friend wants them-one way to organize, give it away. Looked at the rest and decided to choose a back fabric and make blocks to go with it. The rest went back in the scrap box. Since this fluffed it, it looks just as full as before, but I know.

Ryyder, I hear you.

My goal is to reduce stash, no deadlines. So I just keep pulling fabrics for 1-3 quilts at a time. Then, I run across a fabric I've wanted to work with and insert that in the mix.

There is a quilt taking up my big design wall that needs to come down. Finish it? or UFO it? Haven't decided. So it stays put, taking up valuable space. Need to make a decision.

Last night tidied up sewing table. I use unique containers to store notions within an arms reach. ? is...do I really need10 pens/pencils within an arms reach? No. ? is...do I really need 5 scissors within an arms reach? No. ? is...do I really need expired JoAnn's current and expired sales fliers? No. Now I have room for small cutting mat by my machine. Got up this morning. Looked at my sewing table. Looks different but can't remember what was removed...lol! DH uses Swiffer's and I take the containers., Have a clear lid, stack nicely, plays well with other containers on shelf and that's where I put the stuff last night. Won't look in there for a week since I'm afraid all that stuff will end up back on the table! https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/wink.png

In my seemingly never ending organizational quest I purchased 8 of these bins at Lowes, stacked 4 each on top of each other then placed them on top of the wooden furniture dolly’s for easy rolling in and out. 2 fit perfectly in an unused narrow deep area, and I covered the bins with a crib sized sheet. Bolts of fabric are a perfect fit! Eventually I will tweak them with wood around the bottom so they don’t move at all when I pull them out. The shelving unit is perfect for 26 clear plastic containers and 10 smaller ones. These were under my long arm and had to be moved when my set up changed. My goal for the next year is to work on my 5 large totes of scraps and get those organized.

Tallchick.... it looks amazing. Very impressed...

It is such s good feeling to get the fabric organized or anything else that needs my attention in the house. For me, and maybe for you too, I find it so hard to KEEP it organized. I'm trying to "put back" as soon as possible but sometimes that is just so hard. Funny but when scrapbooking was the rage, I went to a couple "parties" but thought, ready for this, too much to keep track of. So now instead I have fab, notions, mag, books, thread, patterns. (Did I list it all?)

I enjoy seeing all of the organizing ideas. Thanks for sharing.

I moved some fabric from bigger tubs into smaller tubs and added the bigger tubs to the pile that I took to my niece's house. Then she found out she doesn't need to move as soon as she thought but will keep the tubs for now.

Wow tallchick, that looks amazing!

I'm enjoying my quilting cupboard a lot more since I organised it (did it a shelf or two at a time - it's not a big cupboard, lol). I finished sorting it out last weekend, and am still at the stage of sometimes just opening it to enjoy the organisation https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/biggrin.png.

So far I really like having my fabric organised by colour (rather than size). Aside from anything else, it *looks* so much better!

Today I need to organise my brain. I have various bits of quilting that I want to tackle, but am also looking at Christmas, DH's birthday, and DS's birthday (all in December), plus the usual other things, and my head just feels a little overstuffed. Probably best to start writing some of this down. And then start *doing* some....

Tallchick, your organization looks wonderful! I like that you can see at an instant what is where.
Panchita, I can relate to you! I spent just over a week sewing fabric boxes, folding and organizing fabrics for my large cupboard (which was stack haphazardly to overflowing). Felt so good, and I, too, would open it up just to admire the progress. Kept finding more fabric I stashed in various places in the bedroom, etc. and now have my fabric boxes crammed in tightly, some double stacked, till no more fits in my cupboard. Doesn't look quite as neat, but it will still be easier to pull out a box at a time and find colors/themes of fabrics together! Makes me realize I must use more stash and curtail buying more fabric (for a while)!

Since I'm trying to downsize my stash, I don't want to buy backs. So, sometimes I start a quilt by picking a fabric with lots of yardage to use as the back. Then I pick fabrics to go with it.

I'm thinking I should put "backs" together, at least for a while.

Tallchick- that looks great.

Petthefabric- Neat idea to start by making backs and then picking fabric to go with.

After thinking hard about what was causing me to feel so overwhelmed, I realized it was having the big butterfly undone and also having committed to a Dec. 5 deadline for another piece. Therefore, I’ve decided to put my head down and slog through getting both of those done before worrying about getting the other things done. I have put myself on a schedule of working on the deadline piece in the mornings and spending the late afternoons fixing the big butterfly. I think I can get them both done and out of my hair by next weekend. Then I can prioritize my other “want to dos” and “need to dos” which will help me organize my time for the rest of the year.

Rob

Pet...My issue is not having enough for backs. Over the last 2 years, I’ve been using my bolts for backings and now I’m limited. This is a good thing, I guess but I like your idea and will do that should I have a backing option.

Rob.... easy to get overwhelmed....one thing at a time will surely do the trick.

Believe it or not, I have a dozen boxes of books that I never unpacked. Mostly cuz I wasn’t sure what I wanted still. Mostly, the boxes are my psych books so I reorganized the office built-in bookshelves that the carpenter built for us and started to sort. I don’t need all of them so, I unpacked the books and reference materials I refer to the most. My Hubbie was very happy to see me do this today.. lol..

Wow impressed with so many clever ideas-Great job Everyone. I have finally realized why I don't like spending time in my sewing room-way to crowded but as I sit & stare trying to figure out what I can get rid of I come up empty :( so maybe a tab bit of reorganizing, we will see if I come up with anything. My main issue is if I can't see it, it I tend to forget I have it.

craftiladi: I understand not seeing it and then forgetting about it. I have some UFOs that are hiding away. I know where they are but just don't think about working on them. They may not even be recorded. Lol.

Thank you for the prayers for my son, DIL, and grandson. My DIL and 9 month old grandson tested positive also. Thankfully, my grandson only was sick for part of a day. Funny part for him is that he finally decided to crawl on all 4s instead of army style and started pulling himself up on everything right when he tested positive. Very blessed that he didn't have any side effects. My DIL was still having some symptoms yesterday.

my problem too then I order again only to later find I already had it

I have been going through my quilting files on my tablet and laptop. Some of the ideas are being saved and/or printed but others are being deleted. It feels good to clean the clutter off of my devices.

Have a great day!

Today I was sewing with reckless abandon making scrappy 6.5" blocks, 2 colors/print per block. I need 63. Tomorrow I start assembling what I sewed today. The issue is when I pull fabric of course I don't use up everything I pull so I have to put left overs back. I do try to put it back where it should go since my stash is organized by color on the bookshelf. BUT that last armful ends up just plopped on a shelf and I call it done. Time to go to bed and rest up for another day of wild, colorful sewing experience.

Julienm1- the hardest part of organizing for me is maintaining it. I do eventually get things put back where they belong, but when I’m in the middle of a project stuff gets everywhere. It’s still better than it was when I first started the journey since things actually have a place to go to when I do get around to putting them away https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/biggrin.png

Rob

Looking forward to 2021. By by covid19

I've done the same. I pin tags on my backings now so it's glaringly obvious that they're backings.