Murphy224

My organizing efforts are an on-going, lifelong project it seems. In the last week I have finished 2 sewing projects that have been around for a while......replacement cushions for my son's outdoor swing and curtains for the guest bedroom. At least that fabric is now in use and not just laying around taking up space in my sewing room.
You never know when or where that "organizing bug" will strike. On Tuesday I was getting a pan out of my pan cabinet to make carmelized onions and it just struck me.....most of these pans have been here (unused and untouched) for as long as I have been in this house.....10 years! Stopped right then, took all of them out and put on dining room table. Yesterday loaded into van and will take to charity donation house today. Gone and lots of space in my pan cabinet.
So Rob, you are so right, there is so much organizing to be done in some of our lives, and I feel when my home is organized and clutter free, I am much happier and that reflects on my quilting/sewing efforts.
Happy Organizing everyone!

Wanabee Quiltin

I read the book by the Japanese author (Marie Kondo ??) and decided that she had some ideas I liked. When I brought up my summer clothes, I tried everything on and discarded about half. Then I went through my kitchen and changed things, discarding extras. I looked at my sewing room and bundled up two boxes to send away to someone who will use it for homeless people. I’m not near done, but I’m liking what I’ve started. It takes time to go through stuff but I’m ready. I’m thinking of changing more in my sewing room as the room is small about 8 x 10. I have a huge room on a walkout level that has my batting, backing and long arm. I have a friend who takes those small pieces of batting for dog beds so that will help a great deal. I started cutting up my scrap fabric and maybe by summers end, I will have that cleared out. I decided if it’s not cut up into 2 1/2”, then it goes into the dogs bed. I don’t like sewing with anything that small and I am not a fan of those little pieces quilts. I’m happy with what I’ve accomplished so far and I know that by summers end, I will be in a better place.

KalamaQuilts

Wanabee, I did this in 99'-2000, it took me 9 months at 15 minutes to an hour a day, to go through every drawer, cupboard, shelf etc. A FlyLady thing, but it was the best gift I've ever given myself. I had to recognize just how much money I'd been spending on things with no value to me.

I started living from the premise buy it if I need it, don't buy it if it is only a want. To think over the wants carefully. More than you want to know, but it changed our life entirely and I can't believe the money I've saved, more than enough to go into retirement without worrying.

I quit buying fabric in 2001, based on that exercise.

KalamaQuilts

Forgot to add my current organize it project

We have a new RV and in aid of being a traveling quilter I've cut a blooming nine patch quilt from my 30's prints this past week, bagged it by round and am so looking forward to working on it all over the USA. The only quilt I will have made twice.

cashs_mom

Thanks for starting a new thread, Rob.

I've been really tired this week. I have one old dog who needs a lot of help and had a seizure the other night and another who was diagnosed with a cancerous tumor after he collapsed last week. So I haven't had much energy to sew/quilt. I did go up to my sewing room this week and put away all the leftover fabric from the last quilt and do a bit of organizing. I still need to get the magazine stash under control and work some more on my string quilt. I'm using up lots of scraps on that!

Wanabee Quiltin

I have a huge supply of heavy weight cotton used for drapes and upholstery. I love making totes and purses, but I can’t seem to do it anymore as I’ve made plenty for family and friends. And to be honest, so many prefer name brand leather. I’m going to round them up and offer them to two ladies and if they don’t want it, I will give it to the group I give my batting to that makes dog beds. It will be a big box of fabric that just sits there. I’ve also got a box of things I’m going to sell on eBay, it’s original vintage fabric that I paid money for it at flea markets etc. it’s beautiful but I just can’t bear to cut into it, time to sell it.

SillySusan

Wow! What hard work y'all did in the past few days! I didn't do so well, but I went up to my sewing room early this morning and found that I had cleaned off the cutting table sometime last night. I don't remember doing it, but it really looked good... strange, but good. Today I plan to finish the binding on a couple of UFO baby quilts and maybe that neat sewing angel will clean some more tonight!

SusieQOH

Patrice, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. That takes precedence over other things for sure
I got a cutting table recently and I love it. It's higher than the back of my cabinet that I was using and hurting my back with.
I put it in another spare bedroom with all my cutters, Go, rulers etc. Taking over almost the whole upstairs lol

rryder

Patrice, I’m so sorry to hear about your dogs’ health issues- it’s hard to get the energy to do anything else when our fur babies are ailing.

Hugs,
Rob

Quilter 53

The last 2 days I've cleaned out my bedroom closet and dresser. 2 full garbage bags of clothes that I no longer want to wear or are too big for me (I recently lost 22 pounds and am loving it) that will go to thrift store next time I drive to town. They are all ready in the car. I was supposed to drive by today on my way to DD house to help with a back yard construction project, but since it's rainy today that's been cancelled, so I'm going to the sewing attic and clean up the left over mess from costume construction. Both daughters and I do costumes for Renaissance Faire and since the last 2 weekends were Faire days (our booth did extremely well this year) the sewing room looks like a storm moved through. DD says the floor covered with bits of thread and corner clippings looks like "productivity", but I think it looks like a slob lives here. So it's time to organize the costume fabrics and bring out the quilting fabrics. I do enjoy the sewing with daughters, but by the time we are done, I'm ready for some "easy" sewing with cotton.