Cleaning Frenzy
02-11-2013, 11:14 AM
#11
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Small town in Northeast Oregon close to Washington and Idaho
Posts: 2,795
Isn't it the greatest feeling to have an organized sewing room? I recently cleaned mine out - even the closet, which was full of clothes and now has huge rubbermaid tubs of fabric and rag doll and teddy bear parts in it. But, I've been very sick since Feb.1 and have been ordering online like crazy and everything that comes in the mail and UPS I stack on my ironing board and I know that I am going to have to find a place for all of it when I'm better. Nothing makes you feel better than new fabric in the mail.
02-11-2013, 01:48 PM
#13
Super Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Posts: 2,943
Sounds like you are doing a great job.
You might want to consider scanning all that paper patterns, etc from magazines and books them putting them on a flash drive. Will save a ton of space. I put mine in files: #1 with just the finished photos and #2 with the finished photos and directions. I even separated the sewing from the quilting so I could find the different things quicker.
I donated my magazines to my local quilt group which sold them, and a lot of others, at our local quilt expo and made $1000!
You might want to consider scanning all that paper patterns, etc from magazines and books them putting them on a flash drive. Will save a ton of space. I put mine in files: #1 with just the finished photos and #2 with the finished photos and directions. I even separated the sewing from the quilting so I could find the different things quicker.
I donated my magazines to my local quilt group which sold them, and a lot of others, at our local quilt expo and made $1000!
02-11-2013, 03:03 PM
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,052
You are an inspiration. I have been wanting to do that, but just keep putting it off. I have to clean houses the next 3 days, but then I have 4 to do as I please. Think Fri. would be a good day to start! Yep! Im doing it. Friday it is!!
02-11-2013, 03:17 PM
#15
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Jeffersonville, In
Posts: 2,621
Would you you come over and do mine. You are an inspiration, especially the "without injury part.'lol
I spent the last four days cleaning my sewing room. I bought two more tall bookcases on sale at Staples, moved furniture and reorganized everything. I can now easily move around my room without injury!!!!
I inherited my mom's stash when she passed away over a year ago and had tons of my own kits and fabric, so I could never find anything. I now have it all integrated and reorganized by project for some stuff and color for other stuff. I gave away three huge boxes of yarn, craft projects and home dec stuff to my neighbor's mother. She semi supports herself with crafts esp crochet. I don't enjoy and know I will not be using these, so I gave them to her. She was thrilled and so was I to have the space.
I was shocked at the amount of fabric and patterns I have for garments, dolls etc. I need to get going on that. I used to love sewing for the grands, but in recent years couldn't even find the stuff I needed even though I knew I had purchased zippers etc. Now I can easily find just what I need.
My final project is to go through the huge pile of patterns I tore out of magazines. Yes I went through every issue and tore out what I wanted to save then tossed the rest. I have several large binders and those clear sleeves to put each project in. I'm making one binder of stash buster style quilts, one of applique and one of challenging traditional quilts. The fourth will be kids, holiday etc.
When I went to bed Saturday night I could hardly wiggle, but all the hard part was done. My hubby was shocked at the change in the room. He was gone half the day helping one of the kids, so all he saw was the mess after we moved the old bookcase and sewing table. When he came home most of the mess was cleaned up. Thankfully he never saw the huge stash of fabric. My goodness do I know how to buy fabric and patterns. I don't need to make any further purchases for years. The best part? I now feel so excited to work on quilting again.
I inherited my mom's stash when she passed away over a year ago and had tons of my own kits and fabric, so I could never find anything. I now have it all integrated and reorganized by project for some stuff and color for other stuff. I gave away three huge boxes of yarn, craft projects and home dec stuff to my neighbor's mother. She semi supports herself with crafts esp crochet. I don't enjoy and know I will not be using these, so I gave them to her. She was thrilled and so was I to have the space.
I was shocked at the amount of fabric and patterns I have for garments, dolls etc. I need to get going on that. I used to love sewing for the grands, but in recent years couldn't even find the stuff I needed even though I knew I had purchased zippers etc. Now I can easily find just what I need.
My final project is to go through the huge pile of patterns I tore out of magazines. Yes I went through every issue and tore out what I wanted to save then tossed the rest. I have several large binders and those clear sleeves to put each project in. I'm making one binder of stash buster style quilts, one of applique and one of challenging traditional quilts. The fourth will be kids, holiday etc.
When I went to bed Saturday night I could hardly wiggle, but all the hard part was done. My hubby was shocked at the change in the room. He was gone half the day helping one of the kids, so all he saw was the mess after we moved the old bookcase and sewing table. When he came home most of the mess was cleaned up. Thankfully he never saw the huge stash of fabric. My goodness do I know how to buy fabric and patterns. I don't need to make any further purchases for years. The best part? I now feel so excited to work on quilting again.
02-11-2013, 04:31 PM
#18
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 368
Thanks for all the encouragement. I needed fabric for the guild BOM today and went right to the flat tote where I had reds and pulled it out. I cut what I needed, refolded and returned it. Won't go through that clean up again!!!!
On my fabric I divided the whole stash into half yard or less and larger pieces. I arranged the refolded pieces in flat totes (the style you can slide under a bed) acc to color. I ended up with two totes of small pieces esp lots of fat quarters. I roughly divided acc to cool colors and warm colors so I would know where to look. On middle size pieces such as a yard or two I measured and attached a sticky note with a small safety pin so I would know how much was in the packet and ended up with two more totes. Finally the large pieces I arranged on shelves again with a note of yardage. Most of these were three plus yards so enough for borders or pieced backs. When I saw it all together I could really see ideas for several quilts. My goal is to use all of it up except a small stash then to only buy a project at a time. Fortunately I am good at finishing before I start a new project.
On my fabric I divided the whole stash into half yard or less and larger pieces. I arranged the refolded pieces in flat totes (the style you can slide under a bed) acc to color. I ended up with two totes of small pieces esp lots of fat quarters. I roughly divided acc to cool colors and warm colors so I would know where to look. On middle size pieces such as a yard or two I measured and attached a sticky note with a small safety pin so I would know how much was in the packet and ended up with two more totes. Finally the large pieces I arranged on shelves again with a note of yardage. Most of these were three plus yards so enough for borders or pieced backs. When I saw it all together I could really see ideas for several quilts. My goal is to use all of it up except a small stash then to only buy a project at a time. Fortunately I am good at finishing before I start a new project.
02-11-2013, 05:41 PM
#20
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Houston
Posts: 687
What an accomplishment! It's fun to be so excited and fired up! I also wanted to compliment you on your excellent sense of timing with your DH, haha. :-)
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Tallbald
For Vintage & Antique Machine Enthusiasts
5
11-17-2011 04:09 AM
