Friday, November 13, 2009

A Feel Good Post

Hopefully, by the time you’ve finished reading/looking at this, you will feel really good. You’ll be so happy that you aren’t me, all your insignificant little problems will simply disappear.

Doesn’t this look nice and neat?

Huge Mess 001

It’s taken me almost two days to get this much done. Here’s what I still have left to sort:

Huge Mess 002

And this:

Huge Mess 003

And this:

Huge Mess 004

I’ve got more piles:

Huge Mess 005

And finally this:

Huge Mess 007

And let’s not forget the magazines:

Huge Mess 008

The picture doesn’t show it, but those magazines are double what you actually see.

I am DETERMINED to get this mess cleaned and sorted this weekend. I was thinking that a lot of bloggers post what is on their design wall every Monday. Maybe what I’ll start doing is posting my CLEAN sewing room every Monday and it might shame me into keeping it tidy.

My friend Ann has a great idea incorporated into her stash. She puts pieces of cardboard between every 5 or 6 pieces, so when you want to pull some out, you don't have to lift out the whole pile. I asked my dear husband if he could bring me home about 100 twelve inch squares of cardboard and they are now sitting on my kitchen table. They don't call him Boxboss for nothing!

One of my biggest problems is what to do with fabric that is bigger than a fat quarter, but not a full yard. I do have scrap bins that I sorted all my scraps into a while ago, but what I put in there really are scraps – not half yards. What do you do with all your ‘bigger than scraps’? Right now, I could use all the help and suggestions I can get.

I did have one little helper that I could have done without. I finally had to shut her out as she has a fascination with my pins and I’m so afraid she is going to swallow one.

Molly October 2009 005

7 comments:

Char said...

Looks like you have a system - that's half the battle of organizing. Lock the cat at and yourself in and by Monday morning you will have it clean - or - you'll be killed and a messy sewing room won't matter!!!

Juryizstillout said...

I think I have stash envy! Wow...she with the most fabric DOES win!

SewCalGal said...

I've been looking for inspiration to get my sewing room in order. I think your post may have helped me. I like your cardboard stacking trick.
I have heard where people have cut cardboard in small pieces (e.g. 8x10) and use it to wrap fabric around, to make mini bolts of fabric. Helps in stacking & organizing. I haven't yet tried it, but have my cardboard cut to give it a try.

SewCalGal
www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com

Rian said...

Oh my goodness, you really have dug yourself in, haven't you! You are right, this post makes me feel better. Better you than me....

Rian said...

I forgot to answer your question. I just fold everything up and stash it in the drawers with the rest. But since you HAVE SO MUCH fabric (!) you could get small plastic storage bins for color groups and put them in there. I have ONLY ONE bin that I use for scraps that are too big to throw away but too small to fold. It has a flip-top lid and when I'm working with my batiks it sits nearby, open, ready to accept a scrap or to be pawed through.

Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson said...

I always keep anything bigger than 1/4 yard on the shelves with the rest of my stash. Anything 1/4 yard or smaller goes in a wire rack storage unit under my cutting table.

good luck finishing up the job. The last few things are always the hardest to find places for.

Ginna2 said...

You have done a great job so far. Keep up the good work. I thought I really should show my husband this stash of fabric, because what I have really is very little. Jump in there and get it done. Then reward yourself with a trip to your favorite fabric store. I sure if you would rather get rid of some of that fabric you could find some blogging buddies who would be happy to help take it off off your hands. LOL!