The Sewing Place

Tools of the Trade => Sewing Spaces and Furniture => Topic started by: datcat23 on January 01, 2018, 07:19:50 AM

Title: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: datcat23 on January 01, 2018, 07:19:50 AM
That say that whatever you do on New Years Day, you will do for the rest of the year.  :o  I am screwed!!!!

On the other hand, they also say that you should put a broom to your doorstep on NYD, in order to have nothing but useful/good come through your door ..... :o  yep .... still screwed! 

I swear I will do nothing but clean, tidy and organise this year.  Yay .... for me!

This morning, spurred on by a husband with a bee in his bonnet, we took down all the outside xmas lights, the house decorations, and the tree, and packed the lot away.

Then, this afternoon, I did a job on my stash/sewing room.  I had already cleared out my quilting scraps and stuff, organising and better storing the rest.  Today I pulled out my entire stash from the cupboard.  I sorted into fabric types, culled stuff I knew I would never sew with, or that I wanted to sew, but would never wear anyway.  And then I went back, and culled some more.  I went through the fabric on my cutting table, and the stuff that had somehow made it into tubs on the floor.  I also tackled the overflow that had travelled to the hall linen press.  I have paired up fabric with patterns for at least a dozen projects, and found two pieces of fabric that I can use for xmas gifts (saving me money).  At the end, I stacked EVERYTHING back into the cupboard, all in categories ready for use.  I have a small pile waiting for washing, and then its done.  I gave the rest of the room a quick tidy, but basically its now done, and I am ready to sew.

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4638/39421589271_0a636bb3c1_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/234xX4D)Stash tamed. (https://flic.kr/p/234xX4D) by Dani (https://www.flickr.com/photos/datcat/), on Flickr

The two big shelves on the right are (top) winter, and (middle) summer weight knits ..... just patterned knits.  The solids are separate.  *embarrassed face*

And the tidy room ...... very happy with this.

(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4732/38543718155_31213a8829_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/21HYCyK)Craft room 2018 (https://flic.kr/p/21HYCyK) by Dani (https://www.flickr.com/photos/datcat/), on Flickr
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: fajita on January 01, 2018, 08:05:30 AM
That's a job well done. A clean sweep for the new year.
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Ploshkin on January 01, 2018, 09:09:31 AM
Gosh Dani, I'd be glad to have a shop within reach that stocked that much fabric  :)
You've done a grand job there.
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: datcat23 on January 01, 2018, 09:31:08 AM
The purged fabrics now cover my spare bed, waiting until the start of the school year, when I will take them to the local college, for their textiles classes.  In the meantime, I need to resist thinking up ways I can use them, and therefore have them creep back into the stash.  :P
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Tamnymore on January 01, 2018, 09:45:42 AM
Datcat, I'm very impressed by your organisation and steely determination. Perhaps you could come over and sort out my sewing room!  ;) I well understand the urge to de-purge some fabric on the purge pile. I've done that a few times. Your local college will be grateful for your purged fabrics, I'm sure.
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Lyn-J on January 01, 2018, 10:24:25 AM
Bl1mey Dani, I'm exhausted reading that! Looks good.
I'm having a sort out too, starting off very gently winding bobbin threads back ono their spools, might not get any further than tha :)
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Lollipop on January 01, 2018, 13:31:12 PM
Well done Dani! Start the New Year with a clean sewing room if not a clean slate.  0_0

I really must follow suit and sort mine out, it's a real tip and I have loads of work to do in the next 3 weeks. It will be much easier if I tidy first my husband tells me!! ><
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: datcat23 on January 01, 2018, 21:15:00 PM
I really must follow suit and sort mine out, it's a real tip and I have loads of work to do in the next 3 weeks. It will be much easier if I tidy first my husband tells me!! ><

I can tell you now, at least for me, it is much easier to work in a tidy room.  I struggle when I am surrounded by clutter, and find it hard to focus, when there is a mess.  But also, having everything where it should be, means that I'm not stopping the creative process, because I can't find my tape measure/chalk/new needles etc. 

I need to get a good solid couple of months of sewing done, because by then, the new machine will be off layby, and I will have a new toy to occupy my attention.   :D
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Lowena on January 02, 2018, 10:01:13 AM
Good girl Dani.... onward and upward  <3
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Nevis5 on January 02, 2018, 10:02:35 AM
Oh my, you've put me to shame, Dani.  Looks amazing!  I really, really need to purge my room but there's always something more interesting to do...am knee high in piles of patterns and fabrics so really ought to get my act together.

Nevis
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: datcat23 on January 02, 2018, 10:20:29 AM
I really, really need to purge my room but there's always something more interesting to do...am knee high in piles of patterns and fabrics so really ought to get my act together.  Nevis

Even if its contrary to your normal modus operandi, it really is worth it to take a "new broom" to your sewing room.  I am a member of a number of euro import pre-order pages, and so had piles of fabric on the cutting table, in tubs, and just shoved in the cupboard.  Sorting ALL the fabric into types, has just made a huge difference in my sewing plans.  I know that if I want to make tshirts, I can place my hands on every printed fabric I have, and easily see if I have a solid that matches.  If I want to make work skirts or dresses, I have a small shelf of suiting and sateens.  Summer dresses or blouses? yep shelf for those.  But better still, the little bits and bobs aren't spread around.  I found a spare cutter blade, a good quality marking pen (under the desk), and a quilting ruler that I had been looking for. 

Promise yourself the big reward of uninterrupted sewing time, once you clear the decks.  It will be worth it.   :vintage:
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Missie on January 02, 2018, 12:35:31 PM
That say that whatever you do on New Years Day, you will do for the rest of the year.  :o  I am screwed!!!!

On the other hand, they also say that you should put a broom to your doorstep on NYD, in order to have nothing but useful/good come through your door ..... :o  yep .... still screwed! 

I swear I will do nothing but clean, tidy and organise this year.  Yay .... for me!

I am so with you.......no broom touched the doorstep and I started to declutter my bedroom yesterday with the aim/hope of decorating it.  So does that mean I will be cleaning and tidying for the rest of year too?  *Gulp*

My friend designated 2018 for me as being "The Year to Get S**t Done" (I am, 2.5 years later trying to get my life and house in MY order after splitting with the not-so-DH).  First stop is my bedroom, which has never been decorated in the whole time we've been here (14 years).  It has become a dumping ground and I'm a clutterbug.......but it is all going.  I found some money, my missing bangles that were my grandmothers and a t-shirt.  Yay me!

I'm impressed with your work DC, I only did a corner and my underwear drawer yesterday!  *muttering baby steps, baby steps.





Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Nevis5 on January 02, 2018, 14:47:41 PM
Well, Dani, although I can't match your amazing powers of reorganisation and determination, you did shame me into at least trying to clear off my sewing table  ;)  However, annoyingly whilst enthusiastically doing that I must have inadvertently swept off/thrown out/lost without trace the packet of buttons I'd only just bought ready for the Style Arc cardi which is next on my sewing list.  Grr.  Three steps forward and one back  :angry:  Ah well. The table is clear, yay! and all the piles of fabric although not organised like yours, have been stuffed back into all available cupboard space for 'another day'  :devil:

In my own pathetic defence, I am suffering from the horrible cold that everyone else seems to have had, so not really feeling up to massive clearing/reorganisation - or is that just an excuse???

N
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: datcat23 on January 02, 2018, 21:13:43 PM
In my own pathetic defence, I am suffering from the horrible cold that everyone else seems to have had, so not really feeling up to massive clearing/reorganisation - or is that just an excuse???
N

Think about it as drip torture on your sewing room.  Today the cutting table, tomorrow the top shelf of the cupboard, the next day then the middle shelf, then the bottom.  If you can't manage a whirlwind afternoon of chaos (and face it, its an exhausting way to do it) then set a time limit ... say 20mins.  Even set a timer, spend 20 mins folding fabric, or pulling out and putting into groups.  And then make a cuppa, sit down, and watch the cricket for a while (or have a nap).  Hopefully you feel better soon. 
Title: Re: Stash and Sewing Room Organisation - new year clean/purge
Post by: Acorn on January 02, 2018, 21:19:24 PM
I switched over my drawers of knitting wool and my drawers of small pieces of fabric, creating more space (I'm not sure how - I hardly threw anything away) and discovering a number of pieces I'd forgotten I had - and one I'd been looking for for days.