[OT] Cluttered Sewing Area

Same here. My tidying always involves tossing a lot of stuff I don't need. Like, when I started accumulating quilting stuff around my SM, I decided to cull the files in an adjacent file cabinet (on which a 10-gallon aquarium is sitting, which would be a pain to move) to empty half a file drawer for fabrics and paper (quilt plans, SM manual, etc.).

I have boxes of fabric under the extended flap of my SM flap. I also have boxes of fabric under the dining table behind me, which I am eager to get rid of. I also found room for boxes of fabric on the top shelf of a walk-in closet by, again, culling out things I did not need or use anymore.

It's a long way from how I want it, but it's a start.

ep

{{{{hugs}}}} Lynne - you tried to slide that in under the radar.

Lizzy

I saw you sliding that one in too, Lynne. So very very sorry about your Mom. Hugs and sincere sympathy. Our Moms loved us just no matter what and it is mighty tough to get by without them. Polly

Sorry to hear about your Mom, Lynne. Sincere condolences to you, at a very sad time. . In message , lynne in toronto writes

I, too, work in a small, multi-purpose room. 8 x 10 has queen futon; chest of drawers w/TV on top; 2 round end tables; antique vanity table; sewing machine...all on the outside walls. Then I have one of the collapsable cutting tables smack in the center. Definitely have to do the 'sideways skinny shimmy' to turn on the lamps or the SM. What I do with the cutting table however, is use 1/2 for cutting/ layout and the other have I use for a pressing surface. At least that's one less piece of equipment in the room. It came with a very thin padding and cover. The padding has bitten the dust so I just fold an old bath towel in half and use that. Plenty of padding and it doesn't mar the surface. Not that I really care what the surface looks like but it's not being damaged by heat/steam. This is why I can really only cut / piece one large project at a time. There's always room to do up a quick block if need be but forget trying to have 2 bed size quilts being cut or pieced at the same time. Granted, I also only by fabric for each project. My only 'stash' is leftovers as I always over buy - just in case (and even then sometimes it's just not enough!).

So sorry about your mom, Lynne!

((((((((((((Lynne))))))))))))

Michelle in Nevada

Wow, what a myriad of ideas!

I took a look under my cutting table, and with the addition of a computer paper box, a shipping box and a three large shoe boxes, I was able to better arrange things under it. I still need to clean up things a bit, but I can now see about 2/3 of the table :-). I also cleaned off part of my sewing table.

I'm going to use that free chair organizer pattern to make it easier to find tools that I frequently use at the sewing machine. I like the idea about one for the back of the chair, so I'll probably make one for that also. If I still need space, I'll either purchase the door organizer pattern or design one of my own (though I'm not sure I know what I'm doing there).

Yes, I need to do other cleaning/decluttering.

Do I need such a big stash? Probably not. There are reasons as to why it grew so much, but I won't go there :-). I've been thinking of partaking in stashbuster:

At the moment I need to get working on my DS' quilt. It has been languishing for quite a while, and I'm sure she is wondering what happened to it.

Bev in TX

be something here that'll work for you.j.

"Bev in TX" wrote ... Wow, what a myriad of ideas!

{{{Lynne}}} so sorry to hear of your Mom's passing. I hope you didn't have to grieve alone.

As far as organizing. i guess i'm too OCD to not be neat. it's just me. Clean as you go...darn that home-ec teacher!!!

Hope you find the room you need! amy in CNY

On Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:58:01 -0500, Bev in TX wrote (in article ):

Move the ironing board into another room and use that closet!

It frees up storage space and forces you to get up from the machine and move and stretch occassionally.

Maureen

I cannot use the closet. It is full and it contains mostly DH's things (computer related and personal).

Given that the ir> Move the ironing board into another room and use that closet!

I'm afraid that my budget mostly allows for shoe and reused cardboard boxes at the moment :-). Happily my DH bought a new pair of shoes yesterday, which is where I got one of the shoe boxes :-). I'm not complaining -- I'm very happy to have a separate space at all :-).

Bev in TX

I find I'm much happier keeping things organized but it truly is possible to get so neat that you can't get anything done. Don't arrange things so that it eats up your sewing time by 'getting out' and 'putting away'. Write notes. If you move something to a strange location, make a note and put it where you'll see it. I have some backing size lengths of fabric hanging on coat hangers in the front hall closet. They would easily be lost or forgotten if I didn't have a reminder tacked on my little bulletin board. The inside of a cabinet or closet door is a great place to see (and hide) reminders. I've taken 'insufficient memory' to a high level. Polly

On Oct 21, 9:13=A0am, "Polly Esther" wrote: ... portion snipped...

Alas, I just learned this the hard way. I had about 10 packages of Steam-a-Seam2 light. At one time I had them in with my stablizers, but they were getting messed up. I put them somewhere "safe", and I cannot find them anywhere. I've searched high and low, but they are now where to be found :-(. If I had done as you suggested above, then I would have saved a great deal of time and money.

Bev in TX

On Oct 20, 1:16=A0pm, AuntK wrote: ... portion snipped ...

I'm thinking of making a "Perfect Pressing Board" per Sharon Shamber's instructions at:

Bev in TX

Yes, that is an excellent suggestion, and I normally would try to always do that.

However, I badly broke my ankle ~2.5 years ago. After two operations it has only been a few months now that I've been able to stand on it very long. Given my sewing room setup, I have to stand when cutting, ironing, etc. I had a choice. Sew and forget the clutter or spend half of my few minutes cleaning. I chose expediency and sewed. I paid the price the past few days, when I finally realized just how cluttered everything had become.

Bev in TX

goodness me, Bev, i surely didnt mean to go buy those boxes. i've been into recycling forever. i too have shoe boxes. oddly enough, in some shops here, they dont put most of the shoes in boxes to take home. they just bag'em. seems weird to me but what do i know. so i went into a shop and asked for some of the stronger shoe boxes and they gave me heaps. more than i wanted so i picked those strong ones and took them off their hands. saved them biff'n'em into the recycle bin.

i only meant some of the ideas there might be useful or might spark another idea of how to make more storage or whatever.. just another point of reference really. j.

"Bev in TX" wrote... I'm afraid that my budget mostly allows for shoe and reused cardboard boxes at the moment :-). Happily my DH bought a new pair of shoes yesterday, which is where I got one of the shoe boxes :-). I'm not complaining -- I'm very happy to have a separate space at all :-).

"J*" wrote: