I ned a new house!
#1
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Central NM
Posts: 1,594
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I think I may have solved my quilt clultter problem. I just need a bigger house! I have on-going charity projects...Project Linus, pillow cases for kids in hospitals (new to me), and found a consignment store my friend ueses to sell baby quilts. So I nned a house with at least 4 more rooms. One for PL chaos, PC stuff, baby stuff, and of course a room just for sewing.Or would this give me the opportunity to have more than one chaotic room?
Now I have to quit writing and go to my cutting table and put stuff away that I dragged out for pillow cases.
PS... no idea where to put all the scraps.
Now I have to quit writing and go to my cutting table and put stuff away that I dragged out for pillow cases.
PS... no idea where to put all the scraps.
#4
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Carroll, Iowa
Posts: 3,446
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I started sewing/quilting in a house with only 2 bedrooms and less than 1,000sf down in Florida. When I moved up to Iowa, I told my realtor my priorities with my sewing room at the top of that list. When I found this house having a basement with 2 rooms and a full bathroom I thought for sure I'd found my dream home. I had another doorway added to the other end of the 2 rooms for air circulation, added a sink in the bay window area and a small kitchenette so I wouldn't have to run upstairs all the time.
Since then I've gone from a 3x4 cutting table to a 4x8, a quilt machine system from an 18"throat with 10ft table to a 26" throat and 12ft table. I have downsized in machines to just 1 each of sergers and embroidery combo machine but I've upgraded on various threads, shelves of fabrics and even enlarged my ironing board to a 2x4 to make it easier to press larger amounts of fabric. Yes, it's a bit tight now but I found by just moving my quilt frame a couple inches this way and that way, it gave me a little more room to get to my embroidery machine without adding bruises to the hips. I've put myself on the "NO FABRIC BUYING" since Nov 2018 and have done very well with that. I still don't have room for all the partial bolts of fabric I bought on a quilt bus tour back in Oct 2018. Hint, hint.............reason for no more buying fabric as I went wild on that bus tour.
I had to move my knitting machine up to the library's closet and nope, have yet to try it out other than putting it together to see how it works. Moved the totes of yarn to another bedroom closet, given away totes of fleece and laces to make room for the fabric under the quilt frame. I lost my sewing mojo for a couple years so didn't use much fabric but now I'm on a roll and getting all those UFOs I'd started back in 2015-2020 done this year.
So no, getting a larger house will just give you the idea you need more "STUFF". I'm just trying to arrange what I have so I can find it easier and use it up quicker.
Since then I've gone from a 3x4 cutting table to a 4x8, a quilt machine system from an 18"throat with 10ft table to a 26" throat and 12ft table. I have downsized in machines to just 1 each of sergers and embroidery combo machine but I've upgraded on various threads, shelves of fabrics and even enlarged my ironing board to a 2x4 to make it easier to press larger amounts of fabric. Yes, it's a bit tight now but I found by just moving my quilt frame a couple inches this way and that way, it gave me a little more room to get to my embroidery machine without adding bruises to the hips. I've put myself on the "NO FABRIC BUYING" since Nov 2018 and have done very well with that. I still don't have room for all the partial bolts of fabric I bought on a quilt bus tour back in Oct 2018. Hint, hint.............reason for no more buying fabric as I went wild on that bus tour.
I had to move my knitting machine up to the library's closet and nope, have yet to try it out other than putting it together to see how it works. Moved the totes of yarn to another bedroom closet, given away totes of fleece and laces to make room for the fabric under the quilt frame. I lost my sewing mojo for a couple years so didn't use much fabric but now I'm on a roll and getting all those UFOs I'd started back in 2015-2020 done this year.
So no, getting a larger house will just give you the idea you need more "STUFF". I'm just trying to arrange what I have so I can find it easier and use it up quicker.
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southern USA
Posts: 16,278
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I don't save a lot of scraps. I take my scrap bin to retreat each year for others to go through. I have never missed them as the bin gets filled up again anyway for the next year. I may use a few but never will use all of them no matter what I tell myself. Scrap cuttings from using the Accuquilt go in a big plastic jar that I give to a grade school art class.
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Gaylord, MN
Posts: 3,994
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I went from a large farmhouse to a 2 bedroom twin home. At the farmhouse I had the whole upstairs (4 bedrooms) for my quilting, etc. I am just as happy (maybe happier) in the average size bedroom in our new home. It is amazing what you can trim down. I am making quilts to share with others. I quilt my own quilts on my domestic machine (with a 9" harp space), and I do King size ones too. It is possible. I am happier with less "stuff" and find I finish one project before I start a new one. Also I have to be very careful when going to quilt shops so I am not tempted. Happy quilting.
#7
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Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,242
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I think there's a rule of physics that says stuff will expand to fill whatever space is available.
Do you remember the children's story/fable about the man whose wife complained that their house was too small. He went to a sage who advised, 'Bring the goat into the house.' So to cut to the chase, the man stuffed the house full of various creatures, and when he finally emptied it out again, his wife was happy.![Smile](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png)
(Btw, I also need a new house.)
Do you remember the children's story/fable about the man whose wife complained that their house was too small. He went to a sage who advised, 'Bring the goat into the house.' So to cut to the chase, the man stuffed the house full of various creatures, and when he finally emptied it out again, his wife was happy.
![Smile](https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images/smilies/smile.png)
(Btw, I also need a new house.)
Last edited by joe'smom; 03-01-2023 at 09:59 AM. Reason: addition
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 2,666
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Get a laundry hamper for your scraps. When the hamper is full, make a bunch of string blocks that can be sewn into pillowcases or a quilt or whatever else you may want to do with your new homemade fabric. You need a new project, right?
If I could get a new house, I would too. More space for more fabric is exactly what I need. I don't think my husband would agree....
If I could get a new house, I would too. More space for more fabric is exactly what I need. I don't think my husband would agree....
#9
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,663
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I have a large house. When we moved in 23 years ago, it seemed huge and half empty. I have built in book shelves in the living room and study. I had them about 1/4 full. My husband said 'Give it a year, you'll fill them". Well, he was wrong, they were full in 6 months. I use 2 bedrooms for my sewing/quilting. I have one for sewing and one for cutting and books and patterns. They are both now full plus the closets. More space = more stuff. lol