WMUTeach

rryder, I am so relating to your phrase "a lot stuff that had been sitting in plain sight for so long that it had become invisible to me". That is to true, at least it is in my case. I bless the days when I am away from my sewing room for a long weekend or a part of a week because when I return home I can SEE the piles, stacks and detritus that had become invisible. When I see them I can put them away or purge them from my work space.

Vasilia, you are a cleaning machine! Getting all of that mending in one place will give you or some one else some "new" old garments to wear. And the bonus is you will have more usable space and time for the other project you want to accomplish.

I am still on the one drawer/area at a time method. I did this through my house in January but from time to time I will open a drawer and discover additional items that need to be donated, tossed in the dustbin or put in a better place. Just did my drawer of undies and socks last week How nice it is to open the drawer and reach in and find just want I am looking for. Peaceful. Nothing more than straightening up that took less than two minutes. Guess I am all about working turtle fashion, slow and steady.

Three Cheers for successful sorting and organizing.

EmiliasNana

I was waiting on my delayed shipment of my SewEZE Grande yesterday and decided to reorganize my closet in the guest room. After all do guests really stay long enough to need a closet? LOL I was limited to the containers I had and the shelf configuration because I also hang my 30yd batting vertically on a closet rod. I sorted fabric by color wrapping over comic boards with scraps of minkee, jelly rolls, fabric yardage over 3 yds into other containers. I even had time and the energy to sort my odd shaped solid scraps by color all in the same container but in separate 1 gal. zip lock baggies. The table still hasn't arrived so I hope to organize my odd shaped print fabrics by color today the same way.

You have been an inspiration to me as I view your site occasionally and see how you have made great progress. I'm normally pretty organized but pulling fabric for projects throughout the year can really make things a jumble.

EmiliasNana

Top shelf: Pkgs. of batting other than 80/20
#2: minkee, kids fabrics, batting scraps, interfacings and pellon fleece
#3: 30 yd. roll of 80/20 on a closet roll
#4: ribbon boxes of FQs by color placed on end
#5&6: fabric mostly by color
#6: enclosed boxes of charm sqs. cut from scraps
on the floor: 3 bolts of flannel, yardage for battings, jelly rolls & layer cakes in containers
* The green quilt is a patio table cover waiting for warmer weather. It is wrapped on a cardboard tube with a clear plastic covering so needs to remain horizontal.

NoraB

EmiliasNana, thanks for the picture. How beautiful everything looks all organized and folder. Inspiration to me! Thanks!

rryder

EmiliasNana- Looking great! I love the idea of putting the roll of batting on a closet rod. I think I'll try that once I get the closet excavated.

Rob

Julienm1

So I read the responses. Study the pic of how other quilters organize all their stuff... and look at all this crap in here!

I realize I'm a mover. I move one pile only to stack another pile of fab in it's place. And I repleat the process.

I'm also a stalker. I sneak into my sewing room to stare. I say to self... I should move that pile...over there...move that pile... over here...put that pile back into stash...sort the fab that in that small container...cut some scraps into usable sizes...sort the patterns to delete...etc.

I read once that when maids clean rooms they start at the door and work in a circle to make sure the whole room gets clean. I'd do that in my sewing room but where do I start? Circles don't have a beginning or end! Maybe start at the door?

OK, I've had my second cup of offee so now I need to get somethlng done. I know one trick is to set thetimer for 30 min. Work like a dog and when the timer goes off either continue OR got o a dif area to work.

Oh crap, DH just came in wilth a Mimosa. I'll have to wait to set the timer. Guess I'm easily distracted.

Julienm1

More info...I'm a list maker. Usually just a list of quilts to make for Project Linus organized by sizes required and what website to find that special pattern. Now I have to find the list or make new. Maybe it will surface.

Timer is set...time to work.

WMUTeach

Did someone say.... You gals just made me laugh. Y'all can call this friend Mimi, short for Mimosa.

quiltsfor

I was doing some organizing today and I was wondering about how to store my rotating cutting mats. I have a couple of round ones, 17" square one, and 24" square one. At the moment I have them largest sitting on top of some batting on a flat surface, then a layer of scrap fabric covering it, then the 17" on top of that, then another piece of scrap fabric with the 2 round ones sitting on top of that, covered with yet another piece of scrap fabric to keep the dust off of all of them.

Do you think it is okay to have them sitting on batting and fabric, or should I be putting them on some sort of plastic? I don't want the gripping foam on the back of the rotating mats to get messed up and not grip anymore when I'm using them.

I know I'm probably over thinking this. How do you store yours?

Julienm1

I spent all day Tuesday, land I mean ALL DAY, organizing my fab on the shelves. Sorted fab by colors and then into stacks of light, med, dark.DH says fab looks like JoAnns...is that a compliment? Have to admit it fab looks so nice and tidyl I'm afraid to search for stuff.

Purged lots of "whatever" fab and have three bags for donations. Just had a power bar so that takes care of my supper so I think I'll start in the sewing room.