On my CA daughter's last visit to Connecticut, she took one look at my quilt room and declared that I was as bad as the hoarders one sees on the popular cable show! But just in my quilt room. Seriously! I had never thought of it that way because I have close friends who are as bad as I am and some who are worse! I think my issue is "out of sight, out of mind." I need to see what I've got and the projects I've planned so I don't forget to use the stuff and make the projects. It's just like sitting at one's desk at work with Post-It-Note reminders and to-do lists, and calendar notifications, but with FABRIC and MAGAZINES and PROJECT BINS.
OK. So I recently had some surgery, nothing serious, but my delicate condition keeps me from lifting anything for a few weeks. In anticipation of this event, Kim, who was here on her summer visit with her two boys, made it her mission to make ME clean up and organize my quilt room before she returned to southern LA. On a very hot and humid day no less! We were at zero hour because my procedure took place early the next morning.
So for most of the morning and into the afternoon, we removed every bag, box and pile that didn't have a home from the room - and revealed my lovely wide-plank floor in all its beauty! Then we started on one corner of the room and moved around as we sorted, pitched, and cleaned each area. Kim said she felt like the lady on whatever show is out there about cleaning up, asking me if I needed it, was using it, etc. She held up a small piece of hand-dyed fabric, about a 3x3 inch piece and asked me "Mom, do you want this?" And I paused, looked, thought, and said, "No, you can toss that one." She discovered a basket full of unquilted tops, so we went through those and she came up with gift ideas for family. Now I have an incentive to get them quilted!
Then we examined what we originally removed from the floor and did the same thing, till everything I was keeping had a place in the quilt room. I followed that up with one last vacuum.
And then we had a beer to celebrate!
(If you listen closely, you'll hear my griping about not being able to find anything!)
I live in an 1897 simple Victorian, like a farmhouse. This room was formerly the master bedroom, my son's room, and then my youngest daughter's room. It has three exposures so I get a lot of natural light. I don't claim to have the most modern equipment, but this works for me.
Burn these images into your brain because it is unlikely you will ever see this room this clean and organized ever again!
View from door
View from sewing machine toward door
View to my left from sewing machine
Under worktable storage
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| Hutch |
Hutch close up
More storage. Closet is to the left. It's jammed.
It's been too freaking hot to even touch fabric, so the room is still pristine and my visitors all exclaim about how jealous they are. Kim will be happy to help YOU clean and organize YOUR workspace on her next visit...for a fee of course!
