Studio Organizing, Week 2

Posted on January 8, 2015 by prairiemoonquilts in Organizing, Studio Organizing Challenge

So did you find your oldest UFO?

I found mine.

I also found the backing.

And what’s even more surprising? The binding fabric was with it, too!

Who knew I was so organized? I sure didn’t!

Here’s a sneak peek. Lovely 80’s colors, huh?

MorningGlory

I still have hope that it will be a really lovely quilt in spite of its age. We shall see. Those colors are actually coming back around!

My next task is to measure it and see if I have the proper batting for it, and then see where in the longarm schedule I can fit it in. Probably not for awhile, I’m guessing, since I’m still running behind from last year.

But it’s already time for the next task, so here we go!

Work on organizing your magazines or books

I say “work on”, because if yours are like mine, you can’t do the entire thing in just one week!

And if yours are already all neat and organized, just look through them and make sure that you still want them all. If not, you could get rid of the ones you don’t want or need, and make way for more.

My goal for this task is to go through some of the magazines and make sure I still want to keep them, and if I do, find a good spot to put them, and if I don’t, find them a new home.

I also want to clean out the bookcase in my office, and get the books unpacked and on the shelves. Right now, the bookcase is a messy catchall . . .

Bookcase

. . . and most of the books are still in boxes:

boxoboox

Just to have this much more stuff organized will make a huge difference around here.

So how about you? Are your books and magazines in need of organizing? Or do you already have them right where you want them?

20 responses to “Studio Organizing, Week 2”

  1. Cindy says:

    Ugh, this is something I have been putting off. The books aren’t too bad, but the magazines are another story. I don’t even have a good idea on where they should live. Okay I will work on it. Sure glad you didn’t say to totally organize it!

  2. Dee Dee says:

    I finally found a way to keep all my patterns from magazines and the internet.

    I have limited myself to one large 5 inch binder for these patterns, I have put two patterns in each plastic sleeve. Most of these patterns are from quilt magazines starting back 10-12 years ago. My binder is full and if I want to add another pattern I have to let an older one go.

    I quit buying quilt magazines – this has really helped! I still purchase a magazine or two when I fly – gives a nervous flyer something to look forward to.

    I have been saving all the online patterns in a file on my computer and printing them off (on recycled paper) when I make the quilt.

    I also have decided not to keep a pattern after I have made the quilt. Too many other quilts that I want to make without making the same quilt twice.

    Thanks Shelly for helping us organize our quilting stuff….

  3. Pam in KC says:

    The oldest UFO is now waiting for border and binding fabric to arrive (ordered it last night). I’ll finish the top then put it with the backing fabric aside to age while I figure out how to quilt it and what color thread to use. As for my magazines and books, I dug though them all back in October (http://pamela.avaraarts.com/stash-report-222/) so they are in good shape.

  4. Barb Bevell says:

    I Love This Challenge!

    Ok, don’t groan, but I like to keep my books organized. (I think I must have been a librarian in a former life.) In my studio, have a 12′ wall of bookcases (5?) that are floor to ceiling books. 2 1/2 bookcases are just quilting and patterns. The other bookcases contain stained glass, decorating, and craft books. Did I say I like books?

    I keep track of all of my books, DVDs, Tools, and Patterns on an Excel spreadsheet, by title, author, publisher/year, cost, value, location of purchase, and even ISBN number. Whenever I go to Paducah or a shop hop, I print off a basic list so I know what NOT to buy. And now, I also have the list available on my iPhone through Dropbox.

    With this list, I can easily see what I have and how they are to be shelved (alphabetically). It makes it easy to find the book on the shelf. This list also tells me how much $$ I have invested in all of this. It really adds up!

    So, back to your challenge… I received 5 new books for Christmas and I need to add them to my inventory and put my name/date/price paid inside the front cover.

    The books are under control. The magazines are another story…. I do go through them and tear out the patterns I want to keep and put them into clear sleeves and into a notebook. (I have 3) Will I ever use them? Probably not, but I love to look through them for inspiration.

    The stack of magazines are growing deeper, so it is time to attack it. I’ll take some of them with me in the car tomorrow as we travel. Looking through them will be fun and it will help me pare down the pile.

    Again, Shelly, thanks for the inspiration!!

    • LOL – I was a librarian and my books/magazines are on two 4 feet wide shelves in my bedroom – no room in the sewing room for them. I’ve weeded them of books I no longer want. I’ll have to do it again if I buy any more.

  5. Kathy says:

    Sorry girl. I will not be able to be a part of all these tasks. Just got back from the doctors and the hospital. I have pneumonia. And at my age it is serious for sure. I have to get lots of rest and drink lots of fluids, along with my many meds he ordered. So good luck on all your challenges and I will do them when I get better.

  6. Karen says:

    I can’t wait to see more of your quilt! So glad you found it.
    Now how did you know that the one thing I haven’t organized in ages, is the books and mags? This will take awhile!

  7. Sue H says:

    I found my oldest project it is in line to finish – have had a chance to work on yet.

    I am pretty organized with my books / magazines / patterns. I have a book shelf I keep my books in and all patterns are in pattern boxes.

    Looks like this week I will get a pass. It will give me time to work on last weeks project some more.

    • Sue H says:

      Little update on week 1 project – planned to work on this morning – the pattern that I thought I was making was the wrong pattern – sorted thru my old patterns and found correct pattern. Then decided I didn’t like the fabric I picked last week to add to make work so then I dug through all of my fabric found new piece to add – hope it is big enough. That was the end of my sewing time – off to work.

      Note to self – if you going to pack something away to finish later – keep pattern and fabric together. 🙂

  8. Susan says:

    That’s a good one! There are several places that need to be cleaned out of junky corners and I’m sure quilt magazines and books are involved. =)

  9. Mine are organized – I just have way too many of them. I’ve culled the books and last year gave away online those I no longer wanted. I now have to do that to the magazines I’ve saved – each had a project or two I wanted to make – dreamer! So far six have found new homes.

  10. melfunk says:

    I have posted a horrible photo of my bookshelf in my studio. I really do need to go through it. Check it out. http://melsquiltingblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/studio-organization-week-2.html
    This is a great task.

  11. Bari says:

    First of all, I have one of my oldest UFO’s out and ready to work on. I only need to make four more 12 inch blocks and borders to have a nice wall hanging or table cover for my friend. Yay!

    Ha ha! I am already on this weeks’ task! I have been cleaning up stacks of papers/stuff in my sewing room to get ready to do taxes, and have ended up going through all the old patterns and magazines. I am giving away all the magazines – I didn’t have much to start with, and threw away a bunch of the patters.

    The other patterns I now have organized in hanging file folders.

    Today I need to fold some stash so that it will fit on my shelves and get ready for 4-Hers to come sew on Monday. Right now I can’t even find my cutting table or sewing machine!

  12. This is a great challenge! I’ve been saving shipping boxes containing books the same size as my magazines. The boxes are all uniform. Your post nudged me to get them all cut to size like the organizers you can buy to set on a bookshelf. Now I can sort my quilting magazines by date and get them all on the shelf. I’ll post a photo to flickr if you want to see how they’ll look in use. Just click on my screen name to link to my photostream. Thanks, Shelly!

  13. katie z. says:

    Most of my quilting books live in a box right now. My sewing room shares spae with the play room, and there’s nowhere to put the books out of littl hands’ reach, so I keep out a few and rotate through.

  14. Deanna says:

    Part of my magazines/books was organized during the Final Countdown. I did a bit more and (gasp) even got rid of a few. I passed them on to a new quilter who was glad to have them. That space is more usable. I know what I have and I am glad to have it. And, someone else is blessed. Thanks for the reminder.

  15. Karen says:

    I made some progress on my oldest UFO and on my book shelves. You can read more here: http://fortheloveofneedleandthread.blogspot.ca/2015/01/studio-organizing-week-2.html
    These challenges are great!

  16. Barb B says:

    Books/Magazine challenge update:
    1. Books are all in place.
    2. I went through 20 magazines so far. I tore out my favorite patterns and stowed them in plastic sheet protectors and then into binders. The remaining magazine “parts” will go to a friend to enjoy.

    3. I put a small box with more magazines to go through next to my recliner. It’s easy to grab one and start going through it when I’m watching TV. The sheet protectors are there, too, so I have no excuse not to put the patterns away as I go.

    I still have many more magazines to go through, but these reduced my pile by 4″. Thanks for the challenge.

  17. Crazy week here and I missed this part of the post! But, I did go through my magazines a while back and tear out all the patterns I really wanted or photos that really inspired me and put them in a binder with page protectors. My two foot stack of magazines condensed down into a 3″ binder! Also, last fall, I did a quick look before guild and took 14 books to the magazine table at our guild. They resell magazines for 25 cents each and that way my books went to good homes and helped the guild at the same time!I’m going to try for a few minutes of book sorting today as my quilter’s tea is tomorrow and I’d love to pass a few extra magazines or books along!
    Thanks for helping us stay on track!

  18. Linda Knight says:

    I have about 2 1/2 feet of shelf space for magazines so when it gets full I pull out the patterns I like and put them in clear sleeves and toss the rest of the magazine. I also subscribe to only one magazine now. As to the oldest ufo, I know exactly where it is but currently have little desire to hand piece and since that is what it is I just ignore it until I want a hand project. Think it will ever get done?????

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