2015: Organize
Posted on January 7, 2015 by prairiemoonquilts in Organizing, What's NewI’m not a New Year’s Resolution maker. But I set goals for myself all year round. Some are monthly, some are weekly — heck, some of them are daily (“just get through the day”)!
As part of my starting fresh with a new year, I go over my goals from the last year to see how I did, and set new ones for the year ahead.
Last year I wanted to simplify my life a bit a lot, so I pared down the yearly goals. Evidently, I still set the bar a tidget too high for myself. For instance, I wanted to quilt 200 quilts on my longarm. I only did 110. So this year, I now know I need to be a bit more realistic.
This year, my main goal is to get organized.
I made great strides in that department last year, in my attempts to simplify, but I chose “simplify” over “organize ” because I thought organize sounded too harsh.
Harsh or not, I’ve decided that organize is it for this year. Maybe harsh is what I need to whip myself into shape!
That’s why I’ve started the Studio Organizing Challenge, and the Procrastination Challenge, and I’ll be doing the 350 Blocks Project again this year. All to help me get more organized, and whittle down the sheer amount of “stuff” around here.
I hope you’ll all join me for some or all of these challenges, if getting organized is something you’re working toward, too.
I’m still going to set some yearly goals for myself. I’m still trying to decide what some of them should be. Sometimes I tend to set goals for things that are out of my control, so I really need to think and be smarter about them. So I’m giving myself some time yet.
I know I won’t be trying to fool myself into thinking that I’ll be able to quilt 200 quilts on my longarm! Think I should shoot for 150? (My current record for one year is 111.)
So anyway, I’m off to get myself organized in 2015, and I hope some of you join me for the ride! Come on, it’ll be fun! (Or at least funny!)
I’ll periodically be sharing with you things I’m trying, or items I’ve found that are helping me toward my goal. The first thing I’d like to mention is Deanna‘s notebook. She found the coolest notebook to keep all her project notes in! Go check it out HERE. With my office- and school-supply fetish, I can tell that I need one (or 10) of these for myself!
I also found these:
I’m calling them “project bags”. I bought a couple to try out, fell in love with them, and had to have more.
They’re perfect to put all the pieces of a project in, especially when you’re going to a retreat or a sew day somewhere. I put the pieces of the projects I want to work on in these, each one in their own bag, and they fit down inside my tote very nicely, and I have everything I need handy when I get to the sew day or retreat. OK, I’ve convinced myself — I need a couple more!
I got mine at Sew Sweet Quilt Shop. I currently have 4 of them, and I would like to have six total. I’ve never seen them anywhere else, but I’m sure they’re around somewhere. The good thing is, when you’re done, and they’re empty, they fold flat to store, unlike a plastic bin that still takes up the same amount of space, empty or not.
Last Saturday, my friend, Linda, came by and whisked me away to Sew Sweet Quilt Shop for a day of sewing. In keeping with my new theme of organizing, I took along a project that was in such disarray, I couldn’t even work on it. I spent the day getting it all organized and back on track, and even got some sewing done on it! It was a good day.
And Linda brought all of us who were there a teacup!
The idea was to make a pincushion out of the teacup, and . . . I started to do it, but I can’t bring myself to glue something inside it, it’s such a pretty cup, so I simply sat my wool pincushion down inside it. The wool pincushion tries to tip over every time I push a pin into it, and being inside the cup, it no longer does that. So that’s how I’m using it for now. Isn’t it pretty?
I’ll be back tomorrow with our next Studio Organizing Challenge. I can hardly believe an entire week of 2015 is already gone!
I have organized about as much as I can stand. What I really need to do is not pull a Shelly and dither around starting and stopping and flinging aside. Today I am at home and I am going to do the final 4 blocks of a project that has been ongoing for more than 18 months. The final 4!!! Just as important as who will be in the Superbowl.
I also need to organize my sewing room, get rid of unwanted items/fabrics/patterns. I do like the project bags. Thanks for the inspiration.
Hymmmm may have to check out those project bags when I get a chance, but that might be next summer. I have some, but I think it might like yours better. OR maybe I need to finish up what is in mine so I can put something else in them.
oOPS Turns out the Final 4 was the Final 7 but they are finished. Now should I start setting that together………or should I just dither off to something else? The organizing I need to do is more mental.
I can’t believe you are apologizing for only quilting 110 quilts! That is two per week. I don’t know how you manage that. Sounds like quite an accomplishment to me.
Love the cup!
I also need to trick myself into completing tasks. It is my belief that if I publicly state I’ll do (min) of 350 blocks this year, I’ll truly advance on several projects. Please accept my intent to participate in your challenge.
I have used Hefty Jumbo, 12 in a box of Slider
Bags from Walmart. They have a slider on one side to close each bag. They hold 2.5 gallon and are 14 3/8 inches by 16 inches. They are clear so you can see through them.
I found some on Amazon in varying sizes..
http://www.amazon.com/Vinyl-Mesh-Zipper-color-vary/dp/B000HFUEFY/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424277198&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=plastic+zippered+project+bags+for+quilters