April Studio Organizing Challenge
Posted on April 15, 2020 by prairiemoonquilts in Studio Organizing ChallengeIt’s time once again for a Studio Organizing Challenge . . .
I’m still working on paper organizing, my design wall only has 3 projects on it, all of which I’m currently working on, and I’m still sorting through the scraps a little bit every day.
I really wanted to make this month’s challenge all about my cutting table, but I’m pretty sure I can’t clear it in a month, given everything else I have going on right now, so I’ll push that one back a bit further. (It still doesn’t look any better than it did when I posted a picture of it on Monday.)
Instead, I’m knocking the challenge down to a more manageable bite-sized task, so I will have more time for my finishing spree to continue, and to keep working on the previous stuff I still don’t have done. Here’s what I’m gonna work on:
Clean out a cabinet, drawer, or shelf
Here’s the cabinet I want to clean out, in its current state:
There’s quite a bit of random stuff in here. I realized I need to clean it out when I found that random set of quilt blocks stashed in here the other day. And I’ll probably find a few UFOs. I hope they’re ones I already knew about, so that my list doesn’t get any longer! I also know there are some tops that need quilting in here. I can make sure they have backings and bindings ready and put those in the to-be-quilted bin/pile/area.
And then there’s fabric. Some pretty bundles I’ve been loath to break up because they’re so pretty, and what few precuts I have are also in here.
So my plan is to clean out at least one section each week, and I should be done before the next challenge is posted.
What about you?
Do you have a drawer, cabinet, or shelf that is hiding mystery items that you need to go through and clean out and deal with? What do you think you will find?
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of studio organization, I wanted to be sure and let you know about THIS POST that Heidi Staples put up on her blog. You might get some really good studio organizing ideas from it. I especially like her “return basket” and “scrap basket” ideas for your cutting table, and we can all tell I desperately need cutting table help.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE all her little storage ideas. I wish my room looked even a little bit like hers! (Also, I have her book, Sew Organized for the Busy Girl, and it’s fabulous! *Highly recommend.)
So that’s our task for this month. Next month, I think I’ll talk a bit more about how my trackers are working for me (helping me build new good habits) when I come back with the next challenge.
Also, if you have a particular area that you are finding to be an annoyance for you, let me know — I’ll see if I can build future challenges around things that you all might need help with, instead of always just going with what my own current mess happens to be! So leave me some suggestions, if you want. Have fun organizing!
Thanks for the tip on Heidi’s blog. She had lots of good ideas.
I have now packed up everything in the sewing room and I am determined to do better job organizing in my new space. It has been an experience seeing what I actually have. I found a box still packed from my move here a year ago. Guess that I really needed what was in it! I have learned to tackle organizing in little chunks. Thanks for sharing your room, it does help to see that I am not the only one working on change.
I went to Heidi’s page and laughed when I saw her tiny little jars of buttons. I have a giant jar and a giant thread bin – both full of buttons. I pulled 9 little bitty black buttons out of those 2 for a special little project. LOL But the little project is a UFO that will be finished this week if the weather keeps me in!! Another big laugh since we are to get 7 inches of snow today.
I started organization by being ‘ruthless’. I gifted books and notions and patterns and fabric that I once loved/used. I genuinely was at point of not finding things so some space a friend. Next step plastic bins and boxes so I can ‘see’ when I want to retrieve. I do have a label maker but that is down the road! Good luck to all on this quest
I tore apart my sewing space on Saturday so it was more workable and I had better light on my sewing machine. With only having 4 square feet (more or less) to sew in I have to keep it easy to work in!
https://quiltschmilt.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/fabric-pulls/
Then I decided the scrap bin (and the box I found mislabelled in the storage room) needed to be emptied and sorted. I’m still cutting and sorting those bits in between working up new designs and patterns.
Then it was time to tidy my fabric stash cupboard again to see just how many quilts are hidden in there. The bottom 2 shelves are now designated my To Be Quilted Pile. I am determined to have them emptied once I can go out and get my batting. I have a roll ready to be picked up but it is a 5 hour drive each way to get it. Normally I coordinate picking up my batting with a visit with my quilty friend and we do a little FART but that’s out of the question these days. Maybe in August?
Oh boy! I have this plastic shelving unit that sits in the bathtub in the bathroom downstairs by my sewing room…I have been meaning to sort it and find new homes for the stuff that is stored there…it’s overwhelming to think I can get all of it into my overstuffed sewing room so I’ve been ignoring it. Guess it’s time to take a look. Maybe just one shelf a week? Since I still haven’t gotten the floor clear in the sewing room it’s conceivable that I won’t be able to eliminate the shelving unit as I had hoped, but it could be better organized….more purposeful and not just overflow. Wish this house had more closets! Great task!