May Studio Organizing, Task Two

Posted on May 27, 2022 by prairiemoonquilts in Studio Organizing Challenge

I seriously thought about skipping a second task for this month like I did last month, but then I read a little blurb from someone about how cleaning up their sewing room was all they needed to get their mojo back, so given my current slump, I decided it could possibly work, so I need to keep at this!

I feel like I’m slowly coming out of my funk — not as quickly as I’d like — but being able to go two days without needing a nap, and spending one entire day sewing (albeit slowly), I think I may be on the uphill swing! Let’s hope.

I’ve successfully avoided work today by accompanying My Cowboy as he took Chip the Wonder Horse to the farrier, and then going grocery shopping. Sometimes I amaze myself with the things I’ll do to avoid working — because I really don’t like grocery shopping!

Which reminds me of THIS post I wrote a few years ago — it seems I still follow my own advice quite well!

I did the last organizing task more than once. It feels good to have some things put away where they belong. I can’t really tell that it made much difference in the look of the place, but it’s a start!

And since it’s time for another challenge, what shall we do this time?

I’m choosing a different one that we’ve never actually done before . . .

Take a look at your main work table, and the projects you have laying out there, and:

Choose the one project closest to finished and work on it

Don’t go to the closet, or a drawer, or a bin — just choose from the ones you have laying out. Choose the one that you know is closest to finished. Maybe you can finish it and get it off your table for good. Maybe you can’t finish it in the next two weeks, but maybe you can move it further along. Or maybe you will decide to store it away for later to get it off the table, or maybe you never want to finish it at all! Decision time!

I’m going to be sewing up a pile of pillowcases. I’ve had a pile of pillowcases cut out and laying on my cutting table for over a year. I randomly sew one now and then, and I also randomly add more pieces now and then as I’m sorting and putting away fabric. See them on the end of the table there? This photo is from January of 2021. Too long for the pile to keep staying! It won’t take long to finish them, but I just keep passing them over to work on other things.

My mission will be to finally get the entire pile sewn up and donated so they’re completely gone from my table and my sewing room. Better that they get out there and start being used than keep laying around on my table taking up space. And I’ll have one pile gone off my table.

How about you?

What’s the project you have laying out that is closest to finished?

What’s it gonna take to finish it? Or move it along? Or get it off your table once and for all?

It’s two weeks till the next task — think we can do this???

15 responses to “May Studio Organizing, Task Two”

  1. Karen E. says:

    Not on my table, but in a wagon in my studio, I have maybe a dozen small quilt tops I’ve made but never quilted. I’ll go through those, quilt the ones I can, and prepare backings for the ones I can’t and get them to my long arm angel.

    Thanks for the nudge.

  2. Bev says:

    Great idea….
    Mine is a queen that only needs binding. It takes up a lot of space.

  3. Randy Menninghaus says:

    ha I did a double take on the cat…. YES. motivated I am…off to enjoy my NEW spring action free motion foot.

  4. Pam Desilets says:

    I have a quilt with three sides done and one to go for binding. I think I can get that done. No sewing this month. Recovering from total right knee replacement. Happy sewing finishing some of our many unfinished projects.

  5. Ginabeth says:

    I just did this last weekend. I have a trunk that sits at the end of my bed. It has a quilt on it that I rotate so I see a different one every month. But most of the time it is covered up with piles of quilting projects. But last weekend I decided it need to be cleared. So I get to enjoy the quilt for the rest of May.

  6. Amanda M. says:

    Surprisingly I have nothing on my work surface. However, I have had a quilt laid across my long arm for over a week. Since I’m moving slower than a herd of turtles when I get home in the evenings I’m going to concentrate on it on my day off! I need to spend more time quilting in June so I can give myself permission to start something new…. Mainly the Doll Quilt for the guild challenge that’s due in August.

  7. Marlene Clausen says:

    No projects on my cutting table. I DO have a laun dry basket filled to overflowing. My good friend sends me offcuts from long arming and I got four months’ worth a couple days ago. Batting needs to be separated from fabric, fabric needs to be pressed, folded, and shelved. I will Frankenstein most of the batting as I need two batts for two baby quilts. I have to clear off the table as I’ve got to get a quilt pin basted as it is going to its new home next week.

  8. Shirley Guier says:

    I have definately found that cleaning my work area help motivate me. I just hate to clean and need to be in the mood to make good progress. The weird thing is, it would only take about 30 minutes to get it in great shape! And I feel so good afterwards! I don’t have any unfinished projects on my table but I do need to finish quilting a quilt instead of piecing!

  9. Debbi says:

    I’ve been working on emptying a laundry basket that is on the floor of my sewing room. When I inventoried my projects I filled it with several projects that needed just a “little more” to move on out of the sewing room. There are two table runners to quilt on my domestic machine, a pillow to make, and a quilt top that needs a backing made so it can move up to the LA room. But before I can get back to them I have to clear my sewing surface of fat quarters that I’m reorganizing. 🤪.

    Where do you donate your pillowcases? I got tired of looking at a bin that is full of cut out pillowcases and moved it to a shelf in the garage. Been thinking about donating “as is” if I could find an interested party. When I get some space back I may have to start making one each time I sit to sew.

  10. Kathy says:

    Worked last night to complete a table topper that has been in my work area for at least a year. Now it needs to be quilted along with a few quilts.

  11. Patsy says:

    I have a baby quilt that should have been finished weeks ago. It has mitered corners that I hate doing. Hope to get it finished this weekend.

  12. Joan says:

    I have what I call my Mary Poppin’s bag. I put projects that need handwork in and take along to work on when I know there will be an opportunity to sit and sew by hand. Hopefully I will get the binding sewn on the Cinco de Mayo table topper I completed on Cinco de Mayo into the bag, instead of sitting on my sewing chair since then…
    Your cat just fits in that box–we can’t have them as my husband is allergic–so enjoy looking at that and missed it except for reading other comments!

  13. Cindy Wienstroer says:

    Finished my scraps that were on cutting table. Not to pick project – need to finish some small bags for my daughter, but together some misc blocks into table tops & have 3 quilts ready to quilt but first must clean my house ☹️.

  14. Angie in SoCal says:

    None on my cutting table, but I have quite a few in the two boxes under my ironing board. Right on top is the one I will work on. It just needs binding, but possibly a complicated one as the color of the backing just won’t settle on what it wants from the front. May have to try a two fabric binding. You’re doing better. I’m glad. Blessings, Shelly.

  15. Celia says:

    Thanks for the nudge. I can’t do anything until I get the quilt out of the way that needs to be bound. There is a deadline so will finish it today.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *