November Studio Organizing Challenge

Posted on November 18, 2019 by prairiemoonquilts in Studio Organizing Challenge

I’ve skipped a few months on the organizing thing. But something about the weather turning always puts me back into organizing mode. I guess because I love to be cozy in the winter, and I can’t be cozy if things are in a mess.

Winter is also my time to NOT travel as much, which means I get to spend more time in my studio, so I like for it to be clean and organized, too.

That being said, I have yet to complete all of this year’s previous organizing challenges. I did finish one of them, and it has stayed organized all this time — can you believe it? The others, I have either chipped away at a little bit and made some progress, or else I’ve just ignored my own advice altogether and haven’t touched them!

How about you? Have you gotten any more organized this year?

I have used a LOT of fabric out of my stash this year to make backings for scrap quilts. And I’ve cut out a lot of pillowcases I need to get sewn up. Even so, I still don’t have space in my bins for all my fabric to be put away, so I’m still working on it. For some odd reason, I keep being tempted to buy more! Am I the only one this happens to?

I’ve also spent a lot of time decluttering, which has helped greatly, altho you can’t tell it by the current state of my cutting table, which I’m not sure I’ll even be able to get clean yet this month! I’ve been working on it, and you can’t even tell. Ugh!

There’s no need to even discuss how ridiculous this is!

For this month’s challenge, I’m picking a smaller task, just so I can feel like I actually accomplished something:

Pick one thing you’ve been procrastinating on doing, and DO IT!

This right here is my one thing:

This crazy makes-no-sense pile on the end of my ironing board! WHY???? Why is it here? Why do I do this? Why is the ironing board a good dumping ground for a pile? Why??

Also, the ironing board needs a new cover, and I bought the fabric for a new cover back in the summer, but I just haven’t done it yet. Procrastination at its finest!

So, that’s what I’ll be working on. What about you?

What’s been bugging you about your space, that you feel the need to work on?

What one smaller task can you do that will make you feel a lot better about your space going into the holiday season?

I’m hoping that by getting my ironing board whipped into shape, it will carry over into other areas, and give me some forward momentum to tackle some more difficult spots.

How about you? I’d love to hear what organizing task you decide to tackle.

15 responses to “November Studio Organizing Challenge”

  1. Why is the ironing board a dumping place? Because it is a horizontal surface. You should see my cutting table. I’ve had to set up a second cutting table for actual cutting activities.

  2. Johnna Clarke says:

    I’ve decided to organize all my patterns into ONE notebook. They are currently scattered here and there. If I go crazy, I might even try to alphabetize them!

  3. Ginny says:

    I am so glad you are here to prod Me to get things in order regularly!
    Looking at your ironing station make want to find the piece of desk, dresser or shelves I have been wanting to get to put under my big board. The board is standing on end waiting for the right piece to put it on for way to long.
    Making Christmas gift is taking a second seat along with just about everything cause take care of Harold after surgery it the top priority. He is getting better everyday. But the end is 3 to6 months for full recovery

  4. Paula M says:

    Temporarily I have Christmas boxes and ect. in my sewing area- it is too much! I need to find a way to organize what I have and begin “shopping” my stash! I have one more quilt to complete for Christmas, then I can get back to all those SAL’s, and WIP that I have been running behind on. So, my one thing will be organizing the clutter, finding space, not ready to go full on “KONDO” , wait is she a verb now?

  5. Donna says:

    Just the other day I found the end of my ironing board when I sorted and moved the pile of vintage pillowcases and other linens that I had laundered and ironed during the summer into a large storage container. They are now waiting for a permanent home while I have to walk around the container, but I’m making progress. My sewing room has this and other turnarounds scattered all through it until I finish organizing the textile treasures from my mom and grandmothers.

  6. Amanda M. says:

    Since winter seemed to arrive early I had to move all of my fabric and batting from Uncle’s where I had been spread out like an old setting hen so he could start the wood furnace. Other than the big Project Linus tub that went home beforehand everything else fit into my car…. I bet people think that I am a homeless quilter when they see it in the parking lot. I need to make myself put everything away in its proper spot when I pack it into my house. That is my goal…. if the spirit moves me.

  7. Sharon Gratz says:

    Buy Color Catchers so I can wash the fabric that’s laying here, there and everywhere so it can then be put where it’s supposed to be.
    Figure out a way to have easier access to more of my fabric.
    I’m serious! Really, I am!!!

  8. Peggy says:

    I recently had many fabrics gifted to me, but were in need of laundering to remove musty odors. After spending two days ironing and refolding, I laid them in a large plastic tote. Since they aren’t packed by color, I need to coordinate them with what else I have on hand. Also, I have won a few giveaways so there is that fabric to incorporate. This will be a little difficult right now as I am involved with 2 QAL’s and will be starting a Mystery QAL at the end of Nov. In the meantime I have a quilted Christmas gift and a couple of smaller sewing projects to finish before leaving for a Carribbean cruise the middle of Dec. Have you ever been overwhelmed to the point of spinning wheels, thus, getting nothing done? Right now that’s me!

    • Marlene Clausen says:

      I so understand that! I have been going in circles and getting nowhere, for various reasons. Yesterday, my sewing table was so piled, I couldn’t even trim a block! That was IT!! I stopped and cleaned off everything that didn’t belong, put everything that had piled up where it belonged. It only took an HOUR . . . the mess it was in, it looked like it should have taken all day. With my lovely, clear space I was able to finish piecing the top I was making. It doesn’t solve all the other problems, but it made me FEEL a whole lot better!

  9. Thanks for the pics, good luck with the messes 🙂 I had to share this with my husband because my cutting table actually has less stuff on it than yours.
    As a matter of fact, my one task would be my cutting table, just to rid it of items that have no business being there.

  10. Rose Marie Smith says:

    My main organizing challenge for the past 3 years is to finish UFO’s. I have. And I have not started very many new projects. Made myself promise to finish more than I start. I may have to move from my apartment some time in the future and not have so much storage space. I want to be able to manage with a much smaller batch of stuff. But as successful as this post sounds, I still find more and more stuff to sort through. Quilters are insane as far as I can tell.

  11. Randy Menninghaus says:

    okay I use Alexa to time me. It helps. I am going to find out what is in my right closet. You have been hugely helpful in my organizing of my room. I even went to a friends stash and helped. It is always delightful to find some ones stash that is in worse shape lol

  12. Raewyn says:

    HI Shelly, I tried to comment the other day but my device was playing up! I had wanted to say – thanks for cutting that elephant into small pieces and helping me focus on one small goal. And here I am back, saying yaay I did it! I had my overlocker serviced to start using again but I still had it in a bag on the floor. I focused on my one small goal and yesterday cleared a desk and now have it set up ready to play with!! (That part o f my sewing space hadn’t seen the light of day for a very long time!!)

  13. I must have missed you were doing this again. I will be following you and working through my room again.
    My cutting and pressing stations are normally fairly good since the first time you did the challenge.
    I don’t’ know why my desk won’t stay clean….I’ve been going through my room and donating what I’m not using, so I should have all this space, but….
    I really need to make a purely scrap quilt and use up some of the scraps to be able to close ALL the drawers. Maybe 2020 is going to be my scrap and UFO year.

  14. Chrysanthemum says:

    It looks like you are in my sewing room, right down to the pile of fabrics on my ironing board and it needing a new cover! We do what we can and when a fabric calls our name, it needs to come home with us, doesn’t it…. I do think that deep down we all have the same needs!

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