September Studio Organizing Challenge

Posted on September 15, 2020 by prairiemoonquilts in Studio Organizing Challenge

Well, August was nothing if not a massive failed attempt at any organizing. I simply had too many deadlines last month. Still up against some deadlines for this month. So I guess I need to pick something easier, huh?

My bookcase doesn’t look one iota different. I still haven’t adjusted the shelves or dealt with any of the piles. I DID send one box of books/magazines to my guild meeting for give-away, so a box is gone, but I think I could probably fill several more boxes, so maybe I can get one ready for next month’s meeting as well.

Meanwhile, here it is time for another challenge, and I’m simply not ready!

So I think for this month, I’m going to:

Revisit one or more of the previous challenges from this year

Here’s a recap of what we’ve attempted so far this year. Some of you finished them, some of you started, and some of you, like me, are still struggling; so maybe this month, we can do a little catching up. I always think that will happen, and then I still seem to have trouble with it, so we’ll see! (You can click on the month name to go visit the original post about that month’s challenge.)

January and July were both cleaning up or getting rid of a pile.
I’ve gotten rid of lots of piles, made some new ones, and not really made a visible difference on that front. The problem with going through a pile is that I always find more stuff that needs to be worked on, or I just make another pile or two some place else. It’s not always as simple as just getting rid of the things in the pile. I also evidently need more storage space to contain the things that are in piles, so that I don’t have to make piles. I’m working on that, too.

February was to clear off the design wall, or set yourself up with a design wall if you don’t have one and want to make one.
Mine is still really clean. Guess I need to find a project to put up there!

In March, we were to process our scraps.
This is an ongoing thing for me, and while I was making good progress on it early in the year, I’ve seriously slacked off the last few months. I need to get going on that again.

April’s challenge was to clean out a cabinet, drawer, or shelf.
This is one challenge I managed to get done, and it’s still clean, so I’m pretty proud of that!

In May, we were offered a challenge by Susie to use up fabric that has been languishing in our stash for no good reason.
I’m still working on this one. This is the fabric I chose to use up, and I’ll be able to show you real soon what I did with it. It also helped use up lots of other scraps to go with it, so I’m really excited about this one!

June found us once again clearing off our main work surfaces.
Here’s the current state of my cutting table. Not as bad as it has been, but not as good as I’d like it to be. Still a lot of work to do here.

In August, we were supposed to deal with books and magazines, and for me, it was a total flop.

So, I’m going to work on the past challenges that I have not yet made much progress on, and see what I can accomplish with the limited time I will have this month.

I still have massive paper clutter, and a bookcase to get organized.
I still have lots of scraps to process.
I still have lots of piles laying around that need to be gone.
I still have a messy cutting table.

So I think I can find plenty to work on this month! How about you?

What challenge(s) do you need to revisit this month?

13 responses to “September Studio Organizing Challenge”

  1. Louise says:

    I see that you have one of the most important things for quilting sitting in a prime spot on your cutting board – Dove chocolate.

  2. Patricia says:

    I am struggling with everything. Conronviris depression. BUT, Granddaughter asked for skirts for her 4 girls! Happy day and no organizing this week.

  3. Cindy Wienstroer says:

    I too noticed the essential dark chocolate! I have been trying to cut scraps after using & trying to make scrappy backs. Also trying to use up old fabric or give away to a useful project. But my mom has stopped sewing so had to go thru her stuff & now a friend ask me about my taking her’s. It never ends – just like laundry & dirt! I need more chocolate!

  4. I’m in the same place, but surprise, surprise, my cutting table is 80% cleared! That’s because my cutting table is also my quilting table (you know the one that holds up your quilt as you quilt it).
    Now which one will I tackle next out of all those months you enumerated for us?

  5. Kerry says:

    My sewing room has become the quick chuck any mess into it before the visitors arrive. It is now driving me crazy, but I have to finish the quilt before I can start that! The wedding is being brought forward for just close family in case there is another lockdown. No pressure!
    By the way, I think your room looks tidy! LOL!

  6. Celia says:

    I feel like I am losing ground. Still haven’t gotten everything put away from the move in April. If I clean off the cutting table, I move it to the ironing board so I can’t use that surface. I did send a box of fabric to a friend so that at least gave me more room. I had really looked forward to donating stuff for the quilt show and then that was canceled so it is all in a box. What is put away looks good, it is all that is left in boxes, totes etc that is killing me, oh and Kay shared some kits today which I had to take home😀. Thanks for sharing, at least I don’t feel like I am the only one out there that doesn’t have it all together.

  7. Randy Menninghaus says:

    I spent yesterday folding and putting stuff back by color. I seem to believe with enough folding I can get most of it into one cabinet and a bookcase. I have delusions. It is cooling off in Maine which is great because sewing land is on the second floor.

  8. Randy Menninghaus says:

    PS. my stash ate my favorite rotary cutter… I hope I find it this year.

  9. Joan says:

    I like the recap of past goal setting. This month I have been and will continue to process scraps by using them in one quilt and trying very hard not to start another new project… Doing that forces me to tackle some of the piles. The latest thing I uncovered were two Christmas quilts in progress–one where I won blocks in a drawing. Told myself they will be fun to work on when the snow starts flying. Your posts are always very motivating.

  10. Karen says:

    Thank you for the monthly nudge to keep working on these things. It’s really helped me. My biggest problem is years of paper clutter that I can’t seem to deal with, so I decided to move most of it in my sewing space, to help remind me to deal with it. Since I’d rather fill those shelves with fabric, than bins of paper, I have motivation to clear it out! So I’ll continue with that for the rest of the month.

  11. Amanda M. says:

    I seem to have lost my motivation but I need to curb my tv addiction which may help. I don’t have any blocks currently cut out for piecing since I had been busy with binding quilts for Project Linus that I quilted. I hope to tackle two birds at once by dealing with a pile of scraps! 😂.

  12. Candice says:

    I, too, noticed the bag of Dove chocolates – my kind of motivation to “keep on cutting”. To Amanda I’d like to say that I have a tv in my quilt room, so my tv addiction can flow with my sewing addiction.

  13. Darlene says:

    I seem to be in a slump as well these past few months.
    I am really hoping to make big changes in my sewing area! My daughter took the extra couch we had in the finished basement so I now have that whole area to work with. I have been working on putting away piles and cutting scraps & putting them away.
    Happy organizing everyone. Shelly, Thanks for motivating us.

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