Does your work space need help, before you need help?

[Debbie L.]

:shock: How is your spring cleaning in your sewing room doing? My God, if it were not for my best friend Dianne, I would be in trouble.
Last July, I had a total hysterectomy :roll: . That is okay, I had the dr. wait til the quilt show was done. Two days later, he had his way.
Oct., my dear fatherinlaw passed away, unexpected, since then I have been taken care of my motherinlaw.
All I would like to say, your best friend is all ways there when you need them
Dianne took the whole day, and spent her time folding my fabric and putting it away by color. (by the way, she said I do not need any more fabric) Okay, Who really needs fabric?
I run a longarm business, so as I get my life and sewing room organized, it would be fun, to see how many of you are doing the same.
:shock: Are you havin a good time?
Are you having trouble?
I am little anal, so I need to be in a perfect room, yea, like that is going to happen.
But We started today, getting all those scraps put away buy color or fabric type.
Next is the paper work,.
The tools after that.
Hopefully, I will post pictures as I go along.
I intend to put carpeting down, can't wait for dear husband.
Di and I will do it.
How will you and your friend get both sewing rooms done?
:lol: Let's keep track.
Let's see how we can make our live easier.

[Margo C.]

I know there are two schools of thought about hysterectomies, just like there are about prewashing.... :wink: but I had mine done 20 years ago, and it was money well spent!
My dear FIL also died suddenly, and I've been the caregiver for my sweet MIL for 9 years now. Makes me wonder who will be there when I need help. :?
My sewing room pretty much stays organized. I make a point to clean up after every project is complete, sorting and putting everything in it's place before I start something different. Even if it's just changing UFOs for a while...I need to start in a picked up workspace. Of course, I'm sure it's different when you are running a business and you have other peoples projects to deal with, but it sounds like you and Diane have a great game plan! Good luck!!

[Carla G.]

I am forced to do a massive spring clean of the whole house in one day.... a realtor is coming with a client tomorrow.... all this work and it will come to nothing in this economy. luckily I had gone thru my stash and organized it so the closet was neat weeks ago! Althought the room looks great it looks lonely to me....I am not using it. But, come Hell or high water I am quilting away Sunday afternoon and night!

Carla

[karen f.]

I am forced to do a massive spring clean of the whole house in one day.... a realtor is coming with a client tomorrow.... all this work and it will come to nothing in this economy. luckily I had gone thru my stash and organized it so the closet was neat weeks ago! Althought the room looks great it looks lonely to me....I am not using it. But, come Hell or high water I am quilting away Sunday afternoon and night!

Carla

Well the good thing is everything is all organized and ready for you to jump right in as soon as they leave! Good luck with the house sale. Karen

[karen f.]

When I go to have my surgery on the 14th my sewing room door will be shut the kids will be on spring brake that week I will do to keep the dogs and the cat she sit on my sewing table and some times fabric will stick to her Happy

[Hannelore N.]

"Spring Clean", "organized"....... never heard those words. I thrive on chaos.

I have to be super-reliable in my working life, so I have had enough of it when I get home.

I'm off first thing in the morning for a few (much needed) relaxing day in Scotland. If the police would have to enter my place whilst I'm away they would find it difficult to decide if I have been vandalized or not. I'll tidy up when I get back...... honest!

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

One of the things I hope to do in my studio over Easter weekend is tidy up my scrap baskets. I'm thinking of cutting things up into squares for a scrappy quilt.

Like Margo, I usually tidy up as I go and put effort to place items back on shelves or drawers after use. I have found this helps me find things quicker when in need!!!

As for house spring cleaning, that's next week before family arrive for Easter....

[Karen M.]

I'm home-in my own house again-it's been 7 weeks and not one single dust bunny decided to vacate the place....they are lurking everywhere! :? :lol: All the posts about cleaning sewing studios and getting organized has caused a stir in my brain..I need to do that...can it wait until I finish a few of my Arab quilts for the sale??? I hope so, but after helping my DS organize 3 rooms in her house (bags and bags for the women's shelter) I am pumped up to get into my "material world" and whip it into shape before I start the quilt-a-thon! I'd love to hear a few clever & fast ways to fold my fabrics into uniform stacks....anyone have a suggestion to share?

[Anne B.]

I'd love to hear a few clever & fast ways to fold my fabrics into uniform stacks....anyone have a suggestion to share?

Here's what I do.

I fold my fabric in half lengthwise, then in half again, then I fan-fold it into nine-inch widths. I can count the folds on one side to see how much fabric I have. One fold is half a yard, two folds is a yard, etc.

I fold fat quarters and fat eighths the same way, except that I don't fold them lengthwise the second time. Scraps are in bins on the top shelves.

You can see a picture of the fabric stacked in my cabinet on my profile page.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

[Margo C.]

Anne's folding to see how much fabric you have is a great idea! However, just last year I re-folded my stash to fit my cabinets, and all I see is a nicely folded end. There are pictures on my webshots album showing how I did it. I used a similiar method for folding smaller pieces.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album...ost=good-times

[Annette R.]

A dear friend spent a day with me before my "unbirthday" at the end of February and my studio looked fabulous. Everything in its place, all the horizontal surfaces clean and clear, all the tools in their rightful place. It was wonderful. Then I started to bind a number of projects that were then stacked in the "to be finished" bin on one of my counters. Well that started a whole new era of chaos. All but one of the binding projects are done and there are only three things left in the "to be finished pile". I have done a lot of the applique on my Rhapsody and may be able to finish that before the end of April when we move back into the motor home. I also sent two quilts off to be quilted. So even though my room is not quite so neat now I feel really good about all that I have accomplished and it will still be easy to put the last of the leftover scraps and fabrics away because they have a home. Yea. and thank you Darlene. I may make you a TQS quilter yet, I am working on it. Ann who is happy to be productive in an almost organized room.

[Annette R.]

My sewing area is a wreck! My ADHD kicked in about November and hasn't given me a break yet. LOL! When I took on my dress project, just left my assigned work area and spread out on my kitchen table so I could work closer to my kids. In the meantime, my sewing machine and serger are still living on my kitchen table. I think I enjoyed being a part of the action while creating for my DD. Hmmm, I did however purchase mini tackle box inserts to begin the clean up of my assigend area, Per DH: can't have company if my things are on the table. I think he finally got it, LOL! :wink:

[Annette R.]

I'm afraid I probably need a backhoe to clean my sewing room. I'm thinking of hiring someone to come help me get this room cleaned out! DH has offered to help organize me, he's Mr. Organized and I'm Mrs. Opposite of Organized. He cannot understand my filling up all horizontal surfaces. His woodworking workshop (where I park my car and do the laundry) is always neat when he's finished working for the day.

Right now I can't even get into my sewing room, there's too much stacked up in the doorway. They had such a great sale at the LQS the other day and I had to bring some of it home...

JoAnne in southern California

[Karen M.]

Anne-thanks for the folding instructions on how you fold your stash. I will be giving it a try this week...I like the counting folds idea a lot. Thanks again. Karen

[Debbie L.]

:shock: Well when dear Diane came on Friday, she walked in on a disaster. We laughed, as we made a walk space.
Today is Monday, I took time on Saturday to try to get all my fabrics together. :roll: Hopefully tonight I will get to the paperwork, did I say I love to machine and hand embroider as well, so that too is my sewing room.
Husband was really impressed, it looks less cluttered, more room to move create . Did I say we share this room, my dh and I, it used to be his workshop. Will try today to take pictures. Taking the pictures are not hard, trying to download them that's another story. :wink: debbie