To deal with this mess, means finding space on the other bookcases. So rather than prepping the quilt, I started decluttering. What you don't see in this picture (cause I always forget to take "before" shots) is the double stack of magazine patterns that were piled up on the top of this book case. Those piles were not quite a foot tall. That seemed like a good place to start. By the end of the day yesterday I'd gotten this far.
I emptied five binders while whittling down the stack to the patterns I really wanted to keep (tastes change). That freed up a whole bunch of plastic sleeves. So a bunch of patterns are going to the recycle place.
The filed patterns fit in three binders.
It will probably take four binders to hold these and what's not filed yet. Still, that means four binders are coming off the book shelf, leaving room for a few more books. I've also started going through my quilting books and have decided that there's a few that should just go. So those will get boxed up and taken to the library at some point.
I spent all weekend on dealing with just the purchased and magazine patterns. I'll try to finish that up this week and start scheduling time to work on some of the other clutter. It's amazing what dragging a vacuum cleaner into a room can prompt!
So no stitching to show off this week, there's not even a clean sewing room to show off, but at least I've made a start on making it better. Linking up with the Monday Design Wall.
16 comments:
I went through books and patterns earlier this year and was amazed I reduced my stash of those by half! and I still find I do not miss one of them.
Sometimes you just have to do that kind of thing. Hope you're feeling "lighter" already! Have a great week, Kate!
Patterns printed from the internet or torn from magazines are the bane of my existence. Mine pile up on the five or six binders already on the shelf. A while back, I made myself remove one pattern for each new one when I went through the binders to file them. At least I’m not accumulating any new binders. I used to accumulate recipes too, but now my Paprika app will download them directly from the internet, and so there’s almost never any that have to be typed in. Still, I can see that the app is going to get just as full of untested recipes (categorized as “untested”) until it becomes just as unworkable as my previous system. Why do we insist on doing this to ourselves? Maybe I’ll start deleting a recipe for every new one downloaded. Maybe you didn’t get your quilt prepped, but it still looks like you accomplished quite a bit.
Nice job, Kate!! I should SEW follow your example. Actually, when I went into the studio on Sunday night, I put away several bags of scraps that had been waiting for processing. It felt good to see a bit of the cutting table! :o))
I can so relate to this. Looks like you had some really productive time in your quilt room, even if you weren't prepping that quilt top. Funny, I was just looking through my basket of quilt patterns yesterday and thinking I should really start making some of the patterns, or get rid of them. Pat yourself on the back -- you had a good, productive weekend!
I have a PILE of books that I store under the couch in our RV (because there's absolutely NO room for them in the Nook). I only saved the ones (from a considerable collection, mind you) that I *really* wanted -- but because they're under the couch, I never use them (because I forget about them). I need to go through them again. *sigh* And I quit buying magazines because I hate throwing away something I paid money for ... and I just do not have the space! So kudos to you and I know in the end, it will have been time VERY well spent -- and may increase your stitching time next week, just because of the decrease in clutter!! :)
That's awesome! I'm working my way thru my house de-cluttering. Just a few place left to do! I also want to organize my patterns from the web like you! I'm repurposing some of my daughter's notebooks from high school she no longer wants...
I need to do that in a big way in the sewing room also... I keep procrastinating it because I have limited sewing time and I NEED to sew! But one day something's going to have to be done about it/me!! LOL
Must be something in the air...I'm decluttering my studio right now, too. It's always a bigger mess for a while during the process, but worth it in the end to have a more open work space. Good luck, keep purging!
I am pretty good at ignoring the lint bunnies, but like you, I clean meticulously around my longarm before loading a quilt. Threads can stick to batting as well, and need to be pulled out on my floor to be cut. I tell people it has to be clean as an operating room for a white quilt!
It's good to clean and destash whenever possible. You are so right--our tastes Do change. And kudos to you for getting magazines to the library where they can be enjoyed by others. I may check with our local branch and follow your example. Better than aging out and collecting dust here.
I find myself doing the same thing from time to time - I count it as “sewing time” since it is helping me think about which patterns I may want to work on, often includes putting away fabric, and makes me feel really accomplished at the end! Crazy what one darn vacuum cleaner can do, isn’t it?
Isn’t it amazing how much things can pile up? I spent quite a while tidying yesterday, and it’s only been two weeks since I’ve been busy down there!
Every now and then we all must tidy up. I have been sorting my fabric room lately. Only a small bit at a time. Kudos to the vacuum cleaner :-)
Looks like a great accomplishment! I have such trouble cleaning up my sewing space because I'd always rather be sewing in there!
Argh— I know exactly what you are going through. I had a pile of pages, plastic sheets and binders just like that. I hope you have better luck taming the paper than I do. I recently went through some binders searching for pattern. Never found the pattern but got rid of a bunch of the stuff. Hopefully you’ll keep at this but also schedule sewing time. I’m like Emily — I’d rather sew. Keep up the great work.
Oh it feels so good tho right? I find it so easy to make messes... ha ha
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