My Space...

I am, by nature, not very neat.  Fairly messy, in fact.  I have a bad habit of not putting things back where they belong when I'm done with them.  Therefore, things pile up.  Quickly.  And, sometimes way beyond control.  My sister really dislikes this part of me.  So.  I try to keep things picked up.  At least in the common areas of the house.  


edited to add:  I am, however, very particular about many things...where I want things, how I want them done...especially with my sewing and the work I do at my job.

My sewing room is another matter entirely.  When I am working on a project...said project is everywhere!  Every.  Where.  And, I don't put scraps and pieces of fabric away when I finish a project...usually I am excited about starting the next one...so I just keep going...making mess after mess after mess.  My sewing room is small...about 10x10.  So there's not really much room to be messy. 

But, you know...sometimes too much is too much even for me.  Yes, indeed.  So.  My major to-do this past weekend was to straighten up and clean my sewing room.  I didn't take 'before' photos...but here are a few 'after' photos.  (There is no photo of my closet...where I have two shelf units mostly full.  Odds and ends, more books/magazines, office and mailing supplies, plus a few works in progress.)

Here is a nicely arranged shelf unit...

top shelf:  headless dolls and sheepie.  Okay, not really headless...just didn't include the heads in that photo. 

2nd shelf:  batting remnants in basket.  Black recipe box containing rug hooking hooks and scissors.  Quilting thread and journals and Kona cotton color card. 

3rd shelf:  patterns I have yet to use in basket.  Fabric covered boxes containing leftover bits of bindings (in the two smaller ones).  Embroidery floss and perle cotton in the large one.  Two spools of quilting thread sitting on top of them.  Also sitting on them is a round container with a needle-punched top for buttons.  Just a few of the quilting books and magazines in my possession. 

4th shelf:  Snow Days fabric and stitchery stuff.  Rolled up needlepoint canvas which was started almost 40 years ago by me Mum...I will finish it soon.  Basket with orange fabrics for hand-pieced quilt I am making.  Container with Poppy and Curio fabric collections and Poppy quilt top. 

5th shelf:  binder with .pdf patterns bought over the years...mostly primitive stuff.  My old sewing machine.

This photo is of my fabric.  (Some of it.  I have a large Rubbermaid tote under my sewing table full of fabric collections for already planned projects.)  Ironing board with fishie towel on it for extra padding cuz I'm too lazy to make a new cover.  Underneath are two enamel pots (previously used for dyeing wool) full of cotton scraps.   

Last, but not least...my sewing table.  Naomi Janome.  Some pieces to finish up sewing.  And, just stuff over there in the corner.  A binder with interesting quilt-related things...and upcoming project instructions.

I do find it difficult to create in a place that is too cluttered.  Difficult to organize my mind when my space is a mess.  Ya know?  However, now that things are cleaned up and put in order, my brain feels lighter...and I am raring to go.  I have a few sewing projects planned before I do anything else quilt-related.  Hope to finish them up quickly.  


But, before I go...here are 2 quiltie things.  

Block 8 - friendship star - for the hand-pieced quiltalong.  Oops...I never did block 7! 

And, I have a photo of my poppy quilt top.  Since it'll be a long while before you see this again, I thought I'd show you what I have.  The quilt top is wider than Julie could hold, so you can't quite see all of it.  There are 6 blocks across and 7 rows.  I think I know what I'll do for the backing...just need to do it and get it quilted.   

Dancing With the Stars starts tonight!  YAY!


Have a great week!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."    Jeremiah 29:11