Inside Outside Upside Down

Does anyone remember that Berenstein Bear book? Inside Outside Upside Down was the title. It perfectly describes what my sewing space feels like right now. But I'm getting ahead of myself, so let's back up a bit.

I've mentioned that I've got a carpenter making some custom storage for me, because I'm convinced that ORGANIZATION needs to be a priority. I can't be organized in the midst of chaos, no matter how valiantly I try. It's impossible.

So with that in mind, what did I do yesterday? Why, I sewed more scraps together.

Actually, I had 5 journals set aside, with the batting cut to make journal covers. They've been in the pile since long before the quilt show. Scraps "to be filed" were in another pile. It was time to combine the two messes and make lemonade. Or journal covers. I finished these yesterday.


I've been moving bins to Adam's room (the true Spare Bedroom), and this is what I've got so far.
The bin on the nightstand holds fruit & veggie fabric. The bin on the top stack is filled with solids. The next bin is primarily filled with leftover blocks. Next in the stack is a bin that I call "jungle/Africa prints." What it really holds are things that look like grassland or savannah. Next is a bin of novelty and children's prints. The bottom container is full of tropical prints. The cardboard box in front holds extra copies of books and American Quilter magazines that I contributed to.

On the other side of the bed we've got...hmmm. Two pieces of foam sheathing that I use for blocking quilts and photography. On top of the dresser are containers of beads and buttons, my hand quilting thread, a box of applique thread, some business paperwork, and some tubs filled with photographs. The two tallest stacks contain scraps (sorted by color) and small UFO projects.

In front of the dresser we've got a magazine rack with more business paperwork, an empty (!!) quilt rack, more bins holding bigger UFOs (behind the sheathing), and bags holding more photo albums to cover and empty shadow boxes for future "art" quilts. You can't see under the bed, where I've begun to put my friend's stash.

With all of this in here, you would think that I've made progress in the sewing room, right? Wrong. Here is the area that I've cleared. It's a 2 foot space where the quilt rack stood. It had been piled with quilts on top, and stacked with bins underneath. Wow! So much room.

Until you look to the side of it. That's the same closet. sigh. You can just see the edge of my sewing table, with the basket set on the corner. That basket is filled with strips cut for baby quilts. I ran out of Rubbermaid boxes and I refuse to buy more.

Here is the sewing table from the other direction. yeah. It's bad. The quilts that were on the quilt rack are now stacked on the ironing board. Oh wait. There is carpet showing beneath the ironing board. The big bins used to be stacked under there...

Here's the part that's got me most frustrated, yet it is miles better than it was on Monday. Oh look! Is that a Hoffman background piece thrown on top? I think it is. And there's May's Step, abandoned on the director's chair. At least I've progressed to quilting with red thread.

The exciting thing about this photo is the storage unit in the background, filled with fabric. My carpenter is making TWO of these for me. I'll be moving this one to another room, and removing the fabric. I am HOPING that two of these units will be enough to hold my stash. It probably won't be. I still have two cabinets full of fabric in my bedroom. They will probably stay there for the foreseeable future.

But, goals are good, and I keep setting them. Posting this online will probably set tongues a'waggin', but maybe, just maybe, I'll survive this organizational process. And if I do, well, I'll be a poster child for "incorrigible mess-making packrat turned neat nik." yeah. It sounds good, but does anyone believe it? We'll find out in the next couple of months.