Monday, January 02, 2017

Operation: Happy Place!

I have a large sewing room with great potential.  This is the year I turn my "Pit of Despair" into my "Happy Place" and I'm starting now!

My goal is to become unburdened by my fabric stash and projects so that I can create in a space that doesn’t make me feel guilty.  Is that too much to ask?

I often joke that my sewing machines are actually lint producers and that quilts are merely a by-product.  I know that once I start moving things around that I will be viciously attacked by hoards of dust bunnies.  I have armed myself with two tools so that my sinuses will hopefully survive the experience:

1.  A Hand Vacuum
I wanted something light and easy to use.  My house came with a central vacuum system, and that is just too bulky for the tight quarters in my sewing room.  I need to be able to swoop in quickly and attack the dust bunnies as I find them and I hope this will do the trick.

2.  An Air Filter
I want to catch any of the residual dust that flies from the dust bunnies before it can reach my nose.  Remember, I want this sewing room to be a Happy Place, not a Sneezy Place.

I'm going to be more honest in my Operation: Happy Place posts than I usually am.  And by that, I mean I'm showing actual photos of my messy sewing room.  Please don't think badly of me!  In my head I'm neat an organized, but in reality I fall short.

The first thing I want to attack is an area under and around my cutting table.

I have an overflowing basket of scraps (meant to stuff dog beds for the shelter) next to my cutting table:


I have a bag full of batting scraps that will eventually go into those same dog beds:


I also have a huge bin full of crumbs that are occasionally pieced into quilts:


I have made a few fun quilts from this bin.

A string quilt:


This string quilt was a sample from one of my Craftsy Classes.  (Here's a link with a 50% off regular price coupon).

The quilting makes me smile:


Another quilt that grew out of my scrap bin:


The quilting reminds me of bacon:


Mmmmm.... bacon.

I made this quilt mashup from two different books.  The blocks were from 15 Minutes of Play by Victoria Findlay Wolfe and the setting was from Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts by Mary Elizabeth Kinch and Biz Storms

Back to my disaster of a sewing room.  I also have a bunch of other fabric stored under the cutting bin:


I think I have a solution that will make the space under and around my cutting table a happier place.  Check back next week to see the result of my labors!

3 comments:

Crystal_235 said...

Good Luck! I always try to organize my craft space, and at the same time I get ideas for another project and before long its a complete mess again!

Ann D said...

Good luck in your endeavor. I find that in order to get an area neat, all the stuff in that space needs to be relocated temporarily somewhere else. That usually means that instead of one cluttered area, now there are two or more. Even worse, the clean up can span over several days. The thought of tackling this kind of project can be paralyzing. I know, I have had good intentions and then backed away when I tried to straighten up.

I have high hopes for your success.

bookworm said...

I am also working on my sewing room, or the Fabric Disaster Scene. I'm hoping to pick some tips from you and others to get my room into a productive work area! I'll be posting progress photos on my IG account, @kajujean . Good luck , Debbie, and may the force be with you!