Minimising the Sewing Room

And I really thought I could do this in just a few weeks!!

My sewing room has been in need of some serious attention for years. Somehow, there's always been something more pressing to attend to. There were times I purchased the same item 2 or 3 times because I forget I already had some...or more often, couldn't find where the existing supply or item actually was. Then there came the time when my shelves couldn't take any more, then came the time when I found it hard to really do anything too productive because I had to dig myself into and out of areas. And it doesn't matter how large the space is, it seems I can always fill it...and have mobile sewing stations set up around the house as well. I really dislike the word 'minimising' because it always sounds to me of getting rid of things when you don't want to. And I do want to. This isn't about going without. It's about having the best use of what I already own.

The problem with going through all my stuff is that I keep finding interesting things!

I realised that I had too much stuff. The problem is, it's all useful. And it's all served a purpose. But, like a lot of things, I reached a point where I had to minimise. I want to go back to essential items and plenty of space. The fact is, although I have so many useful tools and time saving devices (such as specialty rulers), I always do things the same way and mostly use a small handful of the same things over and over. So who am I saving all these items for?? I was holding a lot of stuff for my DDs...but they've proven over and over that they're perfectly capable of buying things themselves. So I've decided to let a lot of unused items go to good homes. And I'm minimising to maximise my quilting time.

I've let go of literally hundreds of magazines which has given me so much space. Since blogging came along I don't buy magazines regularly anymore and I'll be holding onto just a shelf or two of essential quilting and inspiration books. Over the next 2 weeks I will be unpacking my fabrics and downsizing The Stash.

I'm really excited about my new neat shelves. Well, they will be neat. Soon.

When I started my clear out before Christmas, I really thought I could get it done before New Years. Ha! My fabrics are still boxed up. My Wips are still bagged up. It's just something that can't be rushed. I don't want a single unnecessary thing cluttering my space. I've sorted, boxed and moved everything out of my sewing space. I've re-positioned the shelves back to back, library like, to maximise room. I'm going through everything to have only the things I really need around me. I have so many projects I want to see completed over the next year or two, and this will be a real pick up in my working pace. I don't want to do it amongst clutter and disorganisation.

I really miss having my own sewing room to retreat to. I've started sketching over my shopping lists because I can't the box with all my journals. I've already started designing new quilt elements, so I'm going to need my new improved sewing space very soon; I'm going to have to just get on with it, no matter how long it takes! 

Time for January

 I feel like I've only been off my computer for a few days,

 time really flies when I'm offline...

 What a beautiful suprise; I came home to find pink Hybiscus flowering

 which reminds me I need to spend some time in the garden 

 

 for some dead heading!

 

 I've been somewhat pre-occupied with 

Christmas Eve, Christmas,

 Boxing Day,

 a DD Birthday,

a quick get-away

and several times I tried to post my Christmas recipes and goings on, but couldn't upload images to blogger and could not work out why or what was going on. Well, now I have just found out that it's a major blogger problem that google are working out and I could have posted all along if I'd known to open my browser in Firefox, which is what I'm doing now as I am still having this difficulty with Google.

And it occurs to me, that technology is moving so fast, that whever I think I can just about manage it, it decides to upgrade and I'm left having to learn something new again and I find I'm wasting so much time on what should be really simple stuff.

I'd rather be quilting!

 It's time to get stuck into some WIPs (this is the plan) and try to hold off starting anything new (although I have some great ideas I feel should really get underway too) so I'll have to decide how to spend my quilting time, just as soon as I've caught up on my emails, below...

I need a full time secretary!

Christmas 2012 Linky Party



12 Days of Christmas Quilt Wall hanging

I'm yet to finish quilting mine, but it's coming out today anyhow!



Festive Season Linky Party

Each year as blogs wind down and thoughts turn to Christmas, I think of all the blogs I enjoy reading and the people I've come to know through blogging and I wonder what you're all doing at this time of year. I love WOW's during the year and thought an extended Christmas WOW would be so nice, a kind of virtual Christmas card where we can visit each other with a cup of coffee in hand..

So this year, why not link your own Christmas WIPs, recipes, patterns, plans or traditions anytime this month in the lead up to Christmas. I'd love to know how you're celebrating Christmas. I've started off by adding my most popular Christmas project (the crochet wreath) and my most requested recipe...but I'll probably add more as the month rolls on!


 

Carnation & Daffodil

Forget Me Not: Part 11 is launched

Carnation & Daffodil

It's just that time of year already, and I know we've all got so much on this time of year, so

I've  decided to release the December 15th pattern early.

Here it is: this month we move down to size "A" which is the smallest block in the quilt.

This is the December 15th block

The next block will be released on January 15th, 2013

 

These are blocks from Part 11

of my free 2012 Mystery BOM Forget Me Not

 

Yes, anyone can join in:

You can download this month's block via my website or my Yahoo Bom Group

WOW: Chaos? What chaos?

WOW = WIPs On Wednesday



Patterns, patterns, patterns



What was I thinking when I decided to have a pre-Christmas sewing spring clean?

A few weeks ago my shelves toppled over. That was the jolt I needed to get my things in order! I'm at the worst part of it today - that stage where everything looks worse than it did before I started and the satisfying tidy finish looks weeks away. Of course with Christmas weeks away, my newly organised sewing room can't be weeks away, it has to be days away. So I'm up early, not because I'm excited about a new project...but because I can't finish any projects in my current sewing area, there's just no room to move.

I don't think I could live long enough to actually make all the designs, sketches and pattern ideas I've created...so it's time to prioritise. There are literally hundreds. Each new page is a dilemna: I love the idea or sketch, but realistically, will I make it?

All my beautiful books and my practical books are bagged and moved out of my room. I have to decide what to keep and what to let go of...if I can.

These are not my shelved and bagged magazines - that's a whole other shelf hiding in the spare room...and I havent even planned to take that on yet. I don't know what I'll do with those, there are so many and I can't face sorting them out. Maybe with a tidy sewing room I'll find the motivation.

Here are my archive boxes. I have 60 to put together. I've only made 20 so far. I am packing all my fabric up, according to colour and shelf life and once my room is sorted and my shelves are sturdy and in position, I will re-think my fabric mountain. As I handle the fabric that goes into boxes so far, I keep falling in love with them all over again, so I dont know if I'll be able to minimise. I keep coming across old WIPs that I'm keen to finish too. I can't wait to be organised and actually get some sewing done in my sewing room!

Archive boxes are relatively small, however I decided that I wanted a box I could actually manage on my own. I have made the mistake of storing fabric and other items in plastic stacking boxes that are just too heavy to move around - which is really of no use to me. So I have quite a few boxes, but I can actually use them and I find the side handle gaps useful too. 

With December just a few days away, I have decided that I will launch the 'December 15th' installment of Forget Me Not early so that those of you who are making it can organise yourselves more easily over this festive period. I know some of you are going away and have asked me to email you the pattern on release so that you don't miss it, but instead I think that I'll actually release it early for everyone. I know how hectic this time of year is in my household and it's just one less thing to think about in December!

This is the last WIP before festivities begin!

What are you making? Thinking of making? Finishing up?

The Bleeding Hearts Myth



Bleeding Heart & Daisy
a block from Part 10 of my Mystery BOM Forget Me Not
I have loved Bleeding Hearts for so long and couldn't wait to incorporate them into a block
Now I know there's a myth that goes along with them, it's even more charming!

It's not everyday that you hear something new

I love flowers and know of so many wives tales and flower language facts and historic allergories, but I didn't know about this one - and it's so charming I had to share it! Many thanks to Bunny who sent on this link to share it with me. She is making Forget Me Not (beautifully, I'll add) and I'm so glad she thought of passing this link on to me.

Click here. This link will take you to another blog "Tales from the Hollow Tree" which features the Bleeding Hearts myth post.

WOW: Momentary Domesticity

WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays

I've been really busy this morning, fussing over the next Mystery block. I can't share any of those images with you yet, so I thought I'd show off my latest kitchen gadget. Frankly, it's not too often that I'm stirred to talk about domestic chores; I'd rather be quilting! All I'm going to say about saucepans is that I've had them all, I've ruined most of them - one way or another- and I couldn't be less interested in shopping for new ones.

That's not oil, it's pure toffee, and it's gliding out of the pan.

 So I decided that my DD could source the 'new saucepan'... and she had a Flavorstone brand one delivered. Now, I'd never heard of this brand (which worried me) and it's bright blue (which also worried me) and it's seriously non - stick (which terrified me). After many hours of google-ing non stick cookware and conspiracy theories regarding non- stick surfaces, I simply decided to send the whole thing back. I hadn't even used it and it was already causing me too much hassle. I do wonder if I'm the only person who obsesses about these things? But it really worried me and I didn't want to cook in it.



the colour still bothers me
but I can't complain about its performance

To cut a long story short, I read up about my current stainless steel imported European cookware that I've been using for the last 20 years and apparently even that's not 100% safe... so I decided that, on balance, and given the temperatures in question, I was worrying too much about it and decided to just cook something.

After all the money we've spent on 'state of the art' saucepans from Denmark, Sweden, Germany and the USA, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that this is the best saucepan I've ever had! It is truly non-stick and cooks beautifully. I've cooked so many meals - slow cooking, braising, browning, warming up - all without a speck of oil and am impressed with how nicely the food browns and caramelises. The biggest test was when my DD made creme caramel and the usual stuck sugar mess was replaced with gliding sugar that was wiped out of the pan.

I can't believe I'm actually talking about saucepans (?!), but I have mentioned it abit just lately and have promised a few people that I'd blog it as I have been calling this brand by a wrong name, so anyway, here it is.  I doubt any other kitchen object will be able to excite me quite so much...which, looking at my WIP pile, is probably a good thing!