After getting the rose top finished, the backing washed and ready, I looked at my sewing room. Though I had ironed and stacked the pile of fabric, the room is still a total disaster. Why did I stack the fabric instead of putting it on the shelves? Because there’s still no room on the shelves! It’s beyond ridiculous! I noticed this picture from a while back on my memory stick.
Even though the fabric is folded much more neatly now, the shelves are just as full. I’m spinning my wheels. I’ll never get this sewing room clean. I’ll never use this fabric. I’ll never buy more fabric! I’m feeling a bit desperate. Maybe there should be a show for Desperate Quilters!
Despite not being dressed for public viewing (at least I didn’t have on the Wicked Witch or the Cow T-shirt), because I thought I was going to quilt in the basement til about 10, I knew I had to ran to Wal-Mart for storage containers. I looked at myself and I looked at the clock . . surely at 6:50 a.m. I could get in there and out without seeing anyone I know. Sure enough . . in and out of Wal-Mart, home before 7:30 with my storage containers.
Four smaller containers and four larger containers. Projects (UFO’s) will go into these containers. The sad thing is I’d already bought some containers and can’t find them. Vince cleaned in his office the last few weekends and I’m thinking maybe he used them. Maybe not but how could I lose 8 or 10 plastic buckets? Don’t answer that!
Those nice storage containers are $3.50 at Wal-Mart. The big ones and the little ones — $3.50. Makes no sense to me. I’ll probably be back to Wal-Mart before the day is over to get more of them.
There’s just too much stuff in this room! No one to blame but me!
Susan Fields says
Ahhh………. Walmart……….. Thank you Judy for that information.
Should we ever live in NC it will be close to a Walmart. Here I have to drive for an hour to get to one……….. Needless to say we don’t go to often.
I had debated about getting rid of some plastic drawer units I had that were not working as well as I had hoped.
If I can get those nifty boxes or something like them at Wally World I will give away the ones I have here instead of moving them.
Get that room organized………..
I can understand Speck guarding your next project but…
Why do you have canned goods stored beside your design wall? And that spool of CD’s…….. Probably blank…. Shouldn’t they be with your CD player or how about a designated spot for that type of product………….
Liz says
Yes… you will need to go back to Wal-mart for more containers. Just get plenty if you want everything to be in like containers. The manufacturers do have a tendency to change size, stackability, colors so when you need a few more, you cannot get them. I started with baskets and those are being reused – but not for fabric anymore.
I used the containers to put like similar fabric together, not just my WIPs. So, there is a container for Christmas, Halloween, florals, hand dyed, plaids, large prints, etc. That way, my open shelf space is just the more tone-on-tone fabrics. That also helped me find fabrics for stashbusting.
I always have extra large containers (56 gal size) to help me sort through stuff – I am working on clothes right now.
Good luck on cleaning up…..
swooze says
Do you ever look for your oldest piece of stash and try to use that up or other similar games? You really make some lovely quilts and I am sure it is because of that well stocked stash. Just out of curiosity do you pantry bust too?
blop says
My friends and I are all going thru the same thing. We decided to have a quilting sale in Oct….to get rid of stuff we don’t want, use or need. Time to move it to someone else. All those UFO’s can go to another home.
I liked it when Red Geranium moved, she sold stacks of bundles on her blog, it lightened her load and made someone else very happy.
Annie says
I had shelves just like those when my stash first started to grow, but I found that even thou they appeared to hold a lot, they just took up too much space.
I replaced my wire shelving with the cheapo book cases from Walmart – I think they were like $29 or $39 each. I found that the bookcases cut down on wasted space, looked more organized and I could store just as much on these as I did on my big, bulky wire sheves (which were moved to the garage to be used there).
And you gotta love Wally World ……. what would we do without it. I’m just glad that it’s 75 miles away – cuts down on my buying!!!
Robin says
How about sending some fabric to all of your readers 🙂 – that would make a dent in it!!! LOL!! And as much as I complain about Wally World- I seem to spend an awful lot of time ( and money) there.
Sandy says
Dressed but not for public viewing….just love the way you talk, Judy. I can totally relate to that. Hoping to sneak to the store and nobody I know seeing me when the hair/clothes/makeup isn’t quite right, lol.
My sewing room is a disaster. I felt like I had to crawl into a “hole” to sew. I had so many rubbermaid tubs full of fabric………so, I hauled some upstairs to the spare bedroom/junk room and now I have been able to get a few things done.
My hubby thinks we should own stock in Rubbermaid. You should see his garage though. Enough said!
Linda says
I love looking at your shelves of colorful fabric……….someone on this good earth has more fabric than I do!!! LOL It’s a harmless vice and we might as well enjoy it. Buying it, playing with it, rearranging it, planning quilts to make……..it all keeps us off the streets and out of the bars. We’ll just enjoy it and when we’re dead our kids can figure out what to do with it. LOL
Ah, Wal-Mart, the place we all love to hate. What would we do without it? The darn stores are so huge it wears a body out just trucking from one end to the other finding everything you need, but on the other hand, you can get almost everything you need in the one place.
Karen L says
Well Judy…….if the first lady of the United States of America can wear shorts to the Grand Canyon while on vacation….I think you can wear what ever you want to Walmart………And containers……..I love them………helps keep me organized, plus it makes the stuff look important to stashed in a container instead of strewn about.
Karen L
Melinda says
You know, if you ever need to give your fabric a new home, I’ve got a few shelves it could live on. 🙂 Just trying to help, ya know. 😉
Hugs,
Melinda
Diane says
Maybe this will make you feel better…at least you don’t have to move in a month!! 🙂 and be moving from a big room with lots of closet space to a smaller room with NO CLOSET. 🙁
I am smiling because I really think we will love this house, but I do dread trying to move my sewing room and make it fit in a smaller space. And I don’t have to go back to sewing in the kitchen! 🙂 I do know the feeling about using fabric non stop and not seeing a dent in the shelves. In the past month I have made 7 Linus quilts and you can’t tell I even made one. I really think there is something funny going on in that closet after I leave the room. I am thinking of putting a video camera in there.
Elaine Adair says
Fabric space is like the kitchen counter. The more you have, and more you fill it up. That’s one of those laws of Nature. 8-))
Pat says
I have some of those same containers and love them. Wonder if my Walmart is selling both sizes for the same price right now, too?
bettina says
why dont you have a contest for something and the prize can be some of your yardage or sell some on ebay that would give you little bits of room or have a quilting bee at your house with friends only to use your stash
Lydia says
Well, your fabric seems a whole lot better organized than mine! But I usually can find something in my stash when I need a particular color for a border or to pull things together or whatever, and that’s why I have a stash in the first place — so when I’m sewing I don’t have to stop and go shopping, especially since I mostly sew late in the evening when stores are closed. Even with that aside, though, if I stopped to go buy something, I wouldn’t get back to my sewing when I got home, I’d get sidetracked by something else.
It really does look to me like somewhere in all that stuff under Speck is the missing star block 😉
Judy D says
I love looking at your stash picture. 😉
You have great fabric. Stop picking on yourself!
Vicky says
I call organizing into tubs just “moving mass.” At least at my house that’s what it is! I keep buying more tubs! LOL
Just keep plugging away at it, and you’ll get it organized! You can do it! xo
Kathy Wagner says
Oh Judy You are so funny! You had me laughing!
It’s a chronic condition and we just have to get used to it!
Hopeless.
Incurable.
Delightful.
Mary says
I love those and just bought a couple more at Joann’s. Your bins are probably like mine — too buried under other stuff to see.
pdudgeon says
maybe you just need a part time assistant to get in there a couple of days a week to do the pressing and folding and organizing for you.
Just think of all the guilt and worry that would be gone from your shoulders, and all that extra fun time you would have to do more creative things!
Diann Smith says
Creative mind at work..so mess is welcome. Also noticed that you have some award ribbons.
I love WM. One night having insomnia I got up, dressed, and went to WM in the middle of the night. Shopped. Came home and got back in bed w/ sleeping hubby and he never knew a thing!!
In fact I am going there today for Wonder Under.
ruth anne shorter says
I love this! We all so relate to you Judy. I love this blog.