Every day I spend time in the sewing room . . most days it’s sitting and knitting with Boots but on the rare occasions when I sit and sew, I keep asking myself . . why don’t you want to do this any more? Maybe it’s because my sewing room has become a dumping ground. The big, heavy sofa is now in the sewing room. The big, heavy work bench I bought to use in MO, when my sewing room didn’t have room for my big cutting table . . it’s now in here AND the big cutting table is in here. The breakfast room table and 4 chairs have ended up in here. And that’s just the extra furniture! The canned food is supposed to go in the closet but Boots runs in the closet and gets on the highest shelf and comes down when he’s ready . . so the jars of food have been stacked on the floor. Plain and simple .. it’s a mess!
I decided to work on getting rid of the things I can get rid of . . like finishing quilts and giving them to whomever wants them. I got Addie’s little quilt done and will take that to her on my next trip.
Next was these quilts that still have me wondering what I was thinking.
My sewing pretty much is plain jane patchwork quilting. I sometimes plan to make clothes for Addie or various bags but I never make anything but plain quilts. But, in 2010, I went to a quilt retreat in Shipshewana, IN and someone must have twisted my arm or there may have been wine involved but I bought kits to make heavy, fuzzy quilts and I cannot figure out why I did that.
Quilt #1 – At least it was pieced and the “quilting” was done when it was pieced. Today I started binding it and before this day is over, the binding is going to be done.
Brown Furry Quilt
Quilt #2 – I think this one is bigger than the brown one. Honestly, I hardly remember working on these but I do know I did it while we were in MO.
Green Furry Quilt
Quilt #3 – This really can’t be considered a quilt yet!
Another Furry Quilt
Up on top of the batting, behind the powerade bottles . . another kit. I have no idea what color it is. I tried getting it down but it fell behind the batting and I’m going to have to get the step stool to get it down or . . out of sight, out of mind!
The sad truth is that I think there may be a fourth one somewhere. I hope I never find it.
The quilts are so heavy . . you could sleep outside on the coldest winter night and with this, you’d be sweating! There’s no place for these in Texas . . that’s for sure. Nicole said she would take them so I’m taking the first two to her when I go to MO next. If she doesn’t want them . . she can figure out what to do with them. I’ll be happy to have them out of my sewing room!
Libby in TN says
A messy environment can bog you down quicker than you think. Don’t ask me how I know …..
Sherrill says
I’ve found several kits I’ve purchased and forgotten about..given one or two away, if I make any of the others they’ll be donations. That’s pretty much all I’m doing anymore. Pillowcases, quilts, little dresses..all using up the stash and being given away. I just shipped a top and 2 pillowcases plus 3 lg pieces of fabric to CO for a donation. Need to get rid of stuff!
MarilynS says
You have to convince Vince that it is time for a yard sale (are they big there around Labor Day). He must have old stuff he could sell, and it sounds as if you have furniture you could sell as well. I am married to a man who cannot part with old used parts or anything. You should see our garage. We inherited old cheap bedroom furniture. Married 50 years and have never had a decent bedroom set. But we do have 2 50″ TV’s, he loves his tv and I rarely watch it (I enjoy the country music award shows and documentaries, but that is it) – he controls the remote and I could care less. You can see what is important to him. I used to knit when I lived in the San Francisco area but now living in Palm Springs, I rarely need a sweater, coat or wrap. I no longer knit. I still love to quilt and do needlepoint.
I love to toss stuff, give it away. But, living with a pack rat can be difficult at times. Guess it is his only flaw so I have learned to live with it!
glen in louisiana says
LOL. I think we all have some “what was I thinking?” quilts!
Jeanne says
Will decluttering be enough to make you feel like getting back to quilting, or are you just moved on to another phase? I’m taking a hard look at how I intend to spend my time in the coming year …
Diana G says
LOL I know that feeling .. I am in the process of cleaning up my sewing room. The stuff from the various clubs are in there, the old kitchen stove, Hubs Gold panning equipment is in there. All my yarn, materials etc is in there. All 5 machines plus one serger .. LOL one cutting table one sewing table and one computer table that I use when I have others over sewing.
I spend 4 hours a day and will get it done this week, this I solemnly swear !! LOL I have to granddaughters are in school and want clothes !! LOL
Wendy says
I can totally sympathize. My sewing room has become a dumping ground as well. I’ve started trying to reclaim it. I’m sure the sewing room is in shock as I’ve been in there everyday for the last five days. Feels good to be in there – doing some quilting again.
Donna says
Clutter can steal your joy and getting rid of stuff you’ll never use again can make a difference. I got that way with fabric so I had a yard sale and got rid of 45 boxes of fabric. Now I can see what I have and enjoy being in my sewing room again. Your sewing room is so nice it’s a shame you don’t feel productive in there again. Seems like you haven’t sewn much at all since Boots took over your room. I know you can have ‘too much help’ because I have a cat too and sometimes it’s easier to not sew than fight with him. I sure hope you get your passion back because I miss you pretty quilts. I bet your longarm misses you too!
Karen Sutton says
I was in Shipshewana for that quilt retreat – and I also purchased a couple of those cuddly kits. I made two of them for two of my grandchildren and they love them. I got the lap quilt size and they use them all the time. Of course Colorado has a better climate for those warm quilts! If you ever find the other two let me know – I may be interested in buying them from you if you want to unload them.
Donna in KS says
I was in Shipshewana at that retreat also. I know many of those cuddle kits were purchased by that group. I was surprised that you got several. Of course, you weren’t living in warm TX then but it didn’t seem like the kind of quilting that you had always done anyway! I don’t care for the stuff but there are a LOT of quilters who use it and like it. I do like the green and brown colors. A sewing room is just like a kitchen….if you do anything you have to clean up too. At least what one makes in the sewing room lasts longer!!
Diane in CA says
At least you have a sewing room for your stuff.. my mess is in the dining room..
Wonder what would happen if Boots had a play date with Rita in the house..?
Nann says
I read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” the bestseller by Marie Kondo. I fussed about the book — I dislike archly clever presentations — but the underlying principle has stuck with me. Maybe I’d already internalized the underlying principle and the book just confirmed that. The idea is to evaluate what you have and determine if it is truly useful and/or if it gives you joy. So whereas part of me says, “A place for everything and the more things in the place, the better,” as long as the “more things” do give joy, that’s okay.
Though I have learned never to say never when it comes to quilts, so far I have resisted buying kits. I like to make my version of a design, whether I follow the fabric genre or colorway closely or whether I stray far from the original.
Linda says
I think two earlier posters were right when they suggested you have a yard sale, or some how get rid of the extra furniture that is spoiling the sewing
room for you. The second one is telling: the writer refers to when boots took over your studio. Think about that. Maybe Boots needs some rules, just like children do. It is your studio after all, and you need to do what is necessary so it brings you joy and pleasure again.
marcie says
So glad to see sewing progress again, as that was how my daughter connected me to your blog. That same daughter is feeling overwhelmed by her stash, so her current focus is to use up and pass on fleece projects. That will feel good to her to have projects done and space found. I’m picking away with some hand quilting on a whole-cloth baby quilt, and finishing some machine-pieced, hand-tied quilts for Project Linus that I made with my two daughters on our annual faily quilting weekend.
Denise ~ justquiltin says
Oh I have some purchases like that from quilt retreats. I think it’s all that quilty giddiness in the air of spending time with other quilting enablers that made me buy things that when I got home I thought… hmmm.. and just why couldn’t I live without that??? LOL
Jennifer in Indy says
I remember when you bought thoseddodlebugs! I thought it was just three kits and I remember you not enjoying the fabric when you made the first one! Always good to be able to move something out – maybe Nicole would like the practice sewing on snuggle fabric and you could send her the third kit 😉