Shhhh! Don’t say it too loud but my desire to sew might be returning! I’ve thought this before and it didn’t last so I’m not getting my hopes up. One deterrent for me is all the clutter and junk in the sewing room so this weekend I’ve been cleaning. I have a very long way to go but the cutting table is clean and around the sewing machine is clean.
Sewing Table
The floor is vacuumed. The slip cover on the sofa is washed, dried and back on the sofa. I took about 4 bags of trash.
Boots
Every time I open either the fabric closet door or the quilt closet door, Boots makes a dash to get where he surely knows I don’t want him to be. The sewing room may be full of cat hair but I don’t want it on my fabric.
There’s just too much stuff. The sewing room has become a dumping ground. The sofa that doesn’t fit in the house needs to go but it’s a fairly comfortable sleeper and who knows . . we might need it some day. The 3 year old recliner that I don’t like . . it needs to go. I didn’t like it in the house and I don’t like it any better in the sewing room. The breakfast room table and four chairs that I love doesn’t fit in the house . . that doesn’t need to be in the sewing room but surely some day I’ll have a breakfast room again. I told Vince that 10 things have to go every week. If we don’t use 10 things out of the sewing room, then something gets donated or trashed. One thing can be a jar of jelly or it can be a tub of yarn but a lot of stuff has to go out of the sewing room.
Mobile
This surely should go but when I picked it up, it started playing . . how can I get rid of this part of the mobile from when Chad was a baby . . 29 years ago?
Maybe the first thing I should take out of the sewing room is this book . . take it to the house and read it cover to cover . . several times!
House Works
Linda in NE says
It’s so easy for a sewing room or a basement to become a dumping ground. My biggest stumbling block to getting rid of stuff is my husband. He always thinks you need to keep everything because “you might need it someday”. I can bag up and box up so much of “my” stuff and donate it or throw it away, but he actually checks the trash to make sure I’m not getting rid of any of his valuable junk.
You can usually donate fabric you don’t want any more to church groups that make quilts for charity or missions. There is usually someone who knits or crochets hats or something for charity that would love leftover yarn. People who find stuff like that in thrift stores are thrilled. Furniture you don’t want could be sold over the Facebook sale groups or Craigslist. There is always someone who needs what you don’t want or need any more.
And yes, it’s hard to get over that “I might need it someday” set of mind, but you have to or become a hoarder. Our stuff stifles us! Or at least mine does. Good luck clearing stuff out.
Dottie says
You’ve made GREAT progress!!!
Myra @ Busy Hands Quilts says
This could be due to your change in eating habits, feeling lighter, more energetic, and lighting the creative juices again! As we clean out our body, it’s natural that we extend that to clean out our homes and other areas of our lives. It’s a very exciting time! And then there will be days when you crash and feel like you’re sliding backwards again. Keep going! I’m excited to read about your journey.
Rosalie says
For those things that you just can’t get rid of, consider taking a picture and keeping the digital picture as your reminder (like the piece from the mobile)…it usually isn’t “the thing”, it is the memory that “the thing” triggers.
(I should follow my own advice!)
dezertsuz says
Give the piece of the mobile to Chad. =) Lovely to see your progress here. I’ve been thinking about crocheting again, or learning to knit – if it’s even possible. LOL Never successful in the past. So if I lived next door and you got rid of a tote of yarn in my direction, we’d both be moving on. Enjoy the Great Cleanout!
Joyce says
When I was clearing out my parents’ house, my Dad reminded me (more than once) that it’s just stuff. That became my mantra when I had a hard time letting go of something. Of course when it’s MY stuff, that mantra is a lot harder… 🙂 I read something once on the subject of getting rid of things: if you had a fire, is this something you would replace? If not, you are good to let it go. That definitely doesn’t work for sentimental items, since in most cases it isn’t something you actually could replace.I need to get back to my clean-up/clean-out. My goal is to get rid of one item per day. I think I’m a little behind right now, but really only by a few days.
Karen Hartley says
Your have undertaken a major task, but it is well worth it. I cleaned and reorganized my sewing room a couple of months ago. My room is not as large as yours and it took 3 weeks, while working. I was able to completely empty my room and rearrange my workstations. I filled the large trash bin at least 4 times, the large recycle bin 6 times and donated at least 20 medium size boxes. I couldn’t believe how much stuff I had crammed into this room. I was ruthless in my purging. I kept only the things I really like and want to do. I found things I had forgotten. Some of the things I found were “what was I thinking” stuff. I no longer wanted to do it or even liked it. I love every thing I kept and know it will be used. I have at least 40 kits, 35 WIPs, 3 shelves of precuts and a closet full of yardage. I also have a closet full of yarn for knitting. I too had lost my enthusiasm for quilting, but it has been found. My problem now is doing too many things at once. I know I will get overwhelmed so am limiting to two projects at a time. Getting my workspace organized feels so good. I have my kits and WIPS neatly organized where I can see them and look forward to starting or completing my next project