You CANNOT judge me!

Some days, I sit down here and wonder where to start. It's not that rocket science is being done at my house, but sometimes, the slow and steady process of getting rid of more stuff just blows my mind. 

So, you are NOT allowed to judge me based on what I'm going to share today. You can talk about me and how crazy I am, but you are not allowed to judge me. What I find entertaining is not what you would find entertaining, and vice versa. 

However, I know what I'm going to do when I'm in the nursing home and can't remember a thing. Give me an iron (although they probably won't allow me to touch a hot one) and some scraps, and I could spend all day pressing and sorting them. 

Then the staff could just mess them up at night and give it to me the next day! That's how easy I am to keep entertained. 

Meanwhile, DH, who had the day off and a couple of hours to kill before golf, was wandering around the house looking for something to do! Good grief!  I should have given him the iron and the scraps. What is he going to do when he retires? He'll be one of those guys still working at 80. 

Here's the back story on what I'm going to share today. In 2016, I decided to sew the 365-Day Challenge quilt by Kathryn Kerr. I wanted to make it in green and beige. I pulled out my scrap bins for the green because you start by making dark blocks. I believe I dumped a shoebox of scraps into a larger container so they would be easier to sort through. At some point, the project was shelved and put in the storage room. 

Then we had a water issue in that room, and this bag of scraps got wet. Now, this is where the judging step comes in. Most of you would likely have tossed that damp bag, but I did not. I threw it in the dryer. You have to remember that I LOVE working with small pieces—it's just therapeutic, and for me, I couldn't care less about making quilts. GASP—did I just say that? 

For me, it's the process. I like the fiddling, cutting, and finding the right piece. I'm not a fan of cutting up huge squares and making a quilt. Yes, I'll make those kinds of quilts, but what I like to do is work with the small bits. It's the pioneer spirit in me. 

The now-dried bag of green scraps got tossed around for several years, and last year, I resurrected this project. But I struggled to make headway. Part of it, I think, was the cluttered state of that bag of scraps. It's just like my office - it was overwhelming, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. 

That bag was on Mount Projects; it's time to deal with it. Not just because it's on that table, but we have a Many Blocks class in two weeks, and I need to have something done. 

The fabric pulled for the 365-day challenge quilt

I had two shoeboxes of beige scraps, which are hard to rifle through when cutting these small blocks. So I emptied one of those blue bins in the office. 

Before I could use the blue bin, it was filled with paper crap. So, I spread all the paperwork on a table while we had Monday Sewing. I managed to get rid of a good part of the paper. Most of it went into the recycling, and a bit of it went back into a drawer so I could deal with it another day. 

Sorting paper

Then I emptied a beige shoe box and put it into the blue bin. 

Now, the fabric is easier to find

The second box of beige went back on the shelf. 

I had already been using a blue bin for the green scraps and added the green scraps that I found in the blue bag last week. They are all nicely pressed and ready to go. 

My two bins of fabric ready to cut

I must say that it looks a whole lot more inviting than what I was working with. The digital cutter work table makes an excellent temporary home for those bins while I'm pressing. 

OH -- I've now added the blocks I've made and the instructions to the mix. I must keep it all together. The shoebox on the left is where I'm putting the scraps as they are pressed. I have one more empty shoebox for the remainder of the green scraps. 

Getting the project organized

And YES - there are still unpressed green scraps. That's what the pile looked like when I dumped it out of the bag when I started yesterday. 

A mess of green scraps

I had some time last night, so I pressed and sorted. The larger pieces went into the blue bin, where they can be used for the 365-challenge quilt, and the smaller bits or multi-colored greens went into the shoebox. 

It will take some time to go through that mess, but here's where most of us differ. I'm NOT pressed for time. I enjoy that process and will use the scraps when I'm done. I do NOT need to be making another quilt. This process is what quilting is all about to me, so I'm happy to do it. 

Since I knew it would take a while, I couldn't leave that huge mess on the ironing board, so this morning, I found a container to corral the scraps in. I'll leave it by the ironing board and spend some time each day pressing the scraps. 

The mess is now contained

Oh my—the next time DH wanders around the house with nothing to do, I know exactly what I will give him. He can set up an ironing board in front of the TV and press to his heart's content! 

Even after removing that bag and a shoebox of fabric from Mount Projects, it doesn't look like I've made a dent in this table, but that's OK. It's not bothering anyone; I don't even notice it. I know where the stuff is when I need it, and hopefully, one day, I can put the table away! 

Mount Projects

This sign greeted me as I walked up the stairs to my spin class. It was an advertisement for HOKA running shoes. YES—I LOVE them! 

HOKA running shoes

It was time for me to dig out my new HOKAs to break them in before I continue walking the Camino. I bought the same color I had previously, and well, let's hope all will be good. They are one size larger than I usually wear, and with thin socks and the cooler weather yesterday, they felt a bit sloppy. So I need to dig out my hiking socks; with heat, my feet will soon fill them up!

My new shoes!

This saying is profound in light of what's been happening to me and the decluttering. 

Each of us has important things in our lives; for me, it's the decluttering process and dealing with my projects. I hope to keep the URGENT things at bay by getting them done BEFORE they become urgent. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can learn some new habits. I'm trying very hard, and I like how I feel. 

I finished a small customer quilt yesterday; the next one is loaded and ready today. I'm a little behind where I would like to be, but I've got a plan, and all the customer quilts should be finished soon—at least the ones I have in the house to quilt. It's all about keeping on top of things! 

Customer quilt - DONE

Speaking of keeping on top, it takes a lot of work to keep on top of the girls! Neither came to greet me when I arrived home from the gym. DH said they were outside and were interested in the rabbit under the gazebo. OH NO!!!!

I ran out, and sure enough, Murphy was digging madly to get under that side of the gazebo, and Lexi was trying to dig her way through my brand wood floor. Do men not check these things? 

So there is Miss Murphy - all happy with her exploits. 

MOM -- there was a rabbit, and we were trying to catch it!

Yep -- the dirtier she is, the happier she is. Oh, Murphy! 

Mom - this dirt will disappear quickly!

Later, she was fixated on something in the tree and watched it, but she heard me at the kitchen window and looked at me! At least she wasn't barking. 

MOM -- I'm watching the squirrels in the tree

There is a lot on the agenda today, and I can't wait to get to it! I'm finding that the more I sort through the paper, the easier it is to deal with. That's a very positive thing, knowing how much paper there is in this room. But if I need to put a supply item away, it's super easy now that the cabinet is organized. I found more journals. I've started a new donation box for the school when it opens in the fall. I hope to have much more to add to that box. 

So yes, all is good at my house. But do not be envious. This didn't happen by luck. It happened because of hard decisions on my part, and it took a lot of time. I'm still working on it, and I'll probably still be working on it in 10 years. But it's going faster and faster each time I tackle something. I just do not want to leave this mess to anyone else. 

Even though the weather has been decent and I don't have urgent tasks on my plate, I haven't been out in the gazebo! I'm so happy and relaxed doing what I'm doing that I don't need to take a break! 

More stuff happened yesterday, but I'll share that with you another day. It's all baby steps, but I'm loving the process. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!!