Sorting sewing supplies continues

To my American friends - Happy Independence Day. Be strong! 

Wow --- there were a lot of comments yesterday, and this overbuying and taking on too much is a very hot topic! While I appreciate the positive comments about my teaching, I knew the only way to discourage people from taking too many classes was to not offer so many classes. But that's good for me as well, so I'm OK with that. 

Dare I say that I was at it again yesterday - sorting, pitching, and purging. But mostly sorting. 

The third shelving unit in the stash room held a combination of supplies, my demo boxes, and UFOs. I pulled all the UFOs off and have dealt with them in some way. The supplies on those shelves were a mess. The supplies were somewhat sorted, but it was a mess. Most boxes were too full to add more items, and the pieces were scattered everywhere. I hated it. I decided, since I was "in the mood," to just keep going and deal with it all. 

OH -- first, here is the second shelving unit of UFOs in that room. There aren't many pizza boxes, and there are lots of odd-sized ones, so it doesn't look quite as fun. I did not count the projects; most of them follow the one-box-one-project theme, but there are two containers with smaller items in them. Let's just say that it will take two years of dedicated work to clear it off. 

UFOs on a shelf

Here's the third shelving unit with just the demo boxes on it. Again, I'm trying not to put anything on top. OK - so you may have spotted the tins on top. Those are super adorable, and while one is empty, another one contains a UFO and no space to put it, but there. I'll share it with you one day. 

The third shelving unit

The cutting table needed to be cleared so I could trim quilts, and I still need to deal with the other half. Wait - I need to address some of that before I go on retreat next week. I must remember to do that today. 

The cutting table needs some work

I needed to get some supplies (thread) for an upcoming project, so I decided to drop the donation boxes off on my way. These have been sitting in the front hall for quite some time, and today was the day to deal with them. Besides some smaller stuff on the Pony Express, there is only one box destined for shredding that remains in the hallway. I also dropped a couple of things at the shoemakers that had been sitting at the front door for months! I was happy to see a nice young man at the counter! We need more shoemakers!

Getting rid of the donation boxes

And can you tell me how my car knows about STOP signs? I'm in a drive-through for a fast food restaurant, and there's a stop sign at the end of that drive. My car knew that! How? Does it have a sensor? 

My car knows about STOP signs

My long arm needs a spa day. It's been on my calendar for years to tidy up some things. But I was waiting for the optimum moment, and that moment will soon be here. I needed some sticky velcro and wasn't sure where to get it. I was wandering around the fabric store yesterday when I bought my thread, and they had exactly what I needed!! Who knew? 

Velcro for the long arm

And now we come to the disaster of my day. You are probably wondering what I mean when I say 'supplies.' I mean zippers, snaps, ribbon, grommets, bag hardware, lace, and so on. I have no idea how I acquired so much stuff. However, it was a disaster - everything was sorted into containers, but they were all full. There were multiple containers of the same thing, or one category was stored in various containers.  

As I discovered more items, I had to switch boxes several times to find one that was large enough to hold all of the same items. Can you believe I have so many zippers? I should never have to buy another zipper in my life! 

The zippers are now in one box

This box was a wild card. I don't think I had been in it for years because it was a jumble of everything. 

A mishmash of supplies

I also found some bags that I had purchased at a thrift store or somewhere, as they contained a variety of items. I even found two candies. I did NOT eat the candies! 

Candies! 

I was doing pretty well and sorting and clearing, but the pile on the ironing board just never seemed to go down. 

One of my sorting stations

And then, while I was working on the sorting task, I decided to also tackle this area, which is located in the stash room, but on one of the shelving units along the wall. These boxes hold more hardware for bags, ribbons, cords, and gosh knows what else. 

More boxes to sort

Holy --- what a nightmare, but I'm glad I'm taking charge, and the next time I want to find something, I'm going to know exactly where it is. I have NOT found those templates yet, but I did find something else that I couldn't find a couple of months ago. I would never have thought to search for it in these boxes. 

The sorting continues

I think there are about seven or eight small boxes left to sort. And then I'm calling it quits for sorting and organizing for the moment. I have a lot of things to prepare, and I need to get started on that. I have two other spots that I'll quickly search for those templates. As I mentioned, the area I'm dealing with is the worst. It hasn't been touched in years, which is why it's in such a state. The other areas are in much better shape, and I could tackle them much quicker. But after today, I'm done with sorting for a while. 

Boxes to sort today

I still have to deal with a few things on the floor and then all those empty containers. 

The mess 

I managed to clear a few items off one of the tables, so that was perfect. I might keep up my sorting frenzy to clear those three tables. Then I would feel like I've accomplished something! What I've been doing doesn't free up any workspace, but it does allow me to find things quickly!

One of the worktables has some empty space!

And here's the shelving unit with the sorted boxes. I'm still in the process of rearranging things, and I believe I'll still have some empty space at the end of this exercise, including the empty shelf at the top. And there are a few missing labels!

The supply shelving unit

I switched my phone over, and while it's mostly easy, it's a hassle because you have to reset some of the settings. Granted - it's way better than it used to be, so I'm very thankful for that. I will return the old phone next week. 

My next group of customer quilts is comprised of some very small ones, so they will quilt up quickly. Which was good because not more than 10 minutes after I finished, and the quilt was still on the long arm, the power went out! For FOUR hours. 

Customer quilt - DONE

I spent some of that downtime outside in the gazebo. There must be a rabbit underneath again because Murphy was quite content to stare under the gazebo and attempted to dig several times. 

MOM - there's a rabbit under there!

It was so pleasant last night that I was out weeding the garden. Why do the worst amount of weeds grow in the hardest place to get them? Oh well, I managed to clean up the side yard, but I need my pruners to take out a couple of branches. I might just do that later today. It's nice to get out of Studio B and away from that horrible sorting job. I cannot imagine doing this for someone else. 

I've been to the gym this morning, and I swear Brooke is trying to kill me! However, I'm also very grateful that I can push my body to its limits. A few months ago, I wouldn't have been able to do some of the things she asks me to do. And that makes me very happy! However, I'll need a nap later today, as I didn't sleep well, and with all the lifting and stretching, I'll need a rest.

Don't get me wrong - we need to be supporting our local quilt shops. But we also need to send a message to the manufacturers of this stuff. We are NOT endless pits of money that will continue to line their pockets! Be mindful of what you buy. 

Here's another way of looking at it. For those of you still contemplating a new project, consider this approach. Before you buy, consider how long it will take you to complete the project. A simple quilt from pre-cuts might only take a day, but with our busy lives, it will more likely take a week to get quilted and bound. Do you have a free week to make it? What projects will be bumped? If the project is more complex, add weeks or months to complete it, and if there's appliqué or other handwork, add additional weeks and months. 

I know some of you can rip through a project in a short period, but at what cost? The cost to your body, the lack of time for gardening or other hobbies, or the lack of time to spend with grandchildren and friends, or bumping the projects that were must-haves when you bought them. 

So, don't just buy on emotion; think about the logistics. One less project to do now is one less project that gets bumped, and therefore frees up some of your time for other things. The best part? There will always be another project that you like and can you afford (in terms of time) to continually add to the emotional baggage that comes with buying something and not starting or completing it. 

As I mentioned, I will focus on achieving fast finishes until the end of the year to increase my success rate. I will NOT take on another big project for a long, long time. Other than the ones I'm teaching, and there are only TWO. 

Well, on that happy note, I'm out of here. I have more phone calls to make, more email to deal with, and of course, to finish cleaning up those last boxes downstairs! Perhaps we will see some progress by the end of the day. By progress, I mean open spaces! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!