I was WRONG and I'm HAPPY about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope the students from the curved piecing workshop yesterday (check the next blog posting to see the results) went home as inspired as I was.

I got home and was fired up to WORK!!!!!   BUT not before I had to do some stuff for my kid. She had a bunch of little swatches that needed to be cut for her colour theory class. Now she was cutting teeny tiny pieces of paper, but she just doesn't have the control with the rotary cutter so MOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM - can you do it for me??????   Oh great - so I got out my ruler with the markings for sixteenth of inches and cut pieces that were 9/16 by 1 1/16. Oh crap - they were small, but I managed to get them cut.

Once that was out of the way - I attacked those boxes of quilt tops. I decided that my hand scratched notes on a sticky was NOT sufficient, so this is what I did instead.

The tubs are LABELED

This is a close up of the labels on the tubs - I also included the size. The majority are lap or wall hanging size (although some are BIG wall hangings). There are a few children quilts, baby quilts, queen sized and a number of table runners. 

These quilts hanging on this rack are also mine and there is a label (or listing) for those. 

As you can see - I numbered the quilts (just within each tub). But it make it easy to figure out how many tops there are in total that need to be quilted. Remember the binding, and backings are already made and included as is the batting (in a few cases). Can you guess how many are there?????   Remember the title of the blog today. Want to hazard a guess???

Well - there are 118. I said 150, but I was WRONG!!!!!   Thanks goodness.  (I am quilting one today that is mine and I pulled one out of the pile that I will quilt in the next couple of weeks).


BUT - I did a rough count of the ones that need to have backings, borders and binding made - that is what is in these tubs. And can you guess how many there are?????????

Did you pick a number?????   Well there are about 50 - yes 50 projects here that need bindings, backing or borders (or all three)

ACK ACK ACK - that doesn't even touch the 2013 shelf, the other shelf (same size as the 2013) shelf in the stash room, the $10 quilt projects, NOR either of the two BIG closets that hold projects and lets not forget the kits which are not in any of those places.   OH MY GOD - that number is TOO BIG to comprehend.

And how did this happen????   Well - there are LOADS of these quilts which were started as a class sample. Many of them were class samples - I have taught a LOT of classes over the last 12-13 years. I am teaching way less these days or teaching repeat stuff so no new samples are required. Thank goodness.


I would buy kits because I LOVE them and of course, let's not forget the projects that you start because they are a gift, a friend cajoled you into making the project or you really just wanted to start something new. And don't forget that I am POSSESSED/OBSESSED by this quilting thing. I just can't help it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to create things.


Now remember what I talked about yesterday - the commitment to getting UFOs done. Well I need to be committed (no question there), but if you are ready to take that plunge - I am ready. We can all help each other!!!!

I will try to "remember" to provide tips each day on how you can choose stuff to work on, how to stay motivated and all that good stuff. I am going to equate it with driving a car. Before we can get in the car to start our journey on a long, slippery road where there will be loads of distractions - we MUST get ourselves ready.

So here are some things you can do. Now I realize that not everyone has the luxury of the studio space that I have. That does NOT matter. You don't need loads of space.

Today's task is going to be CLEAN UP YOUR THREE WORK STATIONS.

OK - I'll go easy on you. We are going to start by cleaning up YOUR IRONING BOARD.

This is how my ironing board looks this morning. 

I am currently pressing and cutting these strips - that is why they are there. the blue box contains the cut (and sewn) pieces for a project that I am working on.

Take a look at your ironing board/surface. What is on it????   NOTHING should be on the ironing board. So today you are going to look at everything and you are going to PROCESS it. Find a home for each and every item. DO NOT shuffle it to an available surface. Try to get in the habit of putting things away once and for all. If you shuffle an item, it is still creating clutter and you still have to deal with that item.

So what are some of the things you could do with those items???
If it has a home - then put the item there
If it doesn't have a home - do you want to keep it?
If yes - then you have to create a home for it!
If no - then it goes in the give away bin. That can be to bring to a guild, or give to a friend, the donation bag for your local thrift store
If it really isn't worth keeping - then it goes in the trash.


OK - this is going to be painful. OUCH!!!!!   BUT if you do not get started - you will NEVER get things done. And imagine how nice it will be to come and press something and there is NOTHING to move. My ironing board used to be heaped. There was a small corner available to actually press something. I either had to press on the corner or move things and then move them back. That takes time and energy. I don't have either to waste!!!!

Now the trick once that ironing board is clear is KEEP IT THAT WAY. Just before you go to bed or maybe before you start your day - put away the stuff that accumulated on that ironing board.


Here is another example of how we put up with things. I used to listen to the radio on my boom box. The reception was bad at times, especially after the antennae fell off and so I migrated to using my iPad as a radio. Then the internet started to get very slow and spotty (and I hate my iPad - speaking of which - we have THREE iPads in our house and NO ONE uses them). We have all found better, cheaper alternates. And M even confessed that her next phone will NOT be an Apple product. Sorry Apple - but your products SUCK!!!!!!!!! at least at our house - anyway I digress yet again!)

OK - so I went back to the radio and this time, the reception was better. So I have been using the boom box as my radio and I listen to audio books on CD. Well when I switched radio stations, I have noticed that the reception isn't as good as it could be. As I was cutting something this morning, I thought - OH - I could ask for a new radio for Christmas. I know I could buy one, but my kid could go and research them and get me something good!!!!   Then I had a thought (it happens sometimes). CRAP -- I have a "brand new" boom box upstairs in the dining room. I could just use that.

Here is the old boom box - YES - it even has a cassette deck on it. A CASSETTE DECK. Even the library has retired audio books on cassette. Notice the poor antennae 

And a dial to tune it!!!!!!

OK since I am NOT my mother (yet) - this radio is going in the pile of electronics to take to the recycling depot.


Here is the NEW boom box. It just has a CD player - no cassette!!!!

New boom box

I guess I will have to learn to preset those radio stations!!!!!   And I did have to raise the antennae and it seems to be working just fine.


Well even though I have more to do - I have stuff to do today. Lots of stuff.


Now remember - scoot over to that ironing board and get busy!!!!!    Why not send me some before and after pictures. I'd love to post them. Remember I told you this is going to get embarrassing.   E-mail them to Elaine T.     Share your story with us - why is that ironing board such a mess? What are your favourite ironing/pressing tools. Do you have a cool ironing board or ironing board cover? There is lots to do with ironing - we will make this IRON MAN week. Remember I want all of us to be better organized. I can't do the work for you, but I am good at telling you what to do. Now scoot!!!!!!!!!!!


On that note - I am out of here.



Have a great day!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!