Systemic decluttering

Oh my -- there's so much to say and so little time! But I'm happy to report that the one writing assignment is done! But there are still two patterns to write, and another huge writing assignment is looming. And a few quilts need quilting, but I might take today just for me! Well, more of the day than I usually would. I have some essential shopping ahead of me, and if I don't get it done soon, I will be in big trouble. More on that another day. 

I also feel like crap this morning as I did NOT sleep well. I just couldn't get to sleep, and I think I know why. One should NEVER try to declutter before going to bed, and it got me going, and I didn't want to stop. I should have just gotten up and done more! 

But I'm on a mission, which is never good for me as I'm obsessive a wee bit. OH -- and thanks to Maryke, who introduced me to this version of The Sound of Silence by Disturbed. The video is quite dark. I don't think it matters which version of this song you listen to; it's haunting. It's the same as Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Just haunting, and yet I could listen to them all day! Well, maybe not all day! 

I'm still on my silent thing. Not total silence as I spent quite a bit chatting with my neighbor last night. See that the front yard is working! I'm enjoying the peace and quiet and listening to the birds, and I'm in my glory! 

But this happened last night after I had put in a full day (NOT -- but I did finish reading that book, but there's no time to tell you about it today), but I decided that I could NOT go to bed without doing a little bit of sorting of those 6 drawers. 

And one must remember that this is the dreaded paper that I have been reluctant to touch for years, so in my mind, this was going to be a huge hurdle. But I laid out the boxes in Studio U, grabbed a chair, and started. 

Before I knew it, one drawer was empty. OK -- so I picked an easy one to start, but that's OK. 

An empty drawer

Then I grabbed the drawer with the family history stuff in it. OK -- that all went into one big drawer instead of being crammed into two small ones. 

The family history stuff

And I was still on a roll, so I grabbed another drawer. This big drawer is filled with receipts, and I'll deal with it later today. 

I took one of the small drawers, and I started. I created three piles -- one for recycling, one with paper that can be recycled in the printer (blank on one side - ever the frugal in me), and one was a pile that will require further attention. No need to get bogged down in minutiae at this precise moment; we're going for speed. 

Systemic decluttering of paper

I discovered some treasures, to be sure, but the above are my three sorting piles. Recycle bin, printer, and the one on the far right is the one that needs further attention. The pile not in a drawer is the remainder of the 6-drawer unit minus the drawer of receipts. 

Wow -- it wasn't so bad after all! I just kept at it, and I was having "fun"! Well, I was happy that I was actually making this happen. 

Look what I found -- my book by Harriet Hargrave called From Fiber to Fabric. Yes - it was there so I could write an article or something. Good grief -- so many good intentions. 

A review guide to Android Apps from 2011. I believe it's a bit outdated, as was the one on the Apple iPad. Why or why do I buy this stuff and then never read it? 

Outdated review guide

A warranty tag from something -- no idea. 

A picture of a winning quilt that I was supposed to send to CQA for inclusion in their magazine probably 12 years ago? Sigh... I was never good at keeping track of stuff because I didn't have a system! 

And since I was so close to clearing all six drawers, I couldn't help myself. I brought up that clear plastic tub and emptied it on a table. That freed up that plastic tub to be used under the long arm, eliminating one more cardboard box! I think there'll also be a lot of stuff to pitch and purge in this mess. And stuff that has a home but isn't there! 

The decluttering project for today!

Cathie posted this on my timeline yesterday, and this saying is so right! 

It's taking me time to get the motivation to make this happen. I think we have to hit some personal lows before you see the mess? Or some event (water in the basement) before you realize what is around you and how it looks. 

And once you have the motivation, you need the time and the energy to start. You need room to work, which is why I think I've struggled at my parents' home, as there are ZERO places to put things to look through. Every entire surface is chock-a-block filled with something. And I discovered that -- by keeping all that mess in Studio U, I can just turn off the light, and no one knows it's there. It's brilliant, and that was probably the best idea I came up with for decluttering. 

Previously, I tried to do the cleaning in the kitchen, and then that area would be a total disaster, whichhad to be cleaned up at the end of the day and didn't help to make progress. Then I tried the office, but all the surfaces were full, and the floor was also at the time, so there were zero places to work. Now I've got the motivation, the time, and the space? Watch me go! 

That leaves SIX boxes left in that corner of the office. SIX, none of them are as large as the one I'm going to deal with next. Dare I get cocky and move all six upstairs? NO -- do NOT do that. That kills my mood, and I don't want that to happen. 

Slow and steady is the way to go for me and I can't tell you how many times I come into the office now and stare at that pile of 6 boxes and gloat! "I will tackle you all and make this decluttering thing happen!" Hopefully, I can stay motivated to tackle at least one of the surfaces (desk or table) while I'm at it, but we'll have to see. 

A lot of things have to be done this summer, and there's a time limit -- four weeks that cannot be extended for any reason! More on that another day! And so, let's just keep being motivated. 

I must say that you are probably all excited that I've stopped complaining about dealing with this mess and actually tackling it. You and me both! 

By the way, I was at the library yesterday, and for anyone who used the app called BookMyne -- this app was retired on July 1st. Why?? It seemed to work fine for multiple libraries, not just mine. Is there a replacement? Apparently NOT! What the heck is this? We're required to use the website if we're on our phones. The library didn't mention that in their newsletters, or I missed it. They just slipped that one on us!

And who turned off the heat? I love this cool weather and have my sweatshirt back on! 

It's my week for QUILTsocial, and you NEED to check out the posts this week. I test-drove a stationary quilting machine, which I've touched briefly in the past, but I LOVE it. I want one! 

How is your decluttering going? Motivating yourself is hard, but every little bit takes you one step closer to the final result. And we must take responsibility for our messes -- I don't believe in passing it along to our kids or whoever is left to clean up your spaces. Nope -- when I move from this house, it will be with MINIMAL boxes of personal stuff, and no decluttering will be required before I move! That's my goal! I WILL make it happen. 

Thanks to everyone posting comments; I love reading them and promise to send you responses hopefully today!

And on that note, I'm out of here! So much to do, so little time!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

Silence is golden

While I'm not a big fan of TV -- it's been so many years since I watched TV that I don't think of it as a form of entertainment. The radio used to be my entertainment, but for the last couple of years, we've had such turnover in our morning crews that I'm just not into that anymore. I enjoy playlists on Spotify, but mainly at the retreats. I love audiobooks, but lately, I'm happy to listen to NOTHING. 

Perhaps my brain isn't able to sort out the background noise from what I'm doing? But I also spend so much time alone (a positive thing for me) that I'm just enjoying my own company and don't need anyone or anything (noise) to fill that gap!

It's so weird because I know there are people that have the TV on all day for background noise, and I just love the sound of silence (I also love the song!). Our windows are open, and I can hear nature (birds, water, trees rustling), which makes me very happy. 

A friend of mine goes on silent retreats where there is NO TALKING. At first, that sounded strange to me -- how could people go all day without talking, but I really think it's a great thing. If we shut off all those external verbal sounds in our life and really get to know ourselves -- I think that's a good thing! The same goes for our phones, but I'm not going there today!

And it doesn't help that I started a physical book the other day, and want to get to the end of it. More on that book when I'm done!

The latest issue (Number 59) of A Needle Pulling Thread is out. 

Issue 59 of A Needle Pulling Thread

I have a project in the magazine. This is an exciting project, and while it looks simple, there are a lot of firsts in it for me. I designed the flower in EQ8. The flower components were cut out on the Brother Scan and Cut. If I had time, I would have digitized the applique stitches around the flower and done that part on the embroidery machine, but I did the stitching by hand -- well, on the sewing machine, but not digitized. 

Flower Power by me! 

So it's cute, simple, and uses scraps - the entire background is pieced with leftovers, and it was made so those flowers can be removed, and you could insert a new mini quilt in each of the three spots. So check out the magazine and my pattern if you get a chance! 

I didn't get any decluttering done yesterday. I had my two Zoom show and tell classes in the morning (no idea why I thought one of them was in the afternoon), and I had not prepped either presentation, so there was a little less chit-chat time for me as I assembled the pictures. Oops!!! I need to look at that calendar! I did miss a few pictures, but that's OK. I did have something from everyone who sent me pictures. 

I'm just blown away by the creativity the Out of the Box class has shown. Where do their ideas come from? Everyone of the projects was so creative, and we had fun learning how they were made and what materials they used. 

My naughty girls. When are they not naughty? If Murphy is in the backyard and needs to come in, she barks. We usually keep the screen door open enough for her to get in. Miss Lexi, on the other hand, is a princess and barking is too much effort for her, so she paws at the door. And over several years, she had put holes in the screen door. It's now to the point where they can escape through the hole she has created. Sigh..................

Me? I'm a princes and I can do no wrong

I did NOT make that hole in the screen door - somebody did, but not me

MOM -- it wasn't me -- I know how to open the door!

OK -- I know the price of groceries is going through the roof, and we have always stuck to the basics, but I swear it will be slim pickings for us. I especially love fresh fruit, but when I saw the price of cherries a while back (9.99 per KG) -- I refused to buy them. Seriously??

The other day, I spotted them for 5.99 per KG, and decided to treat myself. This bag cost $15.00!!!!! There are not many cherries in that bag -- well enough for several snacks, but YIKES! However, while I was in spin class this morning and thinking about it -- that would be about $2 per snack which is the same price as the granola bar I eat! Hmmm!!! 

Cherries are expensive!

I guess it's no worse than paying $2 per peach or apple. Things are becoming very expensive, and I told DH that we better not be wasting a single morsel of food. At that price, we'll have to watch our food budget a bit more. We don't waste food, and we don't overbuy. Imagine if we were a family of four with growing kids? 

We finally had rain last night. It had been forecast all day, and areas to the north got rain, but we got nothing, so I sat out in the front yard watering everything. I have a sprinkler -- don't worry -- I don't stand there holding the hose. Shoot -- I'll show you pictures of the final yard tomorrow, and it's so lovely to have peace and quiet on that front as well. It's been six weeks with so much coming and going, and it's all pretty much gone, except the porta potty, which leaves today. 

While I would have liked to stay in bed and read that book, I'm off to spin class! Then I have a tiny bit of editing on the last writing assignment, and that will be done. BUT WAIT -- there are a couple of patterns to write, but one project has to be designed first. And I need to get back to the long arm this week. It's incredible how all these little things just keep one hopping. 

How can there be people out there who are bored? That's just not possible as there's so much to do either around the house or in the quilting world. I don't have enough time to do everything I want to do. However I get loads of downtime - walking with the girls, sitting out front watering the grass, and don't forget my eight hours of sleep every night and sometimes a nap or two. I get plenty of downtime and certainly plenty of time for me. I'm probably more selfish with my time than most people!

Anyway -- enough of that -- it's time to get in the car parked in my own driveway!

Have a great day!!!

Ciao!!!

Hunting rabbits

 

Rest assured, no rabbits were hurt in this incident - at least not to my knowledge! I mentioned yesterday that the girls were on the hunt for a rabbit under the gazebo. I have no objection to rabbits, but could they live OUTSIDE of my yard where the dogs can't use them to hone their hunting skills? 

I let the girls out earlier than usual yesterday as I was going to be away in the morning. They got on the scent of this rabbit, and well, like a dog with a bone, they would NOT give up. Fortunately, they were quiet -- except for Lexi when she thought she was close and was yipping away, but in her soft voice. It was hilarious. 

At one point, when I went out, this was all I saw. 

Dog butts

I knew they were even further under the gazebo as I saw them crawl out. The gazebo is on a bit of a slope of the land, so one end is very close to the ground, and the other is more open. The rabbit goes to the far end, where the floor goes all the way to the ground, and he can get away from the girls.

 The dogs can't get close to the rabbit because there isn't room, but ONE day, they will push the envelope, and then they will get stuck. Then what? I'm not ripping up the gazebo to rescue them; I've told them so! I'll feel them scraps and water until they lose weight to get out! Just kidding -- I have visions of having to tip the gazebo over. But we really need to build a skirt around the bottom to keep them out! 

And it was hot yesterday morning, so they were panting like mad in their effort to get that rabbit. The rabbit is silly or very confident; I'm not sure which. 

Mom -- we almost had the rabbit!

This morning, I noticed a rabbit on the front LAWN. Yes, we now have grass in the front yard, but I think the rabbit was actually on the neighbor's lawn. 

A rabbit on the lawn this morning

I'll show you the entire front tomorrow and what happens with watering! 

My event went well, and it was fun to get out and show my stuff in person again! On the way home, I spotted this building. Yep -- that's a storage facility, and it made me laugh. 

A storage facility

Why? Because I'm trying to get rid of my stuff responsibly, NOT put it in boxes and then let it die slowly. I know that some people need storage lockers - they could be between houses, they could store their seasonal stuff there, BUT -- what else is in those lockers? How many are filled with JUNK! 

Here are some interesting facts about storage units. 

• 90% of storage units exist in the United States. Does that surprise you? It doesn't surprise me! 
• It's a $38 BILLION yearly industry! That is NOT a typo -- BILLIONS
• The average monthly cost is $90
• The number of storage facilities in the United States? 49,000 (that's facilities, NOT units)
• Percentage of households that rent a facility? Over 10%

Here are a couple of links if you want to read more. It would appear that our society is enamored with junk and just can't part with it. And one more link. If you search, there are loads of other links, but doesn't that blow your mind? 

We have become a society that NEEDS to own stuff to show our wealth? I don't get it -- if you aren't using the things you own, why are you keeping them? Granted, my mindset wasn't there for many years, but now that I see the light -- I want an empty house! I want to enjoy the few things I will eventually own. I'm tired of those things dictating my life, making me spend countless hours managing them and dragging me down. I want space; I want freedom from my STUFF! 

Unless I transition between spaces, I NEVER want a storage locker. 

So this happened yesterday. Again, another slow and methodical day. I don't have music on, no radio, no TV, no audiobook. Just silence (DH is away, and I seem to be able to clean better when he's away!) and my personal thoughts. It's so freeing. Zero stress, although MANY decisions need to be made. Keep, donate, or toss. 

I accomplished what I set out to do, and those boxes in Studio U are now GONE. The number of boxes in the hallway for donation has increased. 

Donation boxes

And then I did something else I said I would do. I emptied that white drawer unit and took all six drawers upstairs. See -- I am learning to not overdo the cleaning. Keep the stuff where it is and only work on it a bit at a time. Notice, there is NOTHING on the window seat? 

Six drawers to sort today

This is all paper, so it might slow me down somewhat, but I know one drawer is filled with receipts that need to go in the recycling box, and one is filled with family history stuff, so I don't think it'll take too long to sort through it all. 

BUT remember when I said that two of the four feet were off that cabinet, and it was literally propped up with the old carbon monoxide detector? Imagine my surprise when I flipped it upside down to discover that two wheels had come off, but not because they were broken. The weight of the contents and moving it probably popped the two wheels off. So I reinserted the two wheels and dusted the unit off. It's back in the office to await the newly emptied drawers. A good thing I did NOT buy any replacement for it!Good grief!!!

The wheels are back on the unit

Then I rearranged the space, so all seven remaining boxes on the floor are now together. I can't tell you how exciting this is --  yes -- who would have thought that having more floor space and seeing the pile of crap go down could be so invigorating? I swear that a small weight gets lifted off my shoulders for every piece of junk I throw out. I will keep at it for as long as I can stay motivated, but the difference is fantastic even if I stop now! I'm thrilled to bits and will soon be at the point when I get back to clearing off the tabletops; there will be NOTHING to fill up the space!!! And notice there is ONE more plastic tub that I can use downstairs! 

Seven boxes of crap left to sort

I'm not out of the woods yet, as once the floor and the two desk surfaces are clear, there's the filing cabinet, a buffet, a storage cabinet, and two bookcases that need to be sorted with more pitching and purging. At least that stuff has a home (more or less), and taking care of it will be slow and methodical, just like the rest of the junk.  

I never thought I would get this far, and I'm thrilled. Let's keep at it -- slow and steady. I WILL get it done. Did you think I would get this far? Honestly, I didn't know if I had the mental energy and the staying power to make it happen. But I blogged so much about it that I had no choice but to show you I could do it! If it means getting this monkey off my back, I'll take anything for motivation. 

I can't wait for the day I move, and I can put all my office stuff in two boxes!! Well, maybe a couple more, but I want this junk gone! I AM MOTIVATED!

There are a few things upstairs sitting on the other table that I haven't dealt with yet, but not much. One of them is this -- two trays of costume jewelry that belonged to M. I feel like I let her down by not teaching her the negative side of consumerism. These two trays are so dusty - I feel like dumping it all in a sink of soapy water. What survives can be donated, and what doesn't will be tossed. 

Two trays of  M's jewelry

She is BAD and had zero issues with collecting junk. And even worse, she never took responsibility for what to do with it when she didn't want something any longer. She is still bad today, and after she leaves, there is usually a pile of bags and receipts of stuff she bought. I'm working on that and will NOT let her do that to me again. The last time was better. But she needs to learn better shopping habits and let things go. There are still a "few" boxes in the spare room that belong to her, which need to be dealt with. I have no qualms about doing it, but I would prefer that she do it so she can learn. 

After being away from home for 7 years, I don't think she will need any of it. I might just make a box or two disappear! It's not that we need the space, but I don't want any junk in my house. 

Speaking of junk, we also have this problem area to deal with. Murphy -- don't try and hide! 

Mom - don't shame me!

Yes, Miss Murphy has TWO toy boxes filled with stuff. And we need to go through that! I might lay out all the toys in the family room. Whichever ones are moved in 48 hours, she can keep them. Whatever she doesn't touch must go! 

Mom -- I am a hoarder, and I'm PROUD of it!

Well, on that note, I'm off to walk the girls. And then we have two classes this morning -- well, mostly show and tell and some of the show and tell is AMAZING. In the Out of the Box class, where many people signed up because they were NOT creative, they are blowing my socks off!!

How is your cleaning going? What will I talk about when all this mess is cleaned up? Don't worry -- I still have a couple of months worth of cleaning to do, and then I get to go back to the top of the house and start over again! But this time, it won't take 8 years to get through the entire house! I don't know when exactly I started the cleaning process, but I think it's been about 8 years, which is a very long time. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

Success for decluttering

I won't say I'm obsessed (OK -- just a little bit), but I think I may have found a solution to help me stick to decluttering. 

Now that the space in Studio U is wide open - loads of flat surfaces, a cheery color in the room, and plenty of light from that huge window, I feel this is the ideal spot for the decluttering process to continue. Slow and steady will win this race, but the space is inviting to work in. 

So I did a "bad" thing. I made 6 trips upstairs with some of the junk that was on the table in the office. I laid out the boxes on the window seat and on the counter. 

Let the sorting begin!

My cutting table is totally clear and at an excellent height to sort. 

It was a busy day yesterday, so I didn't have as much time as I would like, but I managed to get one box filled for the donation center, and the garbage can is full. 

One box for donation

This is what it looks like right now. A bit hard to tell, but the window seat is only half full, and the used space on the counter is less. 

Progress is made in decluttering

I hope to get back at it this afternoon. Some of the boxes on the counter are already half filled with stuff to be donated, so there isn't too much left to sort through. 

YES  --- this is going to work, and I WILL get the office cleaned up. I don't care if I have to huff all the crap upstairs to sort through it. The working conditions are favorable, and I seem to need that. If I take a box or two of paper at a time, there is plenty of room to sort, and if that room becomes the decluttering room for the next month, I'm OK with that. One must be flexible to get things done. 

I am giving serious thought to repainting the office. While the color is lovely - a deep orange, it's dark here and not exciting as a place to work. Plus, there are ZERO flat surfaces at the moment. 

As a result of removing boxes from the table, I added more boxes. My goal is to get rid of all the boxes on the floor. So the table is still crammed with stuff. 

More stuff to sort

And guess what? There is actually more floor space visible behind the table. 

More visible floor space

There are now only four boxes on the floor. Well, that's not technically correct - make that seven, but still, seven is way better than it used to be. My immediate goal is to remove all the stuff in front of the double doors. There are TWO doors into the room, which is a bit of a waste of space. 

I was so excited about moving stuff yesterday that I wanted to move more, but I stopped. Don't get overconfident (my past problem); nothing gets done if it's too overwhelming. 

I have a 6-drawer plastic shelf with a broken leg, and I want to get rid of that. As I was perusing the space yesterday, I thought I could purchase another little rolly cart to replace it. Then I thought -- seriously? You want to get rid of everything in the shelf unit, so you don't need another piece of furniture. Thankfully common sense prevailed, and I'll wait to sort through those drawers to see if there is anything worth keeping. 

I don't have a handy picture of the "before" in this room, but I must try and dig one out. Leaps and bounds have been made here, and there's still a long way to go, but I'm happy with the progress. 

As I mentioned, the day before, I had gone through all the bathroom stuff, and it was shocking to discover that I had SEVERAL bags of toiletries ready to go for traveling. I guess I would have one prepared for travel, but I couldn't find it when I needed it, so I started another. It was a crazy scene, to be sure. And how many tubes of AfterBike does one person need? 

Bags of toiletries

And don't ask me why I have so many hairbands for the gym. I must not have been able to find them and bought more. This seems to be the biggest issue with anything -- if your items don't have a home, then you can't find what you want, so you buy more. And for the most part, things do last for a long time if you take care of them, so I now have a lifetime supply of certain items. 

This is the mess I have to contend with in Studio B. It's all there for a reason and was collected over the last couple of weeks. Some things need binding before they can be put away, the tuffet kit needs to be packed in the big box and mailed, and a bunch of other small jobs. I hope to tackle that this coming week. 

Clean up in Studio B

It just seems that there is so much to do and so little time. Now, how the heck does that happen? It's not like I'm just lazing around eating bonbons all day, but time flies when you're having fun. 

Lots of other exciting stuff has been happening here, but I have an in-person presentation this morning, so I've been madly packing. It's one thing to run around the house and take pictures for a Zoom presentation, quite another to take real stuff. Let's just say it's good that I'm driving there as I have a LOT of things to pack. 

OK -- my stupid girls are frantically trying to catch the rabbit under the gazebo. The poor rabbit -- I don't know why it insists on living under there, but they are on the hunt, and I'm afraid one of them will get stuck under there, which would NOT be a good thing this morning. 

On that note, I'm off to grab a shower and make myself presentable! 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!

How much is too much?

How much time does one want to spend managing their stuff, or if I tell you how I really feel -- the crap accumulated over the years. For those of you that never let it collect -- I applaud you, but WHERE were you years ago when I needed someone to tell me NOT to buy so much. See how easy it is to pass the blame on to someone else! Sorry for that! NO -- I take full responsibility for the mess I created and take 100% responsibility for cleaning it up! 

It doesn't matter what's happened in the past -- it's time to move forward. And while I had writing to do, I did some pitching and purging. You really need to be in the mood to do this, but once I got started, I couldn't stop. I kept niggling at it all day, and I feel super accomplished. 

I hope the day comes when I can STOP managing my stuff and spend time doing what I want. Well, I can do that now, but then I feel a twinge of guilt that my stuff is still all over the place. However, I'm in such a better place than I was that I can't complain. 

This is what happened. I was back up in Studio U, which had become a dumping ground that started 6 months ago when I had to switch a closet of M's stuff with my closet filled with batting bits. Don't go there -- I do use the bits!

I had put most of the batting into the closet. This closet isn't as efficient as the one it came from as it had shelves, and this one has fewer shelves. It doesn't matter -- it'll fit, and that's all that counts. I'd really like to get rid of all of M's stuff, but at least it's been consolidated into one room and in a very compact space. 

I still have this to put into the closet. That shouldn't take too long, and I may just do that today, although I have lots of work to get done. And sometimes, I'm happy to get the stuff in one place behind a closed door, and then I can sort it later. That's OK. It's much easier (and more fun) to sort EVERYTHING once it's gathered in one place than to find it throughout the house. 

Batting bits to put away

So this is what I started with. A table that was filled with stuff. Some of it was quilting stuff, and some was the stuff from the bathrooms that I had pulled out months ago. 

A table filled with crap to sort

I took all the bathroom stuff, sorted it through, and put "like" things together. More on that tomorrow. 

Then I was left with this as it's been sitting on the table because it didn't have a home. So I started digging through it all. 

Sewing stuff to sort

I found a home for a lot of the stuff, and soon I was left with this.

The last of the stuff that needs a home

Then that much even bothered me, so I dug through that and took all the projects to Studio B, where they can all be together and there is ONE basket of scraps that needs to be sorted, but I ran out of gas by then. 

However, in that stack, I unearthed my collection of half-square triangles. HSTs for short. Oh my --- this is a mess. So I had this empty shelf hanging out in the hall, and I grabbed it and put it in the corner. After loading all the HST stuff (both finished and unfinished), this is what it looked like. 

A shelf for HSTs

There are containers filled with trimmed HSTs in various sizes labeled and bagged and, in some cases, sorted by colors. 

Trimmed HSTs - at 1½" unfinished

Here are more of the HSTs that are trimmed to 1½".

More trimmed HSTs

Here are bags of HSTs trimmed to various sizes. 

Bags of various sized HSTs

Then I decided that if I made this corner the home for the HST stuff, I should get the rest from Studio B. So I brought up several containers filled with triangles to be sewn together. DO NOT JUDGE me -- I like this stuff, and that's the stuff I'll be working on when I need to downsize! I won't have a stash - I only have my scrap baskets! 

But this looked ridiculous. 

This looks ridiculous

Several containers are filled with little triangles, waiting to be sewn together. 

A container of triangles

So that little shelf is adjustable. And so I took it apart. I told you -- I worked slow and methodical all day whenever I needed a break from the writing. 

The shelf came apart

And now this is what it looks like. I can deal with that -- it looks much better. 

Now all the HSTs are neatly housed in one area

There are still some HSTs in Studio B, but they are ones that I'm working on as I use them as enders and leaders. This tray sits beside my sewing machine and is pretty tidy and mostly filled with HSTs to be sewn. 

HSTs waiting to be sewn

However, this is the current stack I'm working on, so I don't need what's above. 

My current pile of HSTs to be sewn

This is where that ALEX desk from IKEA would come in super handy. Those small tools and such could be put in the drawers of that desk and keep my sewing table top clean. I don't have time to go and get that desk, but I should have time next week. 

And this is also in Studio B. It's a pile of HSTs that need to be pressed and trimmed. YES -- I should start doing something with the HSTs as the finished piles grow. I've made two small quilts for sure and perhaps a third, but I have big plans for the HSTs; that's my project for when I downsize. OH -- I hope to get to it before then. 

HSTs that need to be pressed and trimmed

Moving that stuff around opened up another space in Studio B. That entire shelf needs to be sorted through as I'm sure there are projects there that need to be prioritized or if it's just the fabric and a pattern, it will get pulled apart. That's not on the agenda for today. 

An empty spot in Studio B

Thre's still a bit of stuff to bring downstairs, and as I make a trip up and down, I'm moving the stuff. So at least I'm getting steps in. I had those two windows open and had the most glorious breeze in that room; it was spectacular. I feel so claustrophobic with the windows closed. Winter is not good! 

Sewing stuff to bring to Studio B

Look at how clear the floor is in Studio U. There's nothing on the floor except furniture. Oh, and this needs to be sold. It's a cycle trainer I never used, and it's been shuffled from room to room. I must put it on Facebook Marketplace soon! 

A cycling trainer that needs to go! 

So it was a great day of cleaning and sorting. I accomplished loads, but I keep thinking - at what point will I be done? I don't think I'll ever be done, but what I'm hoping for is that it takes less time to put things in order. And it's easier and faster than ever, and I see results every time I work. Once the "like" things are together, it's easy to see what you have and don't need. 

But I tell you -- I wish someone had told me this years ago -- like twenty years ago when I started to quilt! DO NOT OVERBUY. DO NOT HOARD scraps. But it's OK -- -it's been a learning process, like your teens - you can't tell them what to do -- they have to experience it for themselves. 

All I can say is that every time I get some place tidied up, I feel like a HUGE weight has been lifted from my shoulders. The area looks cleaner and neater, it's easier to keep clean, and you can move around. 

Granted, there's now a mess on the floor of Studio B, but more on that tomorrow. 

I haven't progressed to riding my bike in the evening, but I should as I've got a blister on my heel, which I haven't had in a long time. I still walked 13 KM yesterday despite that. No bandaids for this girl -- I just try to keep it empty. Fun and games. 

But I walked to Indigo last night (too hot to walk in the day), and I stopped to look at the books in the craft section. Yikes -- I don't think there was even one quilting book there. Surprisingly it's all about paper and coloring! Oh, and a bit of knitting. 

The SMALL craft section at Indigo

At one point during the day, I looked at the weather app, and this was the temperature. I guess it was so hot that the thermometer wouldn't even work! It's hot, but it's not unbearable -- not like what Europe is experiencing, so we should be content, stay hydrated and move on. 

What's the temperature?

So I use Grammarly to check my spelling and grammar, and it's always giving me suggestions. It's not perfect, and you have to read everything it suggests. I got a laugh when I was editing the blog yesterday. 

This is what I wanted to say. 

And this is what Grammarly suggested. I don't think so, as that significantly changes the scenario! But it was good for a laugh!

On that note, DH is off for the weekend after me being away the last two weekends! Ships in the night! But it works. And I have a lot of work to do anyway! But not so much that I can't sit on my front step enjoying the view, which I did last evening as I watered the plants, had my snack, and read my book! 

So if you've nothing to do today, think about one area you can sort, pitch, and purge. A bathroom is a good place. Pull everything from the drawers, the medical cabinets, and the cupboards from ALL the bathrooms. Start sorting and seeing what you actually have, what you need, what you don't need, and what needs to be tossed. Personally, I think there should be very little in the bathroom. How much stuff does one need in there? Wait, how much of what's there do you actually use? 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!