Sunday, April 24, 2011

My Sewing Room

I know I'm not alone in this---our stash and what to do with it. It is a common problem amongst quilters.  But we military quilters have another problem.  We move, about every 3 to 4 years, if we're lucky.  I am now preparing for another move due to my husband's retirement from the Army.  I have to face my stash and I'm nervous.  It has grown alot during the time we've lived here.  After over 4 years in Germany, I went overboard when we moved back to the states.  Quilt shops, Jo-Ann's, Hancocks, more quilt shops,...so many fabrics!  There is a wonderful quilt shop here (that I found while we were still in Germany and that I work at on a very part time basis) that has been the source of a lot of my additions, especially when the owner had a huge inventory reduction sale.  I bought even more at that sale.  After all, in my defense, you have to take advantage of 50% and over off the price, right? 

My sewing room is now suffering from all that collecting.   The closet is full top to bottom, stuffed in every corner, to the point where the doors can't close all the way.  Every shelf, drawer, and even the space under the table in the room is full.  All the scraps have just been piling up.  Something has to be done and soon.  We will be moving sometime this summer!

There's always a moment of silence when the movers first see my stash.  A look of astonishment.  Then the inevitable look at me, ...are you serious!?  I hear, "That's a lot of material" in some form or another.  I'm sure if I were to hear what they were really thinking, it would have some colorful language thrown in!  It's not all loose piles of fabric; I try to keep it somewhat organized in bins, totes, and bags.  But it's a lot of bins, totes, and bags!

I've let my sewing room go here lately, trying to get quilts for others done. Honestly, it doesn't always look like this!  Really, it doesn't!  I'm trying to straighten it up, get things somewhat organized for the move. In working on the closet, I found 8 quilt tops with their backings ready to be quilted.  I knew they were in there, but you know, out of sight, out of mind.  I don't even want to count how many kits from shops and kits that I've put together are in there. I think I'm better at selecting the right fabrics, planning it all out than I am at actually getting the quilts made.  (Tony would say, "You think?") 
 
 

I have to get ready for this move.  My sewing machine is in the shop for general maintenance and cleaning.  It's going to take me a while to get the house ready for the move.  I try to go through our things on a regular basis, but you know how things tend to pile up.  All closets and drawers have to be looked at.  I don't even want to think about the garage.  But I can't go without sewing some; it's my therapy!  I have a hand project (that's a whole 'nother story for a later post) that I'll be working on during all this preparation.  But I know one thing I won't be doing...buying more fabric!  Well, maybe just a little!

LaDonna

15 comments:

  1. Good luck with your move, LaDonna. I've lived in the same house 22 years and sometimes think I need to move just to get me to clean out! I tend to do a little bit here and there instead. I think you should just not worry about what the movers think. It is only odd because they probably don't come across quilters very often. If it was a man's workshop or, I don't know, any man's hobby they might not think a thing of it. Do you think?

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  2. When you get to your new house, I double dog dare you to count up your UFO's. I was recently challenged to do it and I was really surprised with the number! I would love to have some company on my mission to get some of those finished! And, don't worry about the movers, at least it looks like most of it is already in totes, how easy it that?!

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  3. Hope your move goes well. What a lot of sewing things to go through - not counting the rest of the goodies you have in your house. Are you moving far away...and how much time do you have to get all this sorted.

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  4. My sewing room is always a wreck--but I'm blessed to have a door I can shut when it gets out of hand. Lots of good wishes for your move!

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  5. Good luck with your move. I would hate to think of the stuff I would find after 27 years in this house. LOL!!

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  6. Since you have been quilting consistantly longer than I have, I don't think it looks that bad. However, I do know of a few stashes that are not in your sewing room! I do agree with Maureen, though. If it was a man's domain, the movers would not say a thing...in fact, I think that they would be drooling!

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  7. Working at a quilt shop is definitely good for getting bargains. Hope you get a chance to go through your fabric and say hi to all that good stuff while you pack.

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  8. Your stash looks very organized to me, projects in bags and totes. I'm impressed. And, it looks like you have enough projects to get you through the coming year, maybe even two years :D
    I hope your move goes smoothly.

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  9. Where are you moving? Have you checked to see where the quilts shops are? (I bet you have!) lol

    My hubby loves to tell this story.....when the Navy moved us from San Diego to Boston, we were 1,300 lbs UNDER the weight limit, and that included the jet skis and their trailer in the moving van. When we left Boston (after I started quilting) we TOWED the jet skis behind one of our cars, and we were still 1,700 lbs OVER the limit! HOLY COW! I guess I acquired a little bit of a stash! lol

    Good luck with your move!

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  10. HaHa, this is so funny!! Well maybe not so funny when you have to move!! Good luck with your organizing....and always save a little time for some sewing play time!

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  11. LaDonna I am in the boat as your. I started organizing my sewing room today. Just so I could get the clutter off the table to put some binding on a quilt. Hope your move goes well. Do you know where your next home will be?
    Hugs
    donna

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  12. LaDonna as a fellow (though now ex-) military wife and member and also fellow frequent mover I sympathise. The answer as to how to do it is the same as how do you eat an elephant - one bite at a time. Just get started and set a goal to do one cupboard or bin or section at a time. Be as ruthless as you can. If you don't like it or can't imagine using it chuck it. Put it on ebay if you can - you would be surprised what sells! Use the time your sewing machine is in the shop to get started on your sewing room and plan yourself some sewing time and some sorting time each day and you will get there. Wish I could come over and help. Tidying, sorting the clutter busting is my forte - just ask my husband - mind you he was not always so complimentary whilst we were doing it! AND don't count your UFO's but do tryo to make regular progress on them - they won't be on your conscience so much then. Good luck!

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  13. LaDonna, It makes me tired to think about moving, and I am beginning to get nervous about Nanny moving into Park Place since Don & I will be doing the work! However, I have faith that you will get it all done easily once you get started.

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  14. I think it'a totally rational and absolutely necessary to buy fabric that is 50% off. I mean, if you don't buy it, someone else will and then your fabric will be in someone else's stash and that's just not right :)

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  15. CONGRATS!!! Do you know where you will move to? IS there anywhere you consider HOME?? I so RELATE to clearing out the "stash"...I did that last FALL...what a JOB..but somehow it became manageable. SURE GLAD I did it .. hugs Granny Lindie aka Linda Lee

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