PING:Nel

Nel, you are STILL my inspiration in the clearing and cleaning of the
sewing/creating space. I have been s-l-o-w-l-y cleaning /clearing my space.
(I still have TOO MUCH! Another story for 'nother time! ) I CAN see some
improvement. Now my question is: what to do with the last bits when you are
nearing the end of the chore? I have taken the 'befores' pics but can't
seem to get to the taking of the 'afters'sigh I have small areas of what I
call tiny messes. Stuff I can't figure out just were to put. I am working on
the adage, 'everything in its place' sort of, everything should have a home,
like things together. How did you manage the last few items? It feel to me
like loosing the last ten pounds AGAINshrug

Nana... in need of some pushing PLEASE???

Nana - if those things left at the end didn't get placed before, are
they something you really need/want? That may be something to
consider. Gather them all together, see what may be the same or
similar, so you can rehome duplicates. That may help the tiny mess get
smaller.

Thanks to this group I have made a decent start on revamping my
creative room. Finishing up two more baby quilts before going full-
bore again.

Ginger in CA
where it is going to be a hot day today!

On Aug 21, 6:37*am, "Nana.Wilson" wrote:
Nel, you are STILL my inspiration in the clearing and cleaning of the
sewing/creating space. *I have been s-l-o-w-l-y cleaning /clearing my space.
(I still have TOO MUCH! Another story for 'nother time! ) I CAN see some
improvement. *Now my question is: what to do with the last bits when you are
nearing the end of the chore? *I have taken the 'befores' pics but can't
seem to get to the taking of the 'afters'sigh I have small areas of what I
call tiny messes. Stuff I can't figure out just were to put. I am working on
the adage, 'everything in its place' sort of, everything should have a home,
like things together. *How did you manage the last few items? *It feel to me
like loosing the last ten pounds AGAINshrug

Nana... in need of some pushing * PLEASE???

Thanks Ginger. I have watched, in the past, organizing experts talk about
"zones". My problem is I have my new computer in there too. Needless to
say, I have a problem with PAPER ('scuses my yelling!) . I do have my other
zones coming in line, fabric, (stopped buying & taking more fabric from well
meaning friends), supplies,etc. The fabric is overflowing from said
creative room, into the hallway & the bed roomsheesh I have emptied a
small basket of its fabric & will be placing ALL items without a home in
there to decide just what to do with them. Thanks for you suggestions, I
had forgotten momentarily what ta do (brain fart!!)

Nana.....onward & upward

"Ginger in CA" wrote in message
...
Nana - if those things left at the end didn't get placed before, are
they something you really need/want? That may be something to
consider. Gather them all together, see what may be the same or
similar, so you can rehome duplicates. That may help the tiny mess get
smaller.

Thanks to this group I have made a decent start on revamping my
creative room. Finishing up two more baby quilts before going full-
bore again.

Ginger in CA
where it is going to be a hot day today!

On Aug 21, 6:37 am, "Nana.Wilson" wrote:
Nel, you are STILL my inspiration in the clearing and cleaning of the
sewing/creating space. I have been s-l-o-w-l-y cleaning /clearing my
space.
(I still have TOO MUCH! Another story for 'nother time! ) I CAN see some
improvement. Now my question is: what to do with the last bits when you
are
nearing the end of the chore? I have taken the 'befores' pics but can't
seem to get to the taking of the 'afters'sigh I have small areas of what
I
call tiny messes. Stuff I can't figure out just were to put. I am working
on
the adage, 'everything in its place' sort of, everything should have a
home,
like things together. How did you manage the last few items? It feel to me
like loosing the last ten pounds AGAINshrug

Nana... in need of some pushing PLEASE???

On 21/08/2010 15:35, Nana.Wilson wrote:
Thanks Ginger. I have watched, in the past, organizing experts talk about
"zones". My problem is I have my new computer in there too. Needless to
say, I have a problem with PAPER ('scuses my yelling!) . I do have my other
zones coming in line, fabric, (stopped buying& taking more fabric from well
meaning friends), supplies,etc. The fabric is overflowing from said
creative room, into the hallway& the bed roomsheesh I have emptied a
small basket of its fabric& will be placing ALL items without a home in
there to decide just what to do with them. Thanks for you suggestions, I
had forgotten momentarily what ta do (brain fart!!)

Nana.....onward& upward

Consider giving it to a charity shop. I give buttons, fabric, yarn,
tapestry kits, etc that I will never use to a local charity shop and
they always sell well. I recently gave a big stack of 12 quilting books
and 1 craft book to the local library and they were very grateful and
yes, they did appear on the shelves. It does get easier to give things
away once you start! Two bags of clothes went to the charity shop
today... pity it didn't make a dent in our general household mess.

-- Jo in Scotland

Thanks Jo.
I have already cleared & cleaned lots of boxes (gave away on Freecycle)
This is stuff I am keeping, just haven't found homes for yet!!

Nana....did sort thru some fabric scraps & arranged by color

"Jo Gibson" wrote in message
news:JZYbo.80677$7E.63900@hurricane...
On 21/08/2010 15:35, Nana.Wilson wrote:
Thanks Ginger. I have watched, in the past, organizing experts talk
about
"zones". My problem is I have my new computer in there too. Needless to
say, I have a problem with PAPER ('scuses my yelling!) . I do have my
other
zones coming in line, fabric, (stopped buying& taking more fabric from
well
meaning friends), supplies,etc. The fabric is overflowing from said
creative room, into the hallway& the bed roomsheesh I have emptied a
small basket of its fabric& will be placing ALL items without a home in
there to decide just what to do with them. Thanks for you suggestions, I
had forgotten momentarily what ta do (brain fart!!)

Nana.....onward& upward

Consider giving it to a charity shop. I give buttons, fabric, yarn,
tapestry kits, etc that I will never use to a local charity shop and they
always sell well. I recently gave a big stack of 12 quilting books and 1
craft book to the local library and they were very grateful and yes, they
did appear on the shelves. It does get easier to give things away once
you start! Two bags of clothes went to the charity shop today... pity it
didn't make a dent in our general household mess.

-- Jo in Scotland

Nana, do you have a closet anywhere where you could put really long pieces
of quilting fabric over a clothes hanger? I've found that if you can get
this bulk to a new home that it leaves you room for more frequently needed
fabrics.
There's a church group that makes quilts here and I give them the fabric
given to me that is 'grown-up'. My quilting is mostly for little fellows
and as much as I would love to home and fondle the other lovely gifts, they
are truly needed elsewhere.
There is a quilt instructor who teaches at the library and she/they are
always delighted to have just ANY gifts.
And furthermore. If you have been given stuff 'because you sew' that is
truly trash, be kind and toss it in the garbage. I was recently gifted with
someone's grandma's sewing things and they really were shabby, moth-bally
and stained. Sneak it out to the dumpster after dark. We won't tell.
Polly



"Nana.Wilson" wrote in message
...
Thanks Jo.
I have already cleared & cleaned lots of boxes (gave away on Freecycle)
This is stuff I am keeping, just haven't found homes for yet!!

Nana....did sort thru some fabric scraps & arranged by color

"Jo Gibson" wrote in message
news:JZYbo.80677$7E.63900@hurricane...
On 21/08/2010 15:35, Nana.Wilson wrote:
Thanks Ginger. I have watched, in the past, organizing experts talk
about
"zones". My problem is I have my new computer in there too. Needless
to
say, I have a problem with PAPER ('scuses my yelling!) . I do have my
other
zones coming in line, fabric, (stopped buying& taking more fabric from
well
meaning friends), supplies,etc. The fabric is overflowing from said
creative room, into the hallway& the bed roomsheesh I have emptied a
small basket of its fabric& will be placing ALL items without a home in
there to decide just what to do with them. Thanks for you suggestions,
I
had forgotten momentarily what ta do (brain fart!!)

Nana.....onward& upward

Consider giving it to a charity shop. I give buttons, fabric, yarn,
tapestry kits, etc that I will never use to a local charity shop and they
always sell well. I recently gave a big stack of 12 quilting books and 1
craft book to the local library and they were very grateful and yes, they
did appear on the shelves. It does get easier to give things away once
you start! Two bags of clothes went to the charity shop today... pity it
didn't make a dent in our general household mess.

-- Jo in Scotland

If you've got this far, you're doing a great job. Look at those
before photos and see where you've been. And don't forget there will
be that horrible stage where things look worse than they did when you
started and the more you do, the more you seem to have left.

I put everything in boxes. Rememeber I am running a rearguard action
against things that fly crawl and chew! But I went by the same motto
as you. It's usually the gadgets that can't be catagorized. So I
have a rack I got from a closing-down card shop and I have put them
all into smaller stacking boxes on those shelves. The 'really' last
little bits get put in one box of 'last little bits' and then I know
where they are. Some things got stuffed in boxes-for-that-craft when
I ran out of ideas; so lace prickers went in with lace thread and the
shade-cards for Appleton's wools went with the wools.

I still have some boxes like the ribbons and buttons ones and the
scraps-that-need-to-be-decided-on that still need internal sorting,
but I have left those for cosy nights beside the fire in the winter,
where I can get down on the floor and decide on the criteria for
sorting them. The ribbons are mostly wound on cards and lined up, but
the buttons are all in a heap. They may stay that way. I quite like
the multicoloured shale of them.

What are the 'bits' of which you speak? Odd bits of elastic and one
inch pieces of velcro or half used needles and that odd holepunch for
leather?

I've put all the velcro together in a box of 'fastenings' that include
hooks, eyes, press-studs, fur-bars, frogs and clasps. Then I ended up
with lots more velcro that I thought I could possibly own (never
enough of the right side though ) so it got presented with its own
box. I have used these Useful Boxes that come in loads of sizes. I
got them on sale or return from Staples (DH calls Staples my Drug-of-
Choice! and asks me if I am going to 'use') and the investment was
well worth it. They all stack together, and some go inside each
other. All good stuff.

Holepunches and prodders and wheels and stuff all went in trays in a
box. I even have a box of boxes and tins and cartridge cases in-case-
they-come-in-handy. =D Couldn't throw those away, could I?

Lastly, the UFOs are sorted into projects with the fabric and pattern
(IF I think I will get around to them) and sorted away into their
constituent parts if I honestly don't. THAT was SO liberating! Some
even have got finished now. Others are moving up the list.

You can do it, but Rome wasn't built in a day. And beware the place I
got to... where everything was so tidy I didn't dare touch anything!
The room was sterile for about a fortnight until I made myself go in
and DO something. It's friendly now, but not yet cosy. That will
come, but productivity is improving.

Take care,
Nel
(Gadget Queen)

Thanks Polly. The closet is organized. Fabric is on its shelf (& the over
flow is in the bedroom, in two purple foot lockers & hallway boxes & under
the bed) So that is all taken care of, for the most part. I have been heard
or so I've been told, to say, "No thank you" when others ask if I need some
more fabric. Lady at my senior center had a small electrical fire in her
home & did some cleaning out of her sewing room. She asked if any one
wanted flannel fabric. I thought 'Oh, maybe I could use a wee bit of
flannel'. Well, she had a large box of flannel!! Me mouth watered & home
with me it came. That's what's in the hallway box. But I have plans for it.
Our senior center quilting class makes quilts for wee one in hosptials so I
thought I could use the flannel as filler for those.

Nana

"Polly Esther" wrote in message
...
Nana, do you have a closet anywhere where you could put really long pieces
of quilting fabric over a clothes hanger? I've found that if you can get
this bulk to a new home that it leaves you room for more frequently needed
fabrics.
There's a church group that makes quilts here and I give them the
fabric given to me that is 'grown-up'. My quilting is mostly for little
fellows and as much as I would love to home and fondle the other lovely
gifts, they are truly needed elsewhere.
There is a quilt instructor who teaches at the library and she/they are
always delighted to have just ANY gifts.
And furthermore. If you have been given stuff 'because you sew' that
is truly trash, be kind and toss it in the garbage. I was recently gifted
with someone's grandma's sewing things and they really were shabby,
moth-bally and stained. Sneak it out to the dumpster after dark. We
won't tell. Polly



"Nana.Wilson" wrote in message
...
Thanks Jo.
I have already cleared & cleaned lots of boxes (gave away on Freecycle)
This is stuff I am keeping, just haven't found homes for yet!!

Nana....did sort thru some fabric scraps & arranged by color

"Jo Gibson" wrote in message
news:JZYbo.80677$7E.63900@hurricane...
On 21/08/2010 15:35, Nana.Wilson wrote:
Thanks Ginger. I have watched, in the past, organizing experts talk
about
"zones". My problem is I have my new computer in there too. Needless
to
say, I have a problem with PAPER ('scuses my yelling!) . I do have my
other
zones coming in line, fabric, (stopped buying& taking more fabric from
well
meaning friends), supplies,etc. The fabric is overflowing from said
creative room, into the hallway& the bed roomsheesh I have emptied
a
small basket of its fabric& will be placing ALL items without a home
in
there to decide just what to do with them. Thanks for you suggestions,
I
had forgotten momentarily what ta do (brain fart!!)

Nana.....onward& upward

Consider giving it to a charity shop. I give buttons, fabric, yarn,
tapestry kits, etc that I will never use to a local charity shop and
they always sell well. I recently gave a big stack of 12 quilting books
and 1 craft book to the local library and they were very grateful and
yes, they did appear on the shelves. It does get easier to give things
away once you start! Two bags of clothes went to the charity shop
today... pity it didn't make a dent in our general household mess.

-- Jo in Scotland

One of my favorite organizing 'things' is for my s/m needles. I found a
package of twelve small plastic containers- about 2X2 in. and 1 in. deep-
for $1. I sorted all my s/m needles and labeled each little container-
like Embroidery size 12, Metallica size 14, double needles & misc., etc.
The little containers go inside a larger plastic tub.

Whichever ever needle is currently in the s/m, I leave the top off the
little container inside the larger one- that way I know what needle is in
the s/m and approx. how long it's been used by the current project. Then I
can decide whether to toss the used needle or leave it outside the needle
packaging within it's little container to indicate the needle is used but
still useable. The lid on the larger tub keeps all organized and neat. It
sounds much more involved than it is!

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...60435514iwuSDL

Being organized is sooooo nice- keeping it that way.... not so much! ;-)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

"Sartorresartus" wrote in message
...
If you've got this far, you're doing a great job. Look at those
before photos and see where you've been. And don't forget there will
be that horrible stage where things look worse than they did when you
started and the more you do, the more you seem to have left.

I put everything in boxes. Rememeber I am running a rearguard action
against things that fly crawl and chew! But I went by the same motto
as you. It's usually the gadgets that can't be catagorized. So I
have a rack I got from a closing-down card shop and I have put them
all into smaller stacking boxes on those shelves. The 'really' last
little bits get put in one box of 'last little bits' and then I know
where they are. Some things got stuffed in boxes-for-that-craft when
I ran out of ideas; so lace prickers went in with lace thread and the
shade-cards for Appleton's wools went with the wools.

I still have some boxes like the ribbons and buttons ones and the
scraps-that-need-to-be-decided-on that still need internal sorting,
but I have left those for cosy nights beside the fire in the winter,
where I can get down on the floor and decide on the criteria for
sorting them. The ribbons are mostly wound on cards and lined up, but
the buttons are all in a heap. They may stay that way. I quite like
the multicoloured shale of them.

What are the 'bits' of which you speak? Odd bits of elastic and one
inch pieces of velcro or half used needles and that odd holepunch for
leather?

I've put all the velcro together in a box of 'fastenings' that include
hooks, eyes, press-studs, fur-bars, frogs and clasps. Then I ended up
with lots more velcro that I thought I could possibly own (never
enough of the right side though ) so it got presented with its own
box. I have used these Useful Boxes that come in loads of sizes. I
got them on sale or return from Staples (DH calls Staples my Drug-of-
Choice! and asks me if I am going to 'use') and the investment was
well worth it. They all stack together, and some go inside each
other. All good stuff.

Holepunches and prodders and wheels and stuff all went in trays in a
box. I even have a box of boxes and tins and cartridge cases in-case-
they-come-in-handy. =D Couldn't throw those away, could I?

Lastly, the UFOs are sorted into projects with the fabric and pattern
(IF I think I will get around to them) and sorted away into their
constituent parts if I honestly don't. THAT was SO liberating! Some
even have got finished now. Others are moving up the list.

You can do it, but Rome wasn't built in a day. And beware the place I
got to... where everything was so tidy I didn't dare touch anything!
The room was sterile for about a fortnight until I made myself go in
and DO something. It's friendly now, but not yet cosy. That will
come, but productivity is improving.

Take care,
Nel
(Gadget Queen)

Thanks Nel. My small messes are getting tamed. I have a problem with "If I
put it away, I'll not find it again!" I have finally realized that if I
make myself a directory, I'll know just exactly where it all is housed!
Thanks for all your kind words & encouragement!

Nana

"Sartorresartus" wrote in message
...
If you've got this far, you're doing a great job. Look at those
before photos and see where you've been. And don't forget there will
be that horrible stage where things look worse than they did when you
started and the more you do, the more you seem to have left.

I put everything in boxes. Rememeber I am running a rearguard action
against things that fly crawl and chew! But I went by the same motto
as you. It's usually the gadgets that can't be catagorized. So I
have a rack I got from a closing-down card shop and I have put them
all into smaller stacking boxes on those shelves. The 'really' last
little bits get put in one box of 'last little bits' and then I know
where they are. Some things got stuffed in boxes-for-that-craft when
I ran out of ideas; so lace prickers went in with lace thread and the
shade-cards for Appleton's wools went with the wools.

I still have some boxes like the ribbons and buttons ones and the
scraps-that-need-to-be-decided-on that still need internal sorting,
but I have left those for cosy nights beside the fire in the winter,
where I can get down on the floor and decide on the criteria for
sorting them. The ribbons are mostly wound on cards and lined up, but
the buttons are all in a heap. They may stay that way. I quite like
the multicoloured shale of them.

What are the 'bits' of which you speak? Odd bits of elastic and one
inch pieces of velcro or half used needles and that odd holepunch for
leather?

I've put all the velcro together in a box of 'fastenings' that include
hooks, eyes, press-studs, fur-bars, frogs and clasps. Then I ended up
with lots more velcro that I thought I could possibly own (never
enough of the right side though ) so it got presented with its own
box. I have used these Useful Boxes that come in loads of sizes. I
got them on sale or return from Staples (DH calls Staples my Drug-of-
Choice! and asks me if I am going to 'use') and the investment was
well worth it. They all stack together, and some go inside each
other. All good stuff.

Holepunches and prodders and wheels and stuff all went in trays in a
box. I even have a box of boxes and tins and cartridge cases in-case-
they-come-in-handy. =D Couldn't throw those away, could I?

Lastly, the UFOs are sorted into projects with the fabric and pattern
(IF I think I will get around to them) and sorted away into their
constituent parts if I honestly don't. THAT was SO liberating! Some
even have got finished now. Others are moving up the list.

You can do it, but Rome wasn't built in a day. And beware the place I
got to... where everything was so tidy I didn't dare touch anything!
The room was sterile for about a fortnight until I made myself go in
and DO something. It's friendly now, but not yet cosy. That will
come, but productivity is improving.

Take care,
Nel
(Gadget Queen)