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While cleaning other parts of the room, the ironing board became a staging area for more sorting and organizing, until, it was a disaster again.

I  am linking to:

midweek makers 

 

wednesday wait loss

My quilt infatuation

oh scrap

I am still working on the room next to my sewing room.  I have unearthed more mess, and, I can see some progress. I do the cleaning dance - go through messes on the floor and sort them onto a bed or ironing board, then, go through those messes, and put them back on the floor, and repeat. Eventually, the messes finally shrink and the spot is empty.

bed

ironing board

ta da

I  am linking to:

midweek makers 

 

wednesday wait loss

My quilt infatuation

oh scrap

This is supposed to be a guest room. But, since, I don't have guests, I have stuffed everything, I don't know where to put, in there. I have an ironing board set up for ironing bigger pieces and quilts. To the right, is a thigh high pile of fabric and projects going back about 3 feet. I have 3 billy bookcases( ikea) of fabric that I can't open the doors. which means I can't put fabric away,  either, which has contributed to the pile.

from the door

My April goal was to clean the sewing room floor which took until middle May to finish. A by product of that cleaning, was to clean the cutting table, too. This is a Friday finish with great benefit. 

It went from this....

embarrassing

to this...

tada

By cleaning this, my scrap management just improved. And, I am working diligently on my ironing room in May ( and probably June) When I run into a stack of mess, I have this lovely table to sort and cut. yipee. I have been very careful to clean it every night, to keep it that ...

I can't believe it, but my sewing room floor is clean and as tidy as it is going to get.  It went from this

embarrassing

to this. 

I spent 6 weeks sorting through procrastinated messes and organizing better. I tried to remove as much as possible by donating or gifting. There is still too much packed into the room. I also tried to locate often used items closer to me.

These were all over the room wherever I could lean them

scrap bins

 still more to go

cutting table

I decided my ...

My strip bins overfloweth. The big problem is the floor around them is collecting strips as well. I don't like the mess of sorting into colors, so, I wait until the situation is urgent. I am trying to clean the floor in my sewing room. It has to be done.

1 1/2 inch strip bin

This is the 1 1/2 inch strip drawer unleashed. Hard to believe all this was in one drawer. 

This was my view from the door into my sewing room. I had to step over things to get to my sewing table. It was embarrassing and dangerous. I was focused on getting parts done, so, I would just set aside the maintenance, until, my projects were done. which is never.  I just couldn't take it anymore. Enough is enough. I decided, for April, I was going to take back my sewing room floor.

My first decision was to tackle the table next to my accuquilt. I cut and throw  the scraps into a pile for later. This is ...

At some point, I started cutting shirts, and, I wanted to organize them. I think it was when I pulled a new UFO project from storage called hand me down. I cut 11 quilt kits - 2 scrappy pinwheels, pineapple blossom, rail fence, 2 ohio star, snails trail, churndash, barnyard split nine, boxed shirts, and take 5. I have a kaliedescope quilt I want to cut.

I cut layer cakes, charm squares, 3 1/2 inch strips, 2 1/2 inch strips, and, I now have a large bag of crumbs and strings. I decided to spend March with my shirt ...

I blogged about making a cutting hit list here. And, I am surprised at how successful it has become. I was able to add to my projects on the list, and, I had a few leftover scraps to add to the scrap users system that has served me well for many years. I have a tray of 2 1/2, 2, and 1 1/2 inch strips.

I am frustrated with the scrap piles again. A little bit here and a little bit there, can really add up over time. I have let a lot of time pass since the last time I have been sitting to cut scraps. I dumped all the bits into a container, and started cutting. This time, I  made a hit list. I have several projects, that I still need pieces cut to finish. When I pick up a scrap, I check to see if I could use the color in any of the projects. If so, I start cutting the sizes ...

One of my favorite quilting helpers is this little rolling 3 drawer plastic unit. It rolls underneath my table when not in use. I have an ironing pad and a wool pressing mat on top, and, it is to the left of me when I sew. I can turn and iron very easily anything I want to iron. I have had it for years.

As I am cleaning around my sewing machine, I have found scraps and more scraps from projects and messes. I cut as I go. I have an odd assortment of fabrics this way. I cut 2 1/2, 2, 1 1/2 in strips and squares. I cut bricks this time in to 2 1/2 x 4 1/2 and 2 x 3 1/2.

Now, I can change my mindset to think about the new Quiltville leader ender challenge called triple treat. and use more of my 1 1/2 inch scraps. I have been working with them ...

It's time to clean up around my sewing machine. I just can't pile anything else there. Since I am trying to be deliberate about it. I am sorting, and ... being distracted by little projects that are not done yet. I found these zipper parts that just needed the outside sewn to the centers.

 I have 5 quilts that I am actively trying to finish. But, sometimes scrap management becomes a priority. I started cutting a box of scraps a bit ago, and the mess was getting to me. Time to finish. A few TV shows later, I have strips and squares to use in another quilt.

I had previously blogged about 5 inch squares and they were 10 oz.

3 1/2 in = 9 oz

2 1/2 = 10 oz

2 and 1 1/2 in = 4 oz

I have been cutting recycled shirts again. I have a few quilts I am cutting, as I go through the shirts. After, those are cut, I am cutting the leftovers into useable sizes. The pile to the right on top is for a brick quilt. I need 70 some and I have 40 some. next going left, any stripes, I am cutting a 4 inch strip for a one block wonder... for someday. next left is 3 1/2 squares. a piece missing from another project,  all the way left is a size big enough to cut for ohio stars ...

  I have a 2 gallon zip lock bag of odds and ends and leftovers in blue, that I need to go through before I cut for my projects. waffle stamps were already cut, so, I could sew them for last week easily. I always enjoy an evening sorting and cutting scraps. Anything less than a fat quarter, I cut into my scrap user's sizes.

2 pound 5 ounces = 6 1/2 yards = $60.00

From chunks I cut 2 1/2 inch HSTS - ( half square triangles ) for my crumb stars. I made 6 crumb blocks so I needed 48 ...

Shhh I am not really working on this project. It is not on the list for the month.. or the year.. 

It was part of the huge reorganization of ufo projects. I felt sorry for it. I knew it would not get picked as the top ten projects for many years to come. It would just sit there, looking sad every time, that it was not chosen. And, all I would have to do is sew a few 2 1/2 inch strips together, that are already cut.

This is a quilt called almost amish from Jos country junction here ...

I have a strange new addiction. My old label maker was acting funny, and, I couldn't read the labels on the project boxes during a search.  I happened to find this label maker at goodwill, and, had no idea if it would work or not. I took the chance and ordered the cartridges.  I really, really like it, and, all I want to do is re sort all my project boxes and add the new labels. 

First, I was happy. Then, I was depressed - I have way to many. Then, I was content to just keep after it.  Now ...

It starts innocently enough. I am digging through the string bucket for yellow for crumb stars, that I am making for the rainbow scrap challenge at so scrappy. I let the thought pass through my head that it is a big mess, and, then, I find a few half done wonky courthouse blocks. And poof, I am playing in the strings. My table is a scrappy mess, and my treadle is whirring. Such fun. And I believe if I just sew all these together, it will be clean.

On another front, I find a box of scraps that need to ...