Friday, October 9, 2009

Who can work in this mess??

When my daughter, Denise, was young I used to try to get her to clean her bedroom but she would always say it was organized clutter and she knew right where everything was and what was clean and what was dirty.

That comment brings me to my sewing room. A few years ago when my husband worked in California he was on a job that the people were tearing out cabinets from an office space. They were just going to throw them away so he asked if he could have them. Of course, they were happy to give them to him because he would have to be the one to haul them away. He loaded them onto a trailer and brought them home to Utah. Now I have cabinets and drawers everywhere with plenty of space for fabric, tools, cutting mat, serger and sewing machine. I even have a design wall that is just a flannel sheet tacked to one wall. Sometimes it is even cleaned and organized....but then I start a project and have to pull things out to audition fabrics and the organization becomes clutter. I like to think that it is "organized clutter".

The other day I was trying to get backs ready for quilts, make a list of things I needed to get done, and go through patterns to see what was on my to-do list next and decide on some fabrics from my stash for some quilts. In the bottom picture you can see a half mooned shape on the design wall that will eventually be a bearded Santa face to hang for the holidays. Next to it is a felted wool Santa that I made several years ago that I pull out about this time every year thinking this will be the year I finally make it into a pillow. Next to that are 3 hot pads that my friend, Janine, brought back from Amish country. Under that are some of my quilting books sitting on top of a long cabinet full of magazines and craft supplies.

On the left of each picture is the next stack of 3 quilts ready to go to the quilter. And next to all my books is another stack of quilt tops needing backs or batts etc.

In the top picture you can see a small red shoebox. It is filled with diamond shaped fabrics that my Dad and Mom cut out with scissors probably 30+ years ago to make a star quilt of probably 20 different colored stars. You won't believe this....but many years ago I decided I would never get around to making it so gave it to a friend, Dixie, who hauled it all the way across the world when she moved to Africa (I think) because she thought she would like to finish it. Several years later, when she moved back here, she gave it back to me. I keep thinking I should get around to making it......maybe someday.





Putting this picture on my blog is good incentive for me to actually get it cleaned up again and organized before the next project. Think I'll save that project for later....much later.
Thanks for stopping by and happy quilting. Lynda

6 comments:

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

Hi Lynda! As I don't have your email address; I'll respond to your comment here.

Thank you so much for the comment you left on my entry to the Festival. I’m so overwhelmed by all the response and wonderful comments I have received; I was not prepared for this as I have never been present where the quilt has been exhibited, and am totally new to this whole blogging thing. I am happy (probably not the right word..) though that my quilt touches so many people, even if I made it as a way to deal with the whole thing myself. I have to add that I did ask my daughter’s permission to tell our story, and she was only happy I would do it. Some stories just need to be told.

Her getting ill started my quilting journey which is one of the things that has kept me sane through all these years.

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

And I have to add: I could work very well in that clutter; you should have seen my space before I cleaned it up:-)

Denise said...

Excuse me!!!!! I resemble that remark.....sadly, I STILL resemble it!

Katie said...

Praise the lord I thought I was the only one that's work space looked this way! Wink, wink! I think we all have a little of the destructive side to us when it comes to being creative. Because you know how do we find what we need if we do not look through absolutely every spot in our creative spaces and yank it all out along the way. Well by the time you are done creating, I am only speaking for myself I'm just to pooped to put it back or off to another project! That was actually this weeks project, repurposing my creative space/office.It was a huge one let me tell you it actually took an entire week! Have a great day!

QuiltSue said...

Me!! I could definitely work in that space. You should have seen the mess I had before I spent a bit (OK, a lot) of time cleaning up today.

I can't find an email address for you, so thank you for visiting my blog and commenting on Raspberries and Cream.

Nina Lise@Mrs Moen said...

Hi Lynda!

If you would like to try out the Santa's cats pattern for me, I can email the whole first pattern draft to you. Send me an email and let me know.