Tip for tackling mending: when you reach a point in a large sewing project (especially on a deadline) where you still want to sew but the project is going to make you scream to work on for a second longer, take a small break and pick one item from the mending pile and fix it, especially if it's something simple like fixing a button or a seam or a hole to patch, something different from what you had been doing in the big project.
Another way to get through the mending. Do one mending job after each finished project, you'll have a palette cleanser and second finished task all in one. That way you're not forced to tackle the whole pile just one thing.
A tip for the mending part - Pick either a day, lets say mondays, and have mending monday? Or a mending month, example March or so, so it's rhyme-y? :)
How I deal with the mend pile: Make 3 small piles 1 Needs ironing first - goes to the ironing baskest, and so goes fusible interface if needed, and lives there for how long it takes me to look at it again. 2 hand mending - make a lot of mini piles organised by thread colour and pare a box of threads, buttons, snaps and whatever else might be needed for each of them, then stack them by amount of items, the smaller mini pile on top. Then the top 3 or 4 go to a basket with all the notions needed. This basket will live by the sofa untill it is eventually empty, then threads will go back to it's boxes and the next few items will go yo the basket. 3 machine pile - organised as the previous one, if needed zippers are placed on top of the item, each colour tread in the box will have a spool and a bobin if there is no bobin for that colour an empty one will be placed in the box. The box will live near the sewing machine. Usually this gives me an urge to empty the pile so next to the thread's box I place the mini pile that will use the same thread as the project I'm working on (or the top item) and that will be finished the next time I turn the sewing machine on, the rest will stay there asking me to be taken care of.
I can’t leave a piece of fabric out anywhere - if I turn my back for a second a very long haired silver tabby cat materialises on top of it. And silver tabby hair shows up on everything! My solution is to keep fabric in suitcases or inaccessible shelves (and you’d be amazed at how accessible things are for an intelligent cat!)
😹 We have a Bombay. Short black cat hairs show up on a lot of things, too. The solution? Goth wardrobe? We can't leave many things out, either. Whatever he doesn't sleep on, he tries to chew.
As for general organisation tips (I am making this separate from my mending comment to assist with clarity)... I am a librarian, so I am (quite literally) a professional organiser. This doesn't mean that I am a tidy person (far from it- I am an ADHD chaos goblin!) and I frequently need to do a big sewing-room clean out, but within the mess there IS organisation. For me the key has always been everything needs to have a place that *makes sense*, so that even if something does not go back where it is supposed to straight away, it will eventually make it back to the same place and not to a "new home". The best way to make this happen is (a) organisable storage, rather than a mismatched set of boxes, bags and containers that are chucked together, (b) avoid anything that requires moving stuff around just to access it, and (c) label the crap out of everything. By using a whole lot of clear plastic drawers that are all the same size, they will sit well together on a shelf and not want to fall over if you look at it the wrong way. If you need to reshuffle your order to add an extra drawer (ie. you need two containers instead of one for your dye collections because you bought some more), then it is simple to add another without the "order" being messed up. Be careful of plastic tubs that you need to remove the lid from, because then you need to remove all the tubs stacked on top of something just to open it up, and that sounds too much like hard word (and you will leave that stray bottle of dye powder next to the tub instead of actually putting it back inside). As for labels, I cannot stress this enough. It is all well and good finding an Extra Safe Place to put that Important Thing, but if you don't remember where that is, it becomes pointless. Labels will ensure you will always know where to go to find your candle supplies, and you are less likely to end up with them in three different places because each time you bought something you put them in a different box of bag.
So for the fabric stash: If you have fabric that you don't want to use for anything because of the pattern/print, color, fiber content, etc. make fabric boxes out of them!!! I have recently found some great videos on YT that are easy to follow tutorials, it's simple and if you have a couple of hours, make some measurements (according to space, like shelves, drawers, any tabletop, etc.), convert them into storage box -measurements, use some scrap fabric or as I call it: "dunno fabric" (have had it for ages and don't know why I have it but I do), or sew some scarps together (tadaa! Now you're doing quilting too), it doesn't have to be beautiful, but is very functional. You might want to use some stiffeners for the fabric (if it's on the thinner side, or strechy), but for some of us, iron-on interfacings and fleeces are really expensive (in my country of residence, true good quality decovill or what is rare and hella' expensive), but there are always some seamstresses who have too much regular sew-in fleece, or something else that can work. Second-hand or thrifted products can be a blessing and it doesn't even require anything else other than sewing skills! For other stuff like ribbons and trims these boxes that I just mentioned can be good, but another alternative that I use is decorative cardboard boxes from Ikea. They are relatively cheap (in my country) and they have different sizes too for different purposes. For example, I use them for all my thread, trims and all. For scrap fabric, I use bags right by my sewing machine, one for the fabrics, one for the little pieces of thread that I snip off when sewing. The scrap threads are extremely useful for smaller stuffed goods (toys, smaller pillows, sewing hems, and it doesn't take long before I have a whole bag of thread bits) and the scrap fabrics are good for bigger stuffed things, this way I don't throw away scraps, but reusing them. But it starts with 2 regular nylon bags at the sewing table! For things you always use (therefore you always keep it at hand, on the table): I used small containers, but they can add up quickly and for me, is hard to keep them tidy on the table, especially when I'm working with big circle skirts or pleated stuff that requires a big amount of fabric (the amount of cursing those containers have to endure when I knock them down from the table while sewing...🤣). I'm planning on purchasing an Ikea PEG board, but I'm not so against a magnetic board kind of solution either, for metal objects like awls, scissors, thread snips, a container of pins, but you can use small magnets on the non-metal things too, to stick them up on the magnetic board (it doesn't have to be a board, there are pretty strong magnetic foils out on the market, that you can apply on some wood or plastic board, or just simply use some strong double-sided tape to tape it on the edge of the shelves or the side of furniture, if the walls are out of the question..but you can use magnetic strips as well on the side of the sewing table, or on the front of a drawer or shelf that is accessible for you while sewing and cutting). But another solution could be a plastic organizer with little drawers and shelves on the table, or under the table. Those are not so expensive on Amazon or AliExpress or Temu and they make all the difference, especially if you label all the little drawers and shelves (usually it's made of translucent plastic). For cables: There are good and cheap cable organizers on Temu for example, but if you have zip ties, double-sided tape and some sticky notepads, you can easily stick and label them separately or tie them together and stick it on the side of your table, so it won't bother you. BUT. It sounds like I'm a well-organized person with a well-organized sewing space. WRONG. I recently moved into a larger (than the old one) apartment and my sewing space is part of my living room. Oh.. who am I kidding. My sewing space has a living room in it 🤣 ..and it gets messy when I'm working on 3 projects at once. So what??? Its art, it's crafting, some of us get messy when doing it and at the end of a very busy day filled with sewing and thinking and sewing and cutting out yards and yards of fabric and more sewing, who the heck has the energy to tidy everything up at 10pm at night??? I don't. This means that my space is often filled with clutter that I sometimes clean up, sometimes I just leave it for another day. Obviously I clean my space because I hate dirt and I'm allergic to dust, so cleaning is kind of an essential task for me to stay healthy and feel good. Overall, I don't think anyone should be ashamed of any mess that they have in their crafting space. We do stuff that requires all the energy, as mentally, as physically (thinking about my last project of cutting out a biiiiig skirt, on the floor because it didn't fit on my sewing table, cutting and sewing 3 corset mockups, 2 final corsets, then sewing, then embroidering, etc.), we often use thrifted things to give a second life to them, we upcycle, we're trying to make less waste, we're basically fighting against the fast-fashion industry by making our own stuff, garments. costumes, for ourselves, or for others, so let's just take a break, let's don't give a damn about the mess we made during the process. There's always another day to clean it up. Let's celebrate each other instead of shaming, let's be more creative and kind, not just to each other, but to ourselves too. It's okay. It's more than okay. I'm not saying that the mess is okay. Obviously, it's always better to create in a well-organized space, but sometimes it's just not the case. Let's not be stressed about it. Thank you for showing us your space, and please, don't be ashamed. You create beautiful things and you take the time and effort to record and show it to us to help us on our journeys. You're amazing. (sorry for the book-length comment)
Tackle mending: I do not allow myself to mend anything until I get 3 items. That way it 'nags' at me but I can't do it until the 3rd piece shows up. I want to do it but can't. When I have a third it's a relief that I can actually finally work on the mending to get it done. And 3 items normally don't take a lot of time to fix. Sew over the door organizers. You an hang it off the top of the door with a metal hangar unless you can find a flatter piece of metal. If the door already has a nail then hang it from there. Or hang it from hangars in a closet somewhere. Sew up some fabric bins to hold things you don't use often and put them under your bed.
I have a thrifted garment rack that I hang my fabric and notions on for current and upcoming projects. I can keep the notions in a shopping bag hanging from the hook of the hanger with the fabric on the hanger. I have to throw a sheet over the rack to keep it from too much UV and dust. It was the best thing for decluttering "THAT pile." Not that everyone has room for even a small garment rack, but it sure helped me organize my projects even the non-fabric projects. Mending goes in a basket next to the sofa, and I work on it while watching TV if I don't have anything else needing attention. The absolutely best thing that helped me go from clutter to a semblance of organized was my sister. Years ago I went to visit her, and we spent the week cleaning her closets and gabbing. We had a blast and got all the closets in her house and her spare bedroom decluttered in that week. It wasn't planned. It was just something we started working on while we were talking. But when she came for a visit last year, she had planned on helping me with my craft/laundry room. Again, we had a blast and got a bunch done. Having someone else that isn't judgy while digging through the "treasures" is such a major help and motivator. Also the follow up calls of "do you remember where we put (the thing)" are loads of laughs. I happen to have a sister that is my motivator (I think I am hers, but that might be ego), but that one person that you can be you in front of will also be willing to help dig through all that fantastical treasure is the best organizing and decluttering tip I have. I find it easier to work on other people's problems that it is to work on my own, so helping my sister with her clean-up was a breeze. When we working on mine she thought it was easy and even told me it was fun, because I had cool toys. Love the folding table, btw. Would love to know if it works as planned.
Did you accidentally film this in my apartment? Cause it resembles my sewing space to a “frightening“ degree. 😊 Definitely looking forward to see how you tackle it. One thing I use that helps me keep track of the small stuff is a nuts/bolts plastic set of drawers from the hardware store. Mine has like 30 drawers. Makes it easier to find things.
Mending inspiration: Feel like binging something on streaming or watching a movie? Pick up something to mend while you do so. Then you get fixed clothings and get to put them away.
How about some tension rods for over your kitchen island for curtains & the closet? You can use 2 for making shelves along the back wall & even some higher up to hold more of your less used boxes or even hanging your fabric from? As for the scraps why not use those for some pillow stuffing? I sort mine by the colors & use Ikea pillow covers. If I ever get enough or too much it might be fun to try to fill those into a small duvet cover.
For the window issue - shower rods/tension rods (the ones used for shower curtains) are a blessing. Got mine in Daiso and theyre faux-wood, go up in about 30 seconds. You can get chunkier ones and wee narrow ones. They can usually only handle more lightweight fabrics though.
2 ideas. Mending - new rule, every time you want to start a new project, you have to mend something first. Scraps - get a big bag or big box (cardboard box will do) and throw ALL of the scraps in as you create them. Bonus points if the box fits in an unused space that is still really accessible. Extra bonus points ts for every bit of scrap that you decide would be better going in the textile recycling than staying in your apartment. Good luck. 🥰
OK not sure if this would help you... I use ziplock bags for storing sorted small scraps and clear plastic shoe boxes for larger scraps. I have a shoe shelf that sits on a student desk which right now holds my scrap shoe boxes and clear plastic thread boxes... the shoe shelves keep me from knocking down the boxes.
okay, so first step is to get messy. take everything out and have a really good look.do you need everything? things you don't need can be donated/ thrown in the bin. everything your keeping then should be organised into seperate piles. you can either do it by craft type, or by storage type (drawers/hanging/boxes/etc). once you have an idea of how much you actually have,it's easier to see how much storage you'll need. things that aren't used all that much can go in storage boxes on high shelves. for things that can he hung up, get some tension rods and shower curtain rings, then put everything into bags (more points if it's patterns and you can put them in those plastic wallet things for binders), and hang on the rod. if your things are small enough, you can get 3-4 of these one below the other. next. storage drawers are great, but only if you can actually get into them. so the area around them needs to be kept clear. if you have items that are seldom used but you don't want to get rid of, then a storage bin can work fine, and then you can sit the drawer unit on top of it. for smaller items, a drawer unit with low profile drawers works great, because you're not then digging through a mass of things, throwing it all on the floor, just to try and find that one item that you think is in there. next, label EVERYTHING! and finally, if you take something out, put it back when you have finished using it. don't just put it onto the handiest flat surface with a promise of "I'll do that later". by doing this you constantly create "drop zones" for clutter. one thing is there that needs to be dealt with, so this other thing can go with it... and it continues until you have a pile that gives you anxiety, and may or may not be creeping around your place at night. just put it away! obviously, this isn't something that will take a couple of hours, then you're fine. it'll be days of work (maybe longer, depending on the price of supplies used, and accessibility to them), and even once it's done, you have to keep on top of it. okay, I think I'm done I got a couple of 8' book cases for free, then paid £5 for a huge, heavy, cupboard and shelf thing -again about 8' high, 6' long, 3 cupboards on the bottom running horizontally creating the base (with a shelf in each), then 3 stacks of 3 shelves on top. best things I ever got for my craft room! holds all my fabric, books, sewing machines, bookbinding glue, everything. the only thing they don't hold, is my huge canvases. hair looks really good! you're sticking with a shorter length for now then? oh, sure, use my "just everything" comment on screen to call me out😂😂
Jacki, in my daughters apartment to hang curtains, I bought the largest size “stick up’ clothes hook and then used the smallest diameter curtain rod from Wally World. Easy peasy and no marks when you take it down
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming i will tag you on the DFW costume guild site. We can then pm. I know of several ways to do low cost rental friendly options
I did something similar. I have some 3M hooks spanning across a section of a large opening (used to be a double door area) and a thin, expandable-length curtain rod. It's holding up a piece of fabric I'm using as a temporary curtain.
command strips: If you haven't previously tried them following the directions precisely - including the rubbing alcohol and the waiting... yes, they're going to fall down with far less weight on them than the package states. The package should also show how much weight any hook can handle vertical force vs a more horizontal force like a shelf. A curtain rod is directly pulling down so it will take the max. Think of it like fabric grain. On grain is more stable than diagonal. If you have followed the package direction precisely, and it's not holding the stated weight... Idk what to say. But that sucks!
One fun way to tackle mending motivation is to make it a social thing :) so meet up with friends where you all bring something you've been meaning to fix, then you suffer through it together! Also writing a list of your mending projects and checking them off when they're done works well with me, nothing motivates me more than hitting that checkmark.
For the fabric project, I use tote bags, and the ones I'm not making are hung in my closet. I'm a fan of boxes to put everything in it by type. At the moment, I do have a pair of trousers pattern on my table to be modified. Good luck with the organizing.
I've got a couple things to suggest.... I was getting my mending heap/UFO pile falling over on me after growing quite large and imposing, so not only did I sort them into their own containers, but also I made a personal rule that before scissors touch fabric on a New Project, I had to get two things off the mending pile, two things from the UFO pile finished (or at least revisited in case my skills have finally caught up with my ideas), and empty my darning box (I wear out fuzzy socks in work boots a lot). I've decreased my heaps down to where each of them fits in one of those little cubic boxes that fits in those IKEA shelves (I don't have the shelves, the bins sit on my sofa of craft chaos), that I decreased my requirements to one meding project, one UFO and 1D6 pairs of sox returned to service. I periodically sort through the items in those piles and order them in how hard/how long it will take to repair or complete so if I'm feeling like low-hanging fruit, I go to the front of the box and if I'm up for an involved project, I go to the back end of the box (or pull something from the top or bottom of the box depending on how I arranged it). The only time I allow myself to interrupt a current project is with a one-day make for something I need, or for something I'm making as a gift for someone else. Like handwarmers, or a hat cause I'm cold, or a pair of aprons for my mom and myself to save our clothing from beekeeping disasters, or a gardening apron because I apparently wasn't done with aprons yet and boy am I glad I made that, it's getting far more use than the Victorian Walking Skirt that I still need to put the closures on and hem will ever get :P I also have a tote for current and near future project fabrics. And another one for scraps for mending. I bought a 4-pack at Costco for maybe $15 that have locking lids and are maybe 8" high, a foot wide and maybe 16" long and they're perfect for scraps and small project fabric, or for taking a project with me somewhere to work on. My current cutting table is a glass tabletop scavenged from someone's moving day leftovers, placed on top of my rabbit's large dog crate, it's exactly the right height for me to bend over, and the surface is one of those cheap fold out gridded cardboard cutting mats from the fabric store, wiht one or two panels folded under because the tabletop is too short.. I'm trying to set up a reclaimed bedroom as my sewing and crafts area, with a scavenged table with an extnesion that might be long enough to fold out the whole cardboard mat. But as all my projects, I got about 80% done then was interrupted with other urgent things and haven't gotten back to finishing the flooring in there yet. Procrastinate much? Why, yes, and my clutter doesn't help, I have so much on the go that my whole house looks like that. But my intention once I paint the shelf that's holding up the completion of the flooring is to take everything out of my two steamer trunks of stash and sort through them, anything wool goes in the cedar lined one and anything polyester goes into a heap to be sorted into "I could stand wearing this so keep it", "mockup fabric" and "there's enough of this that someone should make something out of it so donate it". In that room I'm reusing some furniture from the previous tenant who left the room to go to hospital and is still in care so I had to deal with all his stuff and the messes that were left. But mostly the wire rack shelving, I took it down to paint the walls and then put it right back up. And those cheap plastic three drawer caddies with the wheels, one of those is beside me right now on the carpet, keeping a lot of my hand sewing supplies in one place and not accessible by somebunny who likes to explore new things with his teeth, As for scraps, maybe try a bin or basket behind the sewing machine and when the bin or basket is full (or when stuff falls off the heap from overfilling the container), sort it into scraps totes or bags. I actually have a big crocheted Yip Yip monster that hangs off the wire rack sheving that I hung over my former computer desk (now desk where the heavy sewing machines live) and receives scraps when the small basket I toss things into so they don't end up on the floor and then inside my rabbit. I tend to sort scraps by fabric content and the tiny pieces can be cabbage, the medium pieces can be patches for stuff in the mending box (I rip and wear out my work pants and am too cheap to buy fresh new pants I will literally trash within one week at work) and the bigger pieces get saved for stuff like Xmas projects, which in the past have included spice-filled coasters, oat-filled microwaveable hot packs, and pouches in which to store safety glasses or readers, masks, tote bags... I've also started washing and labelling all my fabric (minimum fibre content and yardage) before stashing it, so I'm planning on a lot of laundry as I get my stash spread out, sorted, and put back into storage. Hope you find stuff that works for you, this is what's kinda worked for me. Hasn't decreased the clutter, but has oragnized it a bit better?
I like polypropylene shelves.🙂 They are light weight and require no tools at all for assembling. They are also strong. 😊 Otherwise in a small space I would stack things high and get a step stool.
If you put you mending by your couch (maybe in another ottoman) with the supplies you need to tackle it you would probably be more likely to do it. My cheap organization hack is using the paper bags from take out to organize my paused projects. Reusable grocery totes are preferred but those seem to disappear on me.
Hooly Mo, what you need is a wardrobe in your bedroom that has coats in it and a pathway to a much larger space. I'd like to give you some tips on organising your appartment but to be honest, like you I don't know where to start. Enjoy your crafting and sewing 🙂
Mending Mondays are useful and the first thing you touches is the first you do, but saying that i have a wonderful pile of Mending that I am ignoring 😂, thanks for a good giggle. ❤
Thank you for sharing your chaos. I admit to way more of my own mess so you are not alone. I was also going to suggest command strips/hooks for hanging curtains but i see that you commented elsewhere that this hasn't worked for you in the past. Could you try a shower? tension rod, i dont know what the wall distance is but thought it might be worth suggesting. For my stash i have everything folded around pieces of scrap cardboard a stored like files in cardboard banker boxes with lids. Additional banker boxes hold categories of scraps velvets, knits, cottons or other crafting (embroidery, paints and paint supplies, yarn and knitting) This system allows me to label the sides of boxes with general idea of contents and stack and restack as needed. Best wishes for the sorting and organization, cant wait to follow along on the journey.
Good to know I'm not alone! Yeah, command strips only go so far. I talked about that when filming, but it got cut for time. I use them for holding up some of my paintings, but anything load bearing, and gravity always ends up winning 🙄🙄🙄🙄 Wrapping the stash in cardboard is a good idea!
I would suggest utilizing vertical space as best as possible. I know you can't drill in the wall, but that is what clamping curtain rods are for. They are fairly cheap and as long as they are not too long they can bear quite some load. Hang some of the textile wardrobe organizer shelves from Ikea or other cheap store from that rod and stuff it with e.g. the stuff littering the sewing table.
A tall book case can be a place for one end of the tension rod. It's also something you can choose to drill into, or use small clamps on to hold things to. Any "junk furniture" particularly if it's scratched up laminate, is fair game for drilling holes into.
If it's just the mirror Causing? the problem, you can take a Couple of cup hooks and Dowel rod and little curtain or a piece of fabric in front of the mirror while you're filming Screw the cup Hooks or eyes in the mirror and you won't be in the wall or like they said. With command hooks, you can probably hang Something from the ceiling with some string which will block out some of the light.
I know that this video is six months old at this point (for some reason YT unsubed you from my account), but there is only one thing that has helped me deal with my mending pile. The Australian UA-camr came up with #MendingMonday a few years ago, and this has actually worked for me. Each Monday I try and deal with one thing (or one part of a thing) from my mending pile. Just one. Even if it is a quick two-minute job, I don't try and do more. The aim is actually less about mending your clothes and more about habit forming. So I would rather have three weeks running of two-minute jobs than do them all at once in less than 10 minutes. If you can get in to the habit of mending just one item from your mending basket each week no matter how big or small the pile is, then "dealing with it" becomes a lot less stressful and overwhelming. Doing this has also helped me deal with the fact that this is an ongoing task that will never truly be over (a bit like folding your laundry). It is is part of my weekly chores- no different from washing my towels and changing my sheets- then it becomes routine. What you mend in the basket doesn't matter (and sometimes it is a 30 second machine repair to the inside of a shopping bag in a miss-matched thread colour), it is the fact that you mended SOMETHING becomes an achievement.
I can't really suggested to much as my sewing \craft \office \library sort of looks like your pit of despair! There are a few areas that are lost to me. The only thing I would suggest is a small shelf on your table. I have one behind my machines and it's nice to put things on, some are even sewing things! Some paperback books took some or well a lot of the space but there's still room for sewing things that I use a lot
🤣🤣 That is DEFINITELY the problem with shelves--books take over! But having a shelf system I could put on my table (instead of hanging) would actually solve a lot!
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming my shelf is two paperbacks deep so the books share well. There’s even room on the top for a bin that holds odds and ends that I need to be able to find but don’t need all the time! You might be able to get all the stuff on the right side of the table out of the way! You might even be able to find something dumpster diving or in a thrift shop.
I don't have any advice to offer because I don't own a large craft stash and have alot a space available for what I do possess. Got waaaay to many books though - I'm always bringing home small, cheap (or free) book shelves to house my library. So glad that you were able to get the new work table!! 🧡💙
Book storage is 100% my main concern! 🤣🤣 I have to stop myself dumpster diving more shelves because even though I need them, I've got no more floor space 🤐 And me, too! Thank you for helping with that! Once I get it going it's gonna make life so much easier!! 🧡
A few ideas! 1. Do a whole video dedicated to mending everything in the mending pile. I trust you to find a way to make it fun visually. 2. Use some stash fabric to re-cover the storage ottoman so that it goes with your current living room vibe (or use it as a jumping-off point to create a more dark academia vibe) 3. Also do a video dedicated to finishing off those knitting projects in the ottoman. Retro Claude has a lot of partial knitting/stashbusting videos you can look to for inspiration if you need any. :)
Probably won't be turning my organization into videos, judging by how bad this one has performed, but I definitely have thought about recovering my ottoman!
A few ideas. 1. Clean the bathroom. This one works very well for me, but I can see it negatively impacting others. Reason being, it is full of easy to clean surfaces and is smaller than most rooms so it can be a quick and easy win to motivate you on. 2. Catholic Guilt. I work best if I can see the problem (I think you are doing that already), so I like to use clear bins. According to the reptile breeding side of UA-cam dollar stores in the US can have a decent supply of clear bins. Outside of the US...not as familiar. So each project has a bin, preferably in eyeline, shaming me for not finishing it. (not the healthiest) It doesn't work as well when they are hidden away in aesthetic boxes. 3.Vertical space. There is no art in my craft room, only shelves. While I personally would advise getting shelving units to arrange your bins on for easy access, you said under $20 and no power tools - so as long as your bins have lids, you should be able to stack them. As I would never encourage illegal activity and dumpster diving is illegal where I'm from, I would encourage mental health walks around a college campus if you are able. In the rush of moving season - not everything lands in the dumpster. With this plan I now have half my crafting table back. Maybe more when my shipment of glue comes in and my cushion making spree can continue...
My sewing room/office is also chaos but one thing I’ve found useful is app to catalogue my fabric. I use one called Stash Hub. It’s helped me see what I have and stopped me buying more! I also made the Closet Core pouffe and put all my scraps in it - storage and another seat!
For mending and projects over all I separate them into bins or bags that you can get at dollar tree or just pin a post it note for what and where needs to be fixed and what the material is earmarked for. it stops youbfrom having to figure it out every time you look at it and make a decision. For the mirror you could hang a really light weight rod with command strips. Scraps need a process you go through by size that is an easy requirement and when it out grows designated amount you get rid of some of it.
Large baggies or folders for patterns hooked on a hanger can be command hooked to the wall. Also it looks like you are keeping all projects and scraps in case but it is at the expense of your art and projects you want to do today. I know it is so hard to not let past decisions be a barrier to today's art and satisfaction. Focusing on what the goal overall is and then for each space separately helps me.
With your mending pile, it might be better to keep 90% out of sight and keep 1 or 2 pieces out. For me, that helps with it being overwhelming. For motivation/getting yourself to work on them, try using them as buffer projects. Like you have to mend 2 pieces before starting on the next fun project. Or if maybe use them as procrastination projects. When you don't want to tackle a tough part of a sewing project, grab one of them and do a step in it (like cut a patch or pin/mark where it needs to be altered).
Morgan Donner also made a video of her mending pieces, you could do that. Either one big push on them or film a little bit here and there, and make a compilation video of them when you have enough clips.
Not a bad idea to only have a couple out at a time, but then I run into where I store the stuff elsewhere 🤣 Most of my mending consists of large tasks, like resizing/fixing fit issues, so I like the tackling a step here, a step there idea!
Rainbow books - some contemporary books the spine and the cover are different colours. This may be an impediment to finding things if you organize by colour. Textbooks tend to do this. Despite my partner and I often knowing the colour of the text book better than the author - we did not know the spine colours. We resorted to sorting by subject matter, and if it was less than a shelf we just let it be whether things landed.
Hmmmm...so I'm not the best at this stuff but some ideas: pegboard in the closet may be your friend, some vertical storage. I would get cubbies that fit you, not try to fit your life into the cubbies - not sure if you can hook them so they are one large one instead of two small cubbies? And I think using some wire (not the good stuff) you could make those fabric baskets that fit in them like a drawer. And this will probably be a controversial thing to say, but - I would toss those tiny bits of fabric. If you're not already using tiny bits of scrap fabric often in your swing, you're probably never going to use them. I have a pile of those too but every now and again I just admit to myself that I'm not using it, toss it, and then...start over.
I keep all the mending projects in my closet. I put a piece of the painters tape on top of a hanger with a note what needs to be fixed but I keep it there cardigan with unraveled seam in between all the other cardigans, skirt that needs button sewn on in between other skirts. I also have one small tote bag hanging on the side for socks etc. When it gets overflowing it kind of takes space and is annoying, and that annoyance helps me find inspiration ;). Having those items on display and wanting to incorporate them into outfits kind of pisses me off after a while and it forces me to mend it. When I had a mending pile it was left untouched for 3 years, lol.
When my mending pile gets out of control I do 5 minutes/one length of handsewing thread every day. The entire thing is overwhelming but 5 minutes I can do. Scraps I had to limit myself on. I don't keep all the tiny ones anymore, because it was becoming too much. I have two scrap bins now. One for wool and silk and one for cotton and linen. The pieces I keep have to be at least 10x10 cm. (That's 4x4 inches). I had multiple trashbags full off the tiny little scraps that never got used, because I rarely need to stuff anything and honestly, fabric stuffing is pretty heavy. If the bins get too full I either have to do a scrap project or get rid of stuff because I don't allow myself more space for the scraps. I have a big pile of fabrics that I want to donate/sell. In the last 5 months I've managed to sell two 😅. Warning about organizing books by color: I was never able to go back to any other method of organizing because it doesn't look as pretty 😂
As someone working on decluttering and just getting did of excess, I want to empty your closet and craft room areas so bad. 😂 I bet there are so many things you don't need (and never will) that can be let go of I you can have room to breathe! Like the boxes of leftover yarn from previous projects. Are you actually gonna make things with any of those single/partial skeins? If not, donate them, sell them, whatever, just get them outta there! 😂 It's a slow process for me, but I'm determined!
I honestly have a hard time with that. Almost every time I've donated craft supplies, I go back later looking for it for a project and realize it's not there! The yarn though, yeah, I do end up using that stuff to make amigirumi and stuff.
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming The "oh crap I needed that thing I haven't used in ten years two weeks after I finally got rid of it" thing is real. I use my scrap yarn for darning socks.
Dana K. White. Any book, podcast or video by her. I have several NDs, chronic pain and energy issues. Her method is not an instant fix, but you are aiming for better instead of perfect. You don't pull everything out with her path, so if you have a pain spike or energy crash in the middle of working you can stop without leaving it worse than when you started.
Oh my dear. My closet in my sewing looks the same. Underneath all my stuff is the contents of my daughters closet that she left when she moved out on her own. No, she doesn't want them. No, I can't get rid of them because they are her momentos. Or so I'm told. She's 40. I love her. My biggest issue, and I suspect it is one I share with many creative folks, is I have a serious case of "I might need that one day". Yes, the affliction has been remedy in other areas of my life by asking myself if I've used it in 6 months. If the answer is no - out it goes. But when it comes to your sewing supply, the question is more like am I going to need thst in the next 10 to 20 projects. My sewing room over runneth, not in a good way. I have no solutions hence I'm here to see what ideas folks might have.
Re: old costumes: you could buy those storage bags you can create a vacuum with? Then you have this thin package you can shove in a closet somewhere and forget about it existing and have a crisis when you actually need it and forgot where you put it 😅
You should contact Caz from clutter bug and ask to do a collab 😂. I am sure she will tell you the first step to organising is decluttering 😢 For the mirrors could you not put some command hooks on them and make some curtains to cover them while filming?
Maybe not on the mirrors directly, since they'r already only held up with command strips, and that seems precarious--but perhaps on the outside! That would certainly be easy, as long as the hooks held!
LOL! Maybe a live stream, MAYBE. But making an already daunting, laborious task take three times longer so I can film is probably not gonna help me get it done 😆
Maybe separating your mending into categories based on ease or the time it would take might make the pile less daunting. And maybe make a video about it. Can't really make a mending video without doing some mending 😂
I'm not able to help you as I build sewing stuff myself and I put small finish nails in the walls to hand my rulers, scissors, thread racks and created shelving that can be taken down on the walls. I have a 6 ft by 4 ft space to work in, in the corner of my bedroom. Plus it barely accommodates my wheelchair. I am renting my apartment and the Housing Authority sent me paperwork telling me all holes must be patched when I vacate the premises. 600 sq ft 2 br apt in a housing project and three of us live in this unit.
I feel for you Jacki, crafting in a small space is a challenge. I have just moved house, and integral to this has been a craft purge. My new space is larger, but conversely, has less storage. I have purged 100's of metres of fabric from my stash (donated to the local high school textiles class), along with abandoned projects and crafts. Its very hard, but I have a mantra .... Fabric (and craft supplies) is only an asset once its made into something. Until then, its a liability. So my advice would be ... be brutal. Remove anything and everything that doesn't have an immediate or defined purpose, donate orphans and the no-longer useful to you. Think about how often you have actually used scraps to make something, and then perhaps prune back to keeping only the truly special/unique fabrics. Try not to get into the trap of "sunk investment" thinking. Yes you spent a lot of money on these supplies, but you are probably not going to recoup that investment, so letting them go is best. Take a small bites approach. Pick one space, remove the not needed (as in take it out of the apartment, not just to another room) create organisation that works for you, and then move to next bit .... rinse and repeat. And be prepared for it to take far more time, and emotional energy, than you think it will. You will get there.
Ahh, apologies, my mistake. You see, I have just suffered through the trauma of rapid fire moving house, and downsizing, So my brain is in "it won't fit so out it goes" mode. I am confident you will get your space to a position that is right for you.
Re: thread organiser: why don't you have your mom send it to you? You miss it, and i doubt the shipping costs would be more than 20 bucks (Not sure if this falls within the rules of advice though... sorry)
So glad i live in the Netherlands. Even when renting we can drill holes in the walls. As long as we dont tear down walls or add or renove doors or windows were good basicly. And when we leabe we just fill up the holes and were good to go.... also the wall are actuallt solid walls not bot that cardboard mess most americans get to call walls😅😅
LOL! I mean...you should be glad you're there and not here for a NUMBER of reasons 🤣🤣🤣 But that's legit. Here, it depends on the company. I've lived at other places that don't care. It's a quirk of my particular place, and unfortunately, because of the real estate market, it's almost impossible for me to find another place.
Re: scraps: I know this hurts but... get rid of scraps. Really. Give them away. Put them in the trash. Let them leave. If saying goodbye is difficult, make a scrap box. Every time you need a scrap, you take it out. After a year, all scraps still in the box have to leave. No excuses. You didn't find a use for them in a year time. Sorry, they'll have to go. Your scrap boxes are like that box of orphaned power cords some people insist on having. Because "they might be useful someday!". But they hardly ever are. What helped me was someone asking me: if you could have the space occupied by scraps/cables/whatever by paying the cost of the thing occupying it, would you do it? And I would be like: oh, hell yeah I'd buy that space for like 10 bucks. Then it's time to throw the thing occupying the space out. And I know, fabric can be expensive. And the "but this has so much potential!" thoughts churning in your brain make it look really valuable. But it isn't. It really isn't. If you're like my, you probably have way, way, wayyyy more creative ideas in your head than you realistically have time and energy for to execute. You need to choose. And let go. It's ok to let projects go.
@FantasticalFolliesCostuming purge sounds so harsh. And I have trouble letting stuff go too, so I feel this. But how matter how well you organise, you can't cram stuff in space you don't actually have. So I'm afraid that part of organising or decluttering or how one likes to call it, is being critical of what you do need to keep. I'm sorry. I'm sure folding everything and getting good storage boxes will help a lot. But it still looks like you have more stuff than you have space for. And I'm being a humongous hypocrite because my pit of despair is a place I just avoid because of the sheer amount of stuff. And I keep telling myself: once the guestroom renovation is done I'm going to be so organised. But I'm still a dragon with a hoard containing more crafting supplies than the average kindergarten, almost-finished projects and a box full of leather scraps which I'll probably never use but "they're good practice scraps" Organising is also getting rid of stuff. And that's not a purge persé. Like, there are gradations between "my preciousssss" and "BURN IT ALL". A friend of mine has this box with stuff she doesn't want to throw away, but she has no direct use for. She keeps it in her living room and if anyone who visits sees something they can use, they're free to take it. I'm going to make a box like that as well. Also, I really applaud your bravery for giving us a tour of the crafting cave of wonders (or pit of despair)
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Tip for tackling mending: when you reach a point in a large sewing project (especially on a deadline) where you still want to sew but the project is going to make you scream to work on for a second longer, take a small break and pick one item from the mending pile and fix it, especially if it's something simple like fixing a button or a seam or a hole to patch, something different from what you had been doing in the big project.
Good idea!
Or have several projects on the go and hop from each to the other. I find that works even better
Another way to get through the mending. Do one mending job after each finished project, you'll have a palette cleanser and second finished task all in one. That way you're not forced to tackle the whole pile just one thing.
A productive procrastination?! This is absolutely brilliant!
A tip for the mending part - Pick either a day, lets say mondays, and have mending monday? Or a mending month, example March or so, so it's rhyme-y? :)
Not a bad idea to dedicate a day!
How I deal with the mend pile:
Make 3 small piles
1 Needs ironing first - goes to the ironing baskest, and so goes fusible interface if needed, and lives there for how long it takes me to look at it again.
2 hand mending - make a lot of mini piles organised by thread colour and pare a box of threads, buttons, snaps and whatever else might be needed for each of them, then stack them by amount of items, the smaller mini pile on top. Then the top 3 or 4 go to a basket with all the notions needed. This basket will live by the sofa untill it is eventually empty, then threads will go back to it's boxes and the next few items will go yo the basket.
3 machine pile - organised as the previous one, if needed zippers are placed on top of the item, each colour tread in the box will have a spool and a bobin if there is no bobin for that colour an empty one will be placed in the box. The box will live near the sewing machine.
Usually this gives me an urge to empty the pile so next to the thread's box I place the mini pile that will use the same thread as the project I'm working on (or the top item) and that will be finished the next time I turn the sewing machine on, the rest will stay there asking me to be taken care of.
That's an interesting method!
I can’t leave a piece of fabric out anywhere - if I turn my back for a second a very long haired silver tabby cat materialises on top of it. And silver tabby hair shows up on everything! My solution is to keep fabric in suitcases or inaccessible shelves (and you’d be amazed at how accessible things are for an intelligent cat!)
LOL. One of the benefits of feline companions 🤣 they get into everything!!
😹 We have a Bombay. Short black cat hairs show up on a lot of things, too. The solution? Goth wardrobe?
We can't leave many things out, either. Whatever he doesn't sleep on, he tries to chew.
Seeing your sewing chaos is making me feel seen and understood
Same
Glad I'm not the only one 🤣
As for general organisation tips (I am making this separate from my mending comment to assist with clarity)...
I am a librarian, so I am (quite literally) a professional organiser. This doesn't mean that I am a tidy person (far from it- I am an ADHD chaos goblin!) and I frequently need to do a big sewing-room clean out, but within the mess there IS organisation.
For me the key has always been everything needs to have a place that *makes sense*, so that even if something does not go back where it is supposed to straight away, it will eventually make it back to the same place and not to a "new home". The best way to make this happen is (a) organisable storage, rather than a mismatched set of boxes, bags and containers that are chucked together, (b) avoid anything that requires moving stuff around just to access it, and (c) label the crap out of everything.
By using a whole lot of clear plastic drawers that are all the same size, they will sit well together on a shelf and not want to fall over if you look at it the wrong way. If you need to reshuffle your order to add an extra drawer (ie. you need two containers instead of one for your dye collections because you bought some more), then it is simple to add another without the "order" being messed up. Be careful of plastic tubs that you need to remove the lid from, because then you need to remove all the tubs stacked on top of something just to open it up, and that sounds too much like hard word (and you will leave that stray bottle of dye powder next to the tub instead of actually putting it back inside).
As for labels, I cannot stress this enough. It is all well and good finding an Extra Safe Place to put that Important Thing, but if you don't remember where that is, it becomes pointless. Labels will ensure you will always know where to go to find your candle supplies, and you are less likely to end up with them in three different places because each time you bought something you put them in a different box of bag.
So for the fabric stash: If you have fabric that you don't want to use for anything because of the pattern/print, color, fiber content, etc. make fabric boxes out of them!!! I have recently found some great videos on YT that are easy to follow tutorials, it's simple and if you have a couple of hours, make some measurements (according to space, like shelves, drawers, any tabletop, etc.), convert them into storage box -measurements, use some scrap fabric or as I call it: "dunno fabric" (have had it for ages and don't know why I have it but I do), or sew some scarps together (tadaa! Now you're doing quilting too), it doesn't have to be beautiful, but is very functional. You might want to use some stiffeners for the fabric (if it's on the thinner side, or strechy), but for some of us, iron-on interfacings and fleeces are really expensive (in my country of residence, true good quality decovill or what is rare and hella' expensive), but there are always some seamstresses who have too much regular sew-in fleece, or something else that can work. Second-hand or thrifted products can be a blessing and it doesn't even require anything else other than sewing skills! For other stuff like ribbons and trims these boxes that I just mentioned can be good, but another alternative that I use is decorative cardboard boxes from Ikea. They are relatively cheap (in my country) and they have different sizes too for different purposes. For example, I use them for all my thread, trims and all. For scrap fabric, I use bags right by my sewing machine, one for the fabrics, one for the little pieces of thread that I snip off when sewing. The scrap threads are extremely useful for smaller stuffed goods (toys, smaller pillows, sewing hems, and it doesn't take long before I have a whole bag of thread bits) and the scrap fabrics are good for bigger stuffed things, this way I don't throw away scraps, but reusing them. But it starts with 2 regular nylon bags at the sewing table! For things you always use (therefore you always keep it at hand, on the table): I used small containers, but they can add up quickly and for me, is hard to keep them tidy on the table, especially when I'm working with big circle skirts or pleated stuff that requires a big amount of fabric (the amount of cursing those containers have to endure when I knock them down from the table while sewing...🤣). I'm planning on purchasing an Ikea PEG board, but I'm not so against a magnetic board kind of solution either, for metal objects like awls, scissors, thread snips, a container of pins, but you can use small magnets on the non-metal things too, to stick them up on the magnetic board (it doesn't have to be a board, there are pretty strong magnetic foils out on the market, that you can apply on some wood or plastic board, or just simply use some strong double-sided tape to tape it on the edge of the shelves or the side of furniture, if the walls are out of the question..but you can use magnetic strips as well on the side of the sewing table, or on the front of a drawer or shelf that is accessible for you while sewing and cutting). But another solution could be a plastic organizer with little drawers and shelves on the table, or under the table. Those are not so expensive on Amazon or AliExpress or Temu and they make all the difference, especially if you label all the little drawers and shelves (usually it's made of translucent plastic). For cables: There are good and cheap cable organizers on Temu for example, but if you have zip ties, double-sided tape and some sticky notepads, you can easily stick and label them separately or tie them together and stick it on the side of your table, so it won't bother you. BUT. It sounds like I'm a well-organized person with a well-organized sewing space. WRONG. I recently moved into a larger (than the old one) apartment and my sewing space is part of my living room. Oh.. who am I kidding. My sewing space has a living room in it 🤣 ..and it gets messy when I'm working on 3 projects at once. So what??? Its art, it's crafting, some of us get messy when doing it and at the end of a very busy day filled with sewing and thinking and sewing and cutting out yards and yards of fabric and more sewing, who the heck has the energy to tidy everything up at 10pm at night??? I don't. This means that my space is often filled with clutter that I sometimes clean up, sometimes I just leave it for another day. Obviously I clean my space because I hate dirt and I'm allergic to dust, so cleaning is kind of an essential task for me to stay healthy and feel good. Overall, I don't think anyone should be ashamed of any mess that they have in their crafting space. We do stuff that requires all the energy, as mentally, as physically (thinking about my last project of cutting out a biiiiig skirt, on the floor because it didn't fit on my sewing table, cutting and sewing 3 corset mockups, 2 final corsets, then sewing, then embroidering, etc.), we often use thrifted things to give a second life to them, we upcycle, we're trying to make less waste, we're basically fighting against the fast-fashion industry by making our own stuff, garments. costumes, for ourselves, or for others, so let's just take a break, let's don't give a damn about the mess we made during the process. There's always another day to clean it up. Let's celebrate each other instead of shaming, let's be more creative and kind, not just to each other, but to ourselves too. It's okay. It's more than okay. I'm not saying that the mess is okay. Obviously, it's always better to create in a well-organized space, but sometimes it's just not the case. Let's not be stressed about it. Thank you for showing us your space, and please, don't be ashamed. You create beautiful things and you take the time and effort to record and show it to us to help us on our journeys. You're amazing. (sorry for the book-length comment)
These are some really great ideas!! Thank you! And thanks for your kind words!
Tackle mending: I do not allow myself to mend anything until I get 3 items. That way it 'nags' at me but I can't do it until the 3rd piece shows up. I want to do it but can't. When I have a third it's a relief that I can actually finally work on the mending to get it done. And 3 items normally don't take a lot of time to fix.
Sew over the door organizers. You an hang it off the top of the door with a metal hangar unless you can find a flatter piece of metal. If the door already has a nail then hang it from there. Or hang it from hangars in a closet somewhere.
Sew up some fabric bins to hold things you don't use often and put them under your bed.
All my doors are already taken over with stuff (and by stuff, I mean shoes...🤐🤐) but this is a GREAT idea for other folks!
I have a thrifted garment rack that I hang my fabric and notions on for current and upcoming projects. I can keep the notions in a shopping bag hanging from the hook of the hanger with the fabric on the hanger. I have to throw a sheet over the rack to keep it from too much UV and dust. It was the best thing for decluttering "THAT pile." Not that everyone has room for even a small garment rack, but it sure helped me organize my projects even the non-fabric projects.
Mending goes in a basket next to the sofa, and I work on it while watching TV if I don't have anything else needing attention.
The absolutely best thing that helped me go from clutter to a semblance of organized was my sister. Years ago I went to visit her, and we spent the week cleaning her closets and gabbing. We had a blast and got all the closets in her house and her spare bedroom decluttered in that week. It wasn't planned. It was just something we started working on while we were talking. But when she came for a visit last year, she had planned on helping me with my craft/laundry room. Again, we had a blast and got a bunch done. Having someone else that isn't judgy while digging through the "treasures" is such a major help and motivator. Also the follow up calls of "do you remember where we put (the thing)" are loads of laughs. I happen to have a sister that is my motivator (I think I am hers, but that might be ego), but that one person that you can be you in front of will also be willing to help dig through all that fantastical treasure is the best organizing and decluttering tip I have. I find it easier to work on other people's problems that it is to work on my own, so helping my sister with her clean-up was a breeze. When we working on mine she thought it was easy and even told me it was fun, because I had cool toys.
Love the folding table, btw. Would love to know if it works as planned.
A cleaning buddy is a good idea, if you have one! I'll let you know about the table. Trying to motivate myself to put it together this evening 😵💫
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming "rah rah go go go! "
Did you accidentally film this in my apartment? Cause it resembles my sewing space to a “frightening“ degree. 😊 Definitely looking forward to see how you tackle it.
One thing I use that helps me keep track of the small stuff is a nuts/bolts plastic set of drawers from the hardware store. Mine has like 30 drawers. Makes it easier to find things.
🤣🤣 SO glad I'm not the only one!
That's a good idea for small things!!
Any "crafter" understands.
Mending inspiration:
Feel like binging something on streaming or watching a movie? Pick up something to mend while you do so. Then you get fixed clothings and get to put them away.
How about some tension rods for over your kitchen island for curtains & the closet? You can use 2 for making shelves along the back wall & even some higher up to hold more of your less used boxes or even hanging your fabric from?
As for the scraps why not use those for some pillow stuffing? I sort mine by the colors & use Ikea pillow covers. If I ever get enough or too much it might be fun to try to fill those into a small duvet cover.
For the window issue - shower rods/tension rods (the ones used for shower curtains) are a blessing. Got mine in Daiso and theyre faux-wood, go up in about 30 seconds. You can get chunkier ones and wee narrow ones. They can usually only handle more lightweight fabrics though.
I'd be interested in a bookshelf tour, maybe!
Noted! ☺️
2 ideas.
Mending - new rule, every time you want to start a new project, you have to mend something first.
Scraps - get a big bag or big box (cardboard box will do) and throw ALL of the scraps in as you create them. Bonus points if the box fits in an unused space that is still really accessible. Extra bonus points ts for every bit of scrap that you decide would be better going in the textile recycling than staying in your apartment. Good luck. 🥰
I like that idea for a scrap box!
OK not sure if this would help you... I use ziplock bags for storing sorted small scraps and clear plastic shoe boxes for larger scraps. I have a shoe shelf that sits on a student desk which right now holds my scrap shoe boxes and clear plastic thread boxes... the shoe shelves keep me from knocking down the boxes.
I didn't know they made plastic shoe boxes! That's a good idea.
You could take your favorite scraps and cover the ottoman with them, to make it look more like you.
Definitely into the idea of repurposing!
okay, so first step is to get messy. take everything out and have a really good look.do you need everything? things you don't need can be donated/ thrown in the bin. everything your keeping then should be organised into seperate piles. you can either do it by craft type, or by storage type (drawers/hanging/boxes/etc). once you have an idea of how much you actually have,it's easier to see how much storage you'll need. things that aren't used all that much can go in storage boxes on high shelves. for things that can he hung up, get some tension rods and shower curtain rings, then put everything into bags (more points if it's patterns and you can put them in those plastic wallet things for binders), and hang on the rod. if your things are small enough, you can get 3-4 of these one below the other. next. storage drawers are great, but only if you can actually get into them. so the area around them needs to be kept clear. if you have items that are seldom used but you don't want to get rid of, then a storage bin can work fine, and then you can sit the drawer unit on top of it. for smaller items, a drawer unit with low profile drawers works great, because you're not then digging through a mass of things, throwing it all on the floor, just to try and find that one item that you think is in there. next, label EVERYTHING! and finally, if you take something out, put it back when you have finished using it. don't just put it onto the handiest flat surface with a promise of "I'll do that later". by doing this you constantly create "drop zones" for clutter. one thing is there that needs to be dealt with, so this other thing can go with it... and it continues until you have a pile that gives you anxiety, and may or may not be creeping around your place at night. just put it away! obviously, this isn't something that will take a couple of hours, then you're fine. it'll be days of work (maybe longer, depending on the price of supplies used, and accessibility to them), and even once it's done, you have to keep on top of it. okay, I think I'm done
I got a couple of 8' book cases for free, then paid £5 for a huge, heavy, cupboard and shelf thing -again about 8' high, 6' long, 3 cupboards on the bottom running horizontally creating the base (with a shelf in each), then 3 stacks of 3 shelves on top. best things I ever got for my craft room! holds all my fabric, books, sewing machines, bookbinding glue, everything. the only thing they don't hold, is my huge canvases.
hair looks really good! you're sticking with a shorter length for now then?
oh, sure, use my "just everything" comment on screen to call me out😂😂
Great tips!
Jacki, in my daughters apartment to hang curtains, I bought the largest size “stick up’ clothes hook and then used the smallest diameter curtain rod from Wally World. Easy peasy and no marks when you take it down
Like Command Strips? I use those a lot, but they always fall down 😓
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming i will tag you on the DFW costume guild site. We can then pm. I know of several ways to do low cost rental friendly options
I did something similar. I have some 3M hooks spanning across a section of a large opening (used to be a double door area) and a thin, expandable-length curtain rod. It's holding up a piece of fabric I'm using as a temporary curtain.
command strips: If you haven't previously tried them following the directions precisely - including the rubbing alcohol and the waiting... yes, they're going to fall down with far less weight on them than the package states.
The package should also show how much weight any hook can handle vertical force vs a more horizontal force like a shelf. A curtain rod is directly pulling down so it will take the max.
Think of it like fabric grain. On grain is more stable than diagonal.
If you have followed the package direction precisely, and it's not holding the stated weight... Idk what to say. But that sucks!
One fun way to tackle mending motivation is to make it a social thing :) so meet up with friends where you all bring something you've been meaning to fix, then you suffer through it together! Also writing a list of your mending projects and checking them off when they're done works well with me, nothing motivates me more than hitting that checkmark.
I like the list idea! That's a good one! Getting that dopamine hit 🤣
For the fabric project, I use tote bags, and the ones I'm not making are hung in my closet. I'm a fan of boxes to put everything in it by type. At the moment, I do have a pair of trousers pattern on my table to be modified. Good luck with the organizing.
Hanging in your closet's a good idea! Thanks!
I've got a couple things to suggest.... I was getting my mending heap/UFO pile falling over on me after growing quite large and imposing, so not only did I sort them into their own containers, but also I made a personal rule that before scissors touch fabric on a New Project, I had to get two things off the mending pile, two things from the UFO pile finished (or at least revisited in case my skills have finally caught up with my ideas), and empty my darning box (I wear out fuzzy socks in work boots a lot). I've decreased my heaps down to where each of them fits in one of those little cubic boxes that fits in those IKEA shelves (I don't have the shelves, the bins sit on my sofa of craft chaos), that I decreased my requirements to one meding project, one UFO and 1D6 pairs of sox returned to service. I periodically sort through the items in those piles and order them in how hard/how long it will take to repair or complete so if I'm feeling like low-hanging fruit, I go to the front of the box and if I'm up for an involved project, I go to the back end of the box (or pull something from the top or bottom of the box depending on how I arranged it).
The only time I allow myself to interrupt a current project is with a one-day make for something I need, or for something I'm making as a gift for someone else. Like handwarmers, or a hat cause I'm cold, or a pair of aprons for my mom and myself to save our clothing from beekeeping disasters, or a gardening apron because I apparently wasn't done with aprons yet and boy am I glad I made that, it's getting far more use than the Victorian Walking Skirt that I still need to put the closures on and hem will ever get :P
I also have a tote for current and near future project fabrics. And another one for scraps for mending. I bought a 4-pack at Costco for maybe $15 that have locking lids and are maybe 8" high, a foot wide and maybe 16" long and they're perfect for scraps and small project fabric, or for taking a project with me somewhere to work on.
My current cutting table is a glass tabletop scavenged from someone's moving day leftovers, placed on top of my rabbit's large dog crate, it's exactly the right height for me to bend over, and the surface is one of those cheap fold out gridded cardboard cutting mats from the fabric store, wiht one or two panels folded under because the tabletop is too short..
I'm trying to set up a reclaimed bedroom as my sewing and crafts area, with a scavenged table with an extnesion that might be long enough to fold out the whole cardboard mat. But as all my projects, I got about 80% done then was interrupted with other urgent things and haven't gotten back to finishing the flooring in there yet. Procrastinate much? Why, yes, and my clutter doesn't help, I have so much on the go that my whole house looks like that. But my intention once I paint the shelf that's holding up the completion of the flooring is to take everything out of my two steamer trunks of stash and sort through them, anything wool goes in the cedar lined one and anything polyester goes into a heap to be sorted into "I could stand wearing this so keep it", "mockup fabric" and "there's enough of this that someone should make something out of it so donate it".
In that room I'm reusing some furniture from the previous tenant who left the room to go to hospital and is still in care so I had to deal with all his stuff and the messes that were left. But mostly the wire rack shelving, I took it down to paint the walls and then put it right back up. And those cheap plastic three drawer caddies with the wheels, one of those is beside me right now on the carpet, keeping a lot of my hand sewing supplies in one place and not accessible by somebunny who likes to explore new things with his teeth,
As for scraps, maybe try a bin or basket behind the sewing machine and when the bin or basket is full (or when stuff falls off the heap from overfilling the container), sort it into scraps totes or bags. I actually have a big crocheted Yip Yip monster that hangs off the wire rack sheving that I hung over my former computer desk (now desk where the heavy sewing machines live) and receives scraps when the small basket I toss things into so they don't end up on the floor and then inside my rabbit. I tend to sort scraps by fabric content and the tiny pieces can be cabbage, the medium pieces can be patches for stuff in the mending box (I rip and wear out my work pants and am too cheap to buy fresh new pants I will literally trash within one week at work) and the bigger pieces get saved for stuff like Xmas projects, which in the past have included spice-filled coasters, oat-filled microwaveable hot packs, and pouches in which to store safety glasses or readers, masks, tote bags...
I've also started washing and labelling all my fabric (minimum fibre content and yardage) before stashing it, so I'm planning on a lot of laundry as I get my stash spread out, sorted, and put back into storage.
Hope you find stuff that works for you, this is what's kinda worked for me. Hasn't decreased the clutter, but has oragnized it a bit better?
Love the Yip Yip monster! 🤣 Definitely think having a dedicated back I have to sort once it fills is a good way to handle the scraps. Thanks!
I like polypropylene shelves.🙂 They are light weight and require no tools at all for assembling. They are also strong. 😊 Otherwise in a small space I would stack things high and get a step stool.
I have TWO step stools! 🤣 Definitely utilize that for storage!
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming OK, cool. 😄 They are useful. 😊
If you put you mending by your couch (maybe in another ottoman) with the supplies you need to tackle it you would probably be more likely to do it.
My cheap organization hack is using the paper bags from take out to organize my paused projects. Reusable grocery totes are preferred but those seem to disappear on me.
Hah! Here, we actually have a law against plastic bags (and I don't eat out,) but reusable grocery bags--got a ton of those!
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming most of the restaurants here (that I visit anyway) use a paper bag that’s like a gift bag
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming Or you could make some bags with stash fabric you're never going to wear...
Hooly Mo, what you need is a wardrobe in your bedroom that has coats in it and a pathway to a much larger space.
I'd like to give you some tips on organising your appartment but to be honest, like you I don't know where to start. Enjoy your crafting and sewing 🙂
If only I had a wardrobe like that!! 🤣 It's like Narnia possessed by Time Lords. HAH!
Mending Mondays are useful and the first thing you touches is the first you do, but saying that i have a wonderful pile of Mending that I am ignoring 😂, thanks for a good giggle. ❤
Glad you enjoyed!
Thank you for sharing your chaos. I admit to way more of my own mess so you are not alone.
I was also going to suggest command strips/hooks for hanging curtains but i see that you commented elsewhere that this hasn't worked for you in the past. Could you try a shower? tension rod, i dont know what the wall distance is but thought it might be worth suggesting.
For my stash i have everything folded around pieces of scrap cardboard a stored like files in cardboard banker boxes with lids. Additional banker boxes hold categories of scraps velvets, knits, cottons or other crafting (embroidery, paints and paint supplies, yarn and knitting) This system allows me to label the sides of boxes with general idea of contents and stack and restack as needed.
Best wishes for the sorting and organization, cant wait to follow along on the journey.
Good to know I'm not alone!
Yeah, command strips only go so far. I talked about that when filming, but it got cut for time. I use them for holding up some of my paintings, but anything load bearing, and gravity always ends up winning 🙄🙄🙄🙄 Wrapping the stash in cardboard is a good idea!
I would suggest utilizing vertical space as best as possible. I know you can't drill in the wall, but that is what clamping curtain rods are for. They are fairly cheap and as long as they are not too long they can bear quite some load. Hang some of the textile wardrobe organizer shelves from Ikea or other cheap store from that rod and stuff it with e.g. the stuff littering the sewing table.
Someone else suggested tension rods, it's not a bad idea! Although finding a wall short enough to hang one in this place is a little tricky 🤣
A tall book case can be a place for one end of the tension rod. It's also something you can choose to drill into, or use small clamps on to hold things to. Any "junk furniture" particularly if it's scratched up laminate, is fair game for drilling holes into.
If it's just the mirror Causing? the problem, you can take a Couple of cup hooks and Dowel rod and little curtain or a piece of fabric in front of the mirror while you're filming Screw the cup Hooks or eyes in the mirror and you won't be in the wall or like they said. With command hooks, you can probably hang Something from the ceiling with some string which will block out some of the light.
I know that this video is six months old at this point (for some reason YT unsubed you from my account), but there is only one thing that has helped me deal with my mending pile.
The Australian UA-camr came up with #MendingMonday a few years ago, and this has actually worked for me.
Each Monday I try and deal with one thing (or one part of a thing) from my mending pile. Just one. Even if it is a quick two-minute job, I don't try and do more. The aim is actually less about mending your clothes and more about habit forming. So I would rather have three weeks running of two-minute jobs than do them all at once in less than 10 minutes. If you can get in to the habit of mending just one item from your mending basket each week no matter how big or small the pile is, then "dealing with it" becomes a lot less stressful and overwhelming.
Doing this has also helped me deal with the fact that this is an ongoing task that will never truly be over (a bit like folding your laundry). It is is part of my weekly chores- no different from washing my towels and changing my sheets- then it becomes routine. What you mend in the basket doesn't matter (and sometimes it is a 30 second machine repair to the inside of a shopping bag in a miss-matched thread colour), it is the fact that you mended SOMETHING becomes an achievement.
I can't really suggested to much as my sewing \craft \office \library sort of looks like your pit of despair! There are a few areas that are lost to me. The only thing I would suggest is a small shelf on your table. I have one behind my machines and it's nice to put things on, some are even sewing things! Some paperback books took some or well a lot of the space but there's still room for sewing things that I use a lot
🤣🤣 That is DEFINITELY the problem with shelves--books take over! But having a shelf system I could put on my table (instead of hanging) would actually solve a lot!
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming my shelf is two paperbacks deep so the books share well. There’s even room on the top for a bin that holds odds and ends that I need to be able to find but don’t need all the time! You might be able to get all the stuff on the right side of the table out of the way! You might even be able to find something dumpster diving or in a thrift shop.
I don't have any advice to offer because I don't own a large craft stash and have alot a space available for what I do possess. Got waaaay to many books though - I'm always bringing home small, cheap (or free) book shelves to house my library. So glad that you were able to get the new work table!! 🧡💙
Book storage is 100% my main concern! 🤣🤣 I have to stop myself dumpster diving more shelves because even though I need them, I've got no more floor space 🤐
And me, too! Thank you for helping with that! Once I get it going it's gonna make life so much easier!! 🧡
A few ideas!
1. Do a whole video dedicated to mending everything in the mending pile. I trust you to find a way to make it fun visually.
2. Use some stash fabric to re-cover the storage ottoman so that it goes with your current living room vibe (or use it as a jumping-off point to create a more dark academia vibe)
3. Also do a video dedicated to finishing off those knitting projects in the ottoman. Retro Claude has a lot of partial knitting/stashbusting videos you can look to for inspiration if you need any. :)
Probably won't be turning my organization into videos, judging by how bad this one has performed, but I definitely have thought about recovering my ottoman!
A few ideas.
1. Clean the bathroom. This one works very well for me, but I can see it negatively impacting others. Reason being, it is full of easy to clean surfaces and is smaller than most rooms so it can be a quick and easy win to motivate you on.
2. Catholic Guilt. I work best if I can see the problem (I think you are doing that already), so I like to use clear bins. According to the reptile breeding side of UA-cam dollar stores in the US can have a decent supply of clear bins. Outside of the US...not as familiar. So each project has a bin, preferably in eyeline, shaming me for not finishing it. (not the healthiest) It doesn't work as well when they are hidden away in aesthetic boxes.
3.Vertical space. There is no art in my craft room, only shelves. While I personally would advise getting shelving units to arrange your bins on for easy access, you said under $20 and no power tools - so as long as your bins have lids, you should be able to stack them. As I would never encourage illegal activity and dumpster diving is illegal where I'm from, I would encourage mental health walks around a college campus if you are able. In the rush of moving season - not everything lands in the dumpster.
With this plan I now have half my crafting table back. Maybe more when my shipment of glue comes in and my cushion making spree can continue...
Vertical space is definitely something that needs to be harnessed!
My sewing room/office is also chaos but one thing I’ve found useful is app to catalogue my fabric. I use one called Stash Hub. It’s helped me see what I have and stopped me buying more! I also made the Closet Core pouffe and put all my scraps in it - storage and another seat!
Ooooh cataloguing your fabric! That's brilliant--both great tips! Thank you!
For mending and projects over all I separate them into bins or bags that you can get at dollar tree or just pin a post it note for what and where needs to be fixed and what the material is earmarked for. it stops youbfrom having to figure it out every time you look at it and make a decision. For the mirror you could hang a really light weight rod with command strips. Scraps need a process you go through by size that is an easy requirement and when it out grows designated amount you get rid of some of it.
Large baggies or folders for patterns hooked on a hanger can be command hooked to the wall. Also it looks like you are keeping all projects and scraps in case but it is at the expense of your art and projects you want to do today. I know it is so hard to not let past decisions be a barrier to today's art and satisfaction. Focusing on what the goal overall is and then for each space separately helps me.
With your mending pile, it might be better to keep 90% out of sight and keep 1 or 2 pieces out. For me, that helps with it being overwhelming. For motivation/getting yourself to work on them, try using them as buffer projects. Like you have to mend 2 pieces before starting on the next fun project. Or if maybe use them as procrastination projects. When you don't want to tackle a tough part of a sewing project, grab one of them and do a step in it (like cut a patch or pin/mark where it needs to be altered).
Morgan Donner also made a video of her mending pieces, you could do that. Either one big push on them or film a little bit here and there, and make a compilation video of them when you have enough clips.
Not a bad idea to only have a couple out at a time, but then I run into where I store the stuff elsewhere 🤣 Most of my mending consists of large tasks, like resizing/fixing fit issues, so I like the tackling a step here, a step there idea!
Rainbow books - some contemporary books the spine and the cover are different colours. This may be an impediment to finding things if you organize by colour.
Textbooks tend to do this. Despite my partner and I often knowing the colour of the text book better than the author - we did not know the spine colours. We resorted to sorting by subject matter, and if it was less than a shelf we just let it be whether things landed.
I did wonder if I'd forget what color my books are, but my brain is so inherently tuned toward color, I think it's worth a shot!
Yardage goes on pants hangers in the closet. Now, I have a guest room closet to abuse, so maybe not that useful, but it really helped!
🤣 if you think my craft closet is bad, you should see my regular one! Hangers is a good idea though!
it's like eating an elephant---one bite at a time.
🤣 And just like eating elephants, it's really hard to convince yourself to take that first bite! 🐘
Hmmmm...so I'm not the best at this stuff but some ideas: pegboard in the closet may be your friend, some vertical storage. I would get cubbies that fit you, not try to fit your life into the cubbies - not sure if you can hook them so they are one large one instead of two small cubbies? And I think using some wire (not the good stuff) you could make those fabric baskets that fit in them like a drawer. And this will probably be a controversial thing to say, but - I would toss those tiny bits of fabric. If you're not already using tiny bits of scrap fabric often in your swing, you're probably never going to use them. I have a pile of those too but every now and again I just admit to myself that I'm not using it, toss it, and then...start over.
No pegboards allowed on my walls, but I definitely intend to utilize some vertical space somehow!
I keep all the mending projects in my closet. I put a piece of the painters tape on top of a hanger with a note what needs to be fixed but I keep it there cardigan with unraveled seam in between all the other cardigans, skirt that needs button sewn on in between other skirts. I also have one small tote bag hanging on the side for socks etc. When it gets overflowing it kind of takes space and is annoying, and that annoyance helps me find inspiration ;). Having those items on display and wanting to incorporate them into outfits kind of pisses me off after a while and it forces me to mend it. When I had a mending pile it was left untouched for 3 years, lol.
Good tips!!
When my mending pile gets out of control I do 5 minutes/one length of handsewing thread every day. The entire thing is overwhelming but 5 minutes I can do.
Scraps I had to limit myself on. I don't keep all the tiny ones anymore, because it was becoming too much. I have two scrap bins now. One for wool and silk and one for cotton and linen. The pieces I keep have to be at least 10x10 cm. (That's 4x4 inches). I had multiple trashbags full off the tiny little scraps that never got used, because I rarely need to stuff anything and honestly, fabric stuffing is pretty heavy. If the bins get too full I either have to do a scrap project or get rid of stuff because I don't allow myself more space for the scraps.
I have a big pile of fabrics that I want to donate/sell. In the last 5 months I've managed to sell two 😅.
Warning about organizing books by color: I was never able to go back to any other method of organizing because it doesn't look as pretty 😂
I don't mind sticking with the sorting by color if I like it!
If the fabric scraps are cotton and linen, use them to stuff home-made tailor's hams. 🙂
I'm definitely into saving my scraps for stuffing!
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming Cool. Me too. 😊
As someone working on decluttering and just getting did of excess, I want to empty your closet and craft room areas so bad. 😂 I bet there are so many things you don't need (and never will) that can be let go of I you can have room to breathe! Like the boxes of leftover yarn from previous projects. Are you actually gonna make things with any of those single/partial skeins? If not, donate them, sell them, whatever, just get them outta there! 😂
It's a slow process for me, but I'm determined!
I honestly have a hard time with that. Almost every time I've donated craft supplies, I go back later looking for it for a project and realize it's not there! The yarn though, yeah, I do end up using that stuff to make amigirumi and stuff.
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming The "oh crap I needed that thing I haven't used in ten years two weeks after I finally got rid of it" thing is real. I use my scrap yarn for darning socks.
Dana K. White. Any book, podcast or video by her. I have several NDs, chronic pain and energy issues. Her method is not an instant fix, but you are aiming for better instead of perfect. You don't pull everything out with her path, so if you have a pain spike or energy crash in the middle of working you can stop without leaving it worse than when you started.
Thanks, I'll check out her stuff!
Oh my dear. My closet in my sewing looks the same. Underneath all my stuff is the contents of my daughters closet that she left when she moved out on her own. No, she doesn't want them. No, I can't get rid of them because they are her momentos. Or so I'm told. She's 40. I love her. My biggest issue, and I suspect it is one I share with many creative folks, is I have a serious case of "I might need that one day". Yes, the affliction has been remedy in other areas of my life by asking myself if I've used it in 6 months. If the answer is no - out it goes. But when it comes to your sewing supply, the question is more like am I going to need thst in the next 10 to 20 projects. My sewing room over runneth, not in a good way. I have no solutions hence I'm here to see what ideas folks might have.
There are some good ones!
Re: old costumes: you could buy those storage bags you can create a vacuum with? Then you have this thin package you can shove in a closet somewhere and forget about it existing and have a crisis when you actually need it and forgot where you put it 😅
I do have some of those bags!
You should contact Caz from clutter bug and ask to do a collab 😂. I am sure she will tell you the first step to organising is decluttering 😢
For the mirrors could you not put some command hooks on them and make some curtains to cover them while filming?
Maybe not on the mirrors directly, since they'r already only held up with command strips, and that seems precarious--but perhaps on the outside! That would certainly be easy, as long as the hooks held!
NOT THE MENDING PILE i simly cannot deal with mine
Glad I'm not the only one!!
i want to see you organizing all of this now XD
LOL! Maybe a live stream, MAYBE. But making an already daunting, laborious task take three times longer so I can film is probably not gonna help me get it done 😆
Karen at Just Get It Done Quilts has a playlist I use every Jan to declutter and organize. Maybe it can inspire you too.
Thanks, I'll check it out!
Where do you live that you cannot drill holes in the walls? In most countries you can and just fill the holes back when you give the flat back.
Somewhere with more people than housing, where renters have no rights, and corporate takes full advantage.
@@FantasticalFolliesCostuming sorry didn’t want you to dox yourself. And sorry for that :(
Maybe separating your mending into categories based on ease or the time it would take might make the pile less daunting. And maybe make a video about it. Can't really make a mending video without doing some mending 😂
Separating into categories is a good idea!
I'm not able to help you as I build sewing stuff myself and I put small finish nails in the walls to hand my rulers, scissors, thread racks and created shelving that can be taken down on the walls. I have a 6 ft by 4 ft space to work in, in the corner of my bedroom. Plus it barely accommodates my wheelchair. I am renting my apartment and the Housing Authority sent me paperwork telling me all holes must be patched when I vacate the premises. 600 sq ft 2 br apt in a housing project and three of us live in this unit.
I feel for you Jacki, crafting in a small space is a challenge. I have just moved house, and integral to this has been a craft purge. My new space is larger, but conversely, has less storage. I have purged 100's of metres of fabric from my stash (donated to the local high school textiles class), along with abandoned projects and crafts. Its very hard, but I have a mantra .... Fabric (and craft supplies) is only an asset once its made into something. Until then, its a liability. So my advice would be ... be brutal. Remove anything and everything that doesn't have an immediate or defined purpose, donate orphans and the no-longer useful to you. Think about how often you have actually used scraps to make something, and then perhaps prune back to keeping only the truly special/unique fabrics. Try not to get into the trap of "sunk investment" thinking. Yes you spent a lot of money on these supplies, but you are probably not going to recoup that investment, so letting them go is best. Take a small bites approach. Pick one space, remove the not needed (as in take it out of the apartment, not just to another room) create organisation that works for you, and then move to next bit .... rinse and repeat. And be prepared for it to take far more time, and emotional energy, than you think it will. You will get there.
I'm looking to organize, not purge, but thanks!
Ahh, apologies, my mistake. You see, I have just suffered through the trauma of rapid fire moving house, and downsizing, So my brain is in "it won't fit so out it goes" mode. I am confident you will get your space to a position that is right for you.
Re: thread organiser: why don't you have your mom send it to you? You miss it, and i doubt the shipping costs would be more than 20 bucks
(Not sure if this falls within the rules of advice though... sorry)
We've discussed it, but I may just bring it back with me next time I visit. That's free!
So glad i live in the Netherlands. Even when renting we can drill holes in the walls. As long as we dont tear down walls or add or renove doors or windows were good basicly. And when we leabe we just fill up the holes and were good to go.... also the wall are actuallt solid walls not bot that cardboard mess most americans get to call walls😅😅
LOL! I mean...you should be glad you're there and not here for a NUMBER of reasons 🤣🤣🤣 But that's legit. Here, it depends on the company. I've lived at other places that don't care. It's a quirk of my particular place, and unfortunately, because of the real estate market, it's almost impossible for me to find another place.
Re: scraps: I know this hurts but... get rid of scraps. Really. Give them away. Put them in the trash. Let them leave.
If saying goodbye is difficult, make a scrap box. Every time you need a scrap, you take it out. After a year, all scraps still in the box have to leave. No excuses. You didn't find a use for them in a year time. Sorry, they'll have to go.
Your scrap boxes are like that box of orphaned power cords some people insist on having. Because "they might be useful someday!". But they hardly ever are.
What helped me was someone asking me: if you could have the space occupied by scraps/cables/whatever by paying the cost of the thing occupying it, would you do it? And I would be like: oh, hell yeah I'd buy that space for like 10 bucks. Then it's time to throw the thing occupying the space out.
And I know, fabric can be expensive. And the "but this has so much potential!" thoughts churning in your brain make it look really valuable. But it isn't. It really isn't.
If you're like my, you probably have way, way, wayyyy more creative ideas in your head than you realistically have time and energy for to execute. You need to choose. And let go. It's ok to let projects go.
I'm looking to organize, not purge, but thanks!
@FantasticalFolliesCostuming purge sounds so harsh. And I have trouble letting stuff go too, so I feel this.
But how matter how well you organise, you can't cram stuff in space you don't actually have. So I'm afraid that part of organising or decluttering or how one likes to call it, is being critical of what you do need to keep.
I'm sorry. I'm sure folding everything and getting good storage boxes will help a lot. But it still looks like you have more stuff than you have space for.
And I'm being a humongous hypocrite because my pit of despair is a place I just avoid because of the sheer amount of stuff. And I keep telling myself: once the guestroom renovation is done I'm going to be so organised.
But I'm still a dragon with a hoard containing more crafting supplies than the average kindergarten, almost-finished projects and a box full of leather scraps which I'll probably never use but "they're good practice scraps"
Organising is also getting rid of stuff. And that's not a purge persé. Like, there are gradations between "my preciousssss" and "BURN IT ALL".
A friend of mine has this box with stuff she doesn't want to throw away, but she has no direct use for. She keeps it in her living room and if anyone who visits sees something they can use, they're free to take it. I'm going to make a box like that as well.
Also, I really applaud your bravery for giving us a tour of the crafting cave of wonders (or pit of despair)
With the scraps… find a quilter and give them to her. She could make lap quilts for charity.
That's an idea!
Thank you for sharing your space with us. I feel better about my work space knowing that you were willing to show us yours
You're welcome! I'm glad you're feeling something positive, because I did wonder if everyone was gonna be like * clutches pearls *
I have a fantastic podcast that gets me cleaning. Clutterbugs. Addresses the anxiety.
Oh that's a good way to do it!