Cleaning: the good, the bad and the ugly

/ quiltinggail

Cleaning

What starting my cleaning frenzy?  My daughter gave me a book, “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying” by Marie Kondo.  I could hardly walk in my sewing room, so I felt some-what inspired – to do SOMETHING.  Not totally though, because obviously the author is not a quilter and does not know the value of a fabric stash!

The Ugly

The ugly fabric – mostly poor quality quilting cottons, polyester fabric – it went.  A few flimsy scrappy tops that definitely did not give me joy & the thought of finishing them gave me dreaded horror thoughts.  Some garment fabric, some old patterns and 2 boxes of polyester stuffing and batting have disappeared from my sewing area and my house!

Bad

In sorting through all of my sewing stuff, I found more STUFF.  Actually UFO’s!.  I found 9, yes NINE, more that were not on my list … they have been added to my current list.  GROAN!!!  For most of them, I have no idea when they were started.

The Good

One of the first things that the author (Tidying) suggests is that for each category – you gather everything, yes everything, into one spot.  So, I gathered all my fabric together.  The next thing you do is ask yourself “does this item give me pleasure?”  Well, for most of my quilting fabric, the answer was a firm “YES!”   I took 4 bags and 2 boxes to the guild meeting.  I came home with 2 boxes (the odd fabric stuffed into one box).  YES!!! YES!!!  I’m so happy that most of it found new homes!

I was also able to organize my latest purchases (of the past 5 or so years) into appropriate containers.  Theoretically, I should be able to find what I’m looking for very quickly!  Please note: I did say “theoretically”! unknown-jpg

Design Wall

No progress on this:IMG_0882

Have started quilting this:

IMG_0890

Stash Report

No fabrics bought this week.  I did get rid of some quilting fabric (panels and a few other odd items), but I did not measure them and as I don’t have a total of all the fabric I possess, I’m not going to worry about the numbers.  Besides, I got rid of it – I didn’t use it!

Fabric Used this Week:      4.8 yards  
Fabric Used year to Date:  72.30 yards
Fabric Added this Week:    5  yards 
Fabric Added Year to Date:   45.5 yards
Net Fabric used for 2017:    26.8 yards   Still doing a happy dance!

UFO Tally

I thought I started out the year with 38 UFO’s.  But with the discovery of 9 more, I actually started out with 47!!!  Oh me, oh my!  

I have given away 3 UFO’s … lowering my final number left to complete!  But my end tally is more UFO’s than I started the year with!  Oh well – perhaps it’ll be more inspiration to complete them!

2017 Completed
Jan: 2
Feb: 0
Mar: 0
Apr: 0
May: 2
June: 1 + 3

39  UFOs left to complete

Linking to:

Happy Quilting
Gail

12 thoughts on “Cleaning: the good, the bad and the ugly”

  1. I’m almost always amazed, sometimes dismayed, at what I find when I do a serious clean-out/organize session. I have the book and found the only real new method (besides the “joy” thing) is to do all like things at once, no matter where they are kept, rather than the usual one location at a time. I have not however gone so far as to follow the procedure.

    Well Done on your cleaning!

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    • Aside from my fabric, which I’m sure that the author would have a fit about, I have only done my underwear and sock drawer. But I figure it’s a start! However, when I was shopping with my daughter, I found several items of clothes that fit nicely. I thought about the “joy” part and left most of them in the store!! 🙂 I believe this method is a process, not a “once only” kind of thing.

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  2. I am totally resisting buying that book (or even borrowing it)! I did organize my fabric once or twice, the second time when I wanted a new system. And when I moved I got rid of all non-quilt-worthy fabric. But I won’t ask if a single piece of quilt fabric gives me pleasure or not. For the pleasure comes in the combinations. Even the ‘unglest’ fabric can enhance a design.

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  3. Our speaker from Bernina sewing machines at last month’s Quilt Guild reminded us about the two bobbin rule, and also about changing our needles more frequently than most of us do. I guess that we are so focused on stitching that we just keep going on the machine.
    I haven’t had a tidy up in the sewing room but I have recycled some older single bed quilts (just today) which I no longer use as we don’t have single beds anymore. Plus some woolen blankets and cozy flannel sheets – all no longer required. The local Women’s Refuge was very happy to accept these things. And I must admit to having the double pleasure of giving to a great cause, and also clearing some cupboard space!

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  4. Hi Gail! I am so proud of you! It takes courage to give up any fabric, even if you cannot stand it. I’m sorry you unearthed some more UFOs . . . but better now than in November. I don’t know – I’m trying to sell that, and even I don’t buy it. {{Hugs}} I am sure if I went through my fabrics I would find a bunch of UFOs that I’m oblivious to right now. So what’s better??! If I can offer one suggestion? Take you bobbin cartridge (or whatever that’s called) and clean out the lint. I happened on someone else who just did, and I figured out that I have NEVER done that. I had a whole drier vent’s worth of lint in there – no wonder my feed dogs were giving me trouble. WOWEE! Anyway, while you’re on a cleaning binge. Good job ~smile~ Roseanne

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  5. I have that book too, and I find it helpful…..holding something and saying to myself…..do I love this? And often it helps me decide whether I should get rid of it or not. I am on a “no buy” year until my stash gets reduced. Thanks for linking with Design Wall Monday.

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  7. Pingback: Sunday Stash June 25, 2017 | quiltpaintcreate

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