Organizing

Today's postcard

When I moved to my new house almost a year ago, I was so excited to have a large studio area instead of a table in my bedroom. I have two dressers for supplies, a nice arrangement for fabrics, and an antique table for cutting instead of pulling out the mat from under my bed and getting down on my hands and knees. All great, just like I'd dreamed.

Yet now, almost eleven months later, it isn't working. Quite simply, I can't find what I need. There are new things in my life, stuff I love and use but stuff that need homes. I seem to have acquired a whole new array of stabilizers, and I thought I had lots before. Some in rolls, some in flat packs, all pretty specific in their use. A few more notions, a few more beads.

Best of all, some art supplies. Not a hog-wild-crazy collection, but some paints and paint sticks, mediums, ink, brushes, that kind of thing. And more hand-dyed fabrics. My collection of store-bought fat quarters isn't growing but isn't getting used much either.

So, I'm in the thinking phase of the organization. It's about all I have time for right now, anyway. And I'm enjoying the thinking - it gives me a chance to reflect about the changes that have come about in the last year.

It looks like some of my things may find homes in the office, which is ok since it's upstairs too - there are two rooms at the top of the stairs. Since it's just me, there is no one to say, "Why are you moving all this stuff in here - I can't work." Sarah thinks there should be a visit to the new Cincinnati IKEA in my future, and she's probably right.

For now, I've hung up my collection of rulers, which makes grabbing them easier and freed up a chunk of drawer space where all that plastic used to be. (Side item - one of my co-workers recently mentioned using a sewing gauge and a tape measure - I realized I hadn't used either in years and am not even sure if I have them.)

And I found a shoe rack in the basement and put it beside the sewing table so the threads I use most are right there. I think it says something that my collection of shoes has decreased while my collection of threads has increased.

I know there's a good way to do all this. The space is there. I'm sure there are things I no longer use that can be moved out, like the feet and instruction book of my good pal Singer machine, whose wind-in-place bobbin needs repair (but will I ever want it again anyway?)

For now, I've been enjoying the reflection, but it's time to come up with an action plan.