cleaning/reorganizing studio

Susan, I have the same problem you have only mine has always been with
books. I have been working in my bedroom for the last two days and
gosh what I have thrown out is unreal. Nothing that is of any value
or it would go to the church yard sale, but I have a couple of boxes
for that also. My mother always preached to me if you put things up
when you got them out and finished with them oh live would be so much
easier. I am beginning to get the hang of it but I don't have it
completely down pack at the moment. Getting there slowly. Tomorrow
should be the last day I have to work on my room and then it is back
to working on fun things.

Jacqueline

On Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:39:24 -0500, Susan Laity Price
wrote:

Several of you have described my problem. I just jump from one project
to another without putting anything away. I have known this is the
problem for many years but don't change so I only have myself to
blame. I am also the person who has purchased all the stuff in the
room. If I stopped buying there would be space on the shelves. This
morning I taught a class on foundation piecing. The class materials
and samples are still sitting beside the door in the entry hall. As
soon as I finish reading my newgroups and email I will launch into
finishing the Lori Smith reproduction quilt I was working on
yesterday. An organized person would put away the class materials
first but that would mean less sewing time. Maybe after dinner I will
put away the class materials. Might even clean-up the mess I made
preparing to go to class. The stuff that was carried to the family
room last week is still sitting in the middle of the floor. Tonight is
trash night so I really should go through it and see if anything needs
to go on the curb. Don't worry, I will be throwing away trash and not
good fabric.

Susan

On Mon, 04 Sep 2006 08:52:33 -0500, Susan Laity Price
wrote:

I decided to change the subject line from "The Chi is flowing again"
because we had taken off in a very positive direction of how to clean
and reorganize your studio.

Several of us mentioned that we remove everything from the room and
start over again, deciding as we replace things if we really need
them. That method has worked well for me. It is also a way family and
friends can help you. They can help empty the space but be sure to
give them general directions for stacking the stuff in the temporary
holding space. I group the boxes and loose stuff by categories which
makes my sorting easier. As I hand a box to one of the carriers I will
tell them in which corner the box should be placed. If it is a general
collection of junk that I must go through it does in the center of the
room. Once the studio is empty the floor can be cleaned. At this step
I am so proud of the space that it is easier to clean the rest of the
room.

Right now I have everything that was stacked on the floor moved to the
family room. The carpet is vacuumed (forgot it was such a pretty
green). Now I must work on the shelves to make space for the stuff
temporarily in the family room. The way every thing was stacked on the
floor I couldn't get to the shelves. I haven't bought much fabric this
summer so theoretically everything should fit on the shelves.

I know if I would put things away as I use them the studio wouldn't
need this major overhaul so often. It usually takes me a week to
really organize the space. Since I don't have a week right now this
cleaning will only widen the paths but I couldn't work in the room as
it was. I teach three classes this week and the step by step samples
are not finished for any of them. I will be sewing on this holiday but
that is OK with me. Since it is raining we couldn't go for the long
walk we had planned. My husband is cleaning the drain in our bathroom.
Guess we are just two old married people who can't remember how to
have fun on a holiday.

Susan

Jacqueline
http://www.mountain-breeze.com
Recipes and other fun things