More Zipper Pouches

The zipper pouch parade continues.  These are slightly larger than the headphone cases from yesterday.  Just large enough for computer charging chords  In order to make it easy to see which cable is in which case, I made the front from window screen.  We happened to have some hanging out in the storage shed where the lawn mower lives.  I am planning to keep the cords all tucked in safely while the computers are charging to keep them from constantly tangling.  Then, if the computers need to go anywhere, it will be easy enough to tuck in the ends and take the power cords along.  Along with the sewing, I've been cleaning out the closet under the stairs.  We took some overdue books back to the library and did a couple of loads of laundry.  Exciting right?  

Puttering

It is so nice to be back and have time to ramble aimlessly around the house for  bit.  Sunday and Monday I spent painting the main bedroom.  

I had to wait until this afternoon for a cord cover to come in from Amazon.  That just got painted.  As soon as it dries, I can get everything put back again.  I did all the baseboards and the ceiling.  Everything looks so fresh and clean!

I was so tired and achy from all the moving of furniture and climbing up and down of ladders that I was happy to find something nice and small to play with.  These small zipper cases fit the bill nicely.  They are just the right size to fit earbuds and sew up nice and easy.  I used the tutorial found here which was easy enough to follow, even though I sewed the layers in the wrong order twice before I got it right on case number three.    

Wrangling Scraps

 So I still have three drawers of blue scraps, because last year, blue got three months.  It is just one of those colors.  A lot of the blues are already sewn into crumb chunks from earlier years.

So I started pulling out scraps, and ironing and sorting.  

 Then running some scraps through the GO, focusing on Kites, and Geese and Drunkard's Path units.  I was going to use the kites to cut up crumb blocks, but they are smaller than I imagined when I ordered the die.  Maybe I'll use crumb blocks for the geese?  I think there are almost enough of the Drunkard's Path for a quilt.  Maybe I should start sewing those?   I took the girls to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie this morning, and I'm not feeling super motivated.  I think I ate too much popcorn.  We got the carpets cleaned earlier this week, and I still haven't managed to get everything put back quite yet.  Maybe I'll do that while I ponder what to do with all these scraps.   If you are feeling scrappy today too, be sure to head over to Oh Scrap!

Fabric Organization

So I've been on a bit of an organizational kick lately.  I think a lot of us do that around the new year.

 I ordered this pack of comic book boards from amazon and used it to fold my fabric.

Look at how pretty it is all bookshelf style in the fabric cupboard!  It does seem much easier to access this way.  So far I've done most of the neutrals and all of the blues.  A few miscellaneous bits made it in as well before I ran out of boards.  I guess that is enough organization for today.  Back to sewing!

Still Organizing

I've made some room for sewing things by moving out some of my old scrapbooking supplies.  It's been so very long since I did any scrapbooking at all.  I haven't gotten rid of it all yet, but at least it all together and can be sorted through in time.  So in one side of the craft desk I put 2.5 inch squares.  that seems to be the size I use most, and having them handy might work?  There is a little set of drawers that goes along with the desk and I put the WIP/UFOs that did not have a home.  The top drawer is Farmer's Wife.  The middle holds the parts for the Dear Jane border (center blocks are all finished).  The bottom has OMG/Churn dash blocks.  I did a count on those while I was tidying, and I am pretty darn close to having enough blocks.  

The middle drawer has small cutting mats and miscellaneous supplies, while the cubbies on the left side hold all my notions.  Maybe if they have a handy home they won't always be on the desk top?  Time will tell on that one.
For now, I think I've had enough organization.  I haven't sewn a stitch in days.  The inverted stars are all pinned and ready to sew.  Maybe I can get another top ready to go?  

And Sew Ends the Charade

We've been in this house for 11 years now, all of that time pretending that the sewing studio was really a guest bedroom.  Madly picking everything up when guests arrived, and then returning it to its studio state as soon as the door shut behind them.  I was pretty sure that the quilting machine would fit in its extended state if we just moved the bed.

Then the table would go where the Handi-Quilter used to live.  Looks like there is room next to the sewing machine table for a cutting/ironing station.  So now I just have to put everything back.  Maybe a little bit of cleaning and organization at the same time?  Or maybe a bit of binding stitching instead.  I am all tired out!

Slow Sunday Tidying Up

A couple of weeks ago, I read a review for a book that sounded interesting.  I'd been planning to spend some time over Christmas break doing some organization and cleaning, so I popped it into my Amazon cart and got started reading right away.  The idea was really simple.  Just take everything you own, throw it in a big pile, and pick out only the things your really love to put back.  The author  suggests doing it one category at a time.  So I pulled out all of my tops that evening and only picked out the ones that I like and wear.  The rest went in a basket to give away.  Magic!  Today I dumped out a cupboard and drawer where the kids keep school supplies.

I threw everything in a couple of laundry baskets and told them to pick out anything the wanted to keep.  Anna got two notebooks and a binder, Sydney picked a bag of seeds.  Ryan didn't want anything.  So I tidied up what was left and put back what I thought we actually needed.  Look at that!  Nothing will be falling out next time we open the cabinet door.  Hard to imagine.  Kurt wants me to do the Tupperware next.  I need to do books because they don't fit on the shelves anymore.  One at a time.  One at a time.  

 After all of that hard work, I am more than ready to settle in for some slow and steady binding stitching.  The 6 inch sampler from 2014 was on the top of the pile, so I started it last night while watching some TV with the kids.  Two sides done and two more to do.

 I think, after I have rested a bit, that I will load up the 2015 sampler quilt.  I still have no idea how I want to quilt it.  Maybe something will come to me as I do the prep work?  First though, I am headed over the Kathy's Quilts to see what other slow stitching is going on.

Home Again

Being home again after vacation is always so much fun!  After the laundry of course.

My dining room table has been full of Lego Robotics since September.  Not that legos aren't fun, but tables are good for other things too.  

So between loads of laundry, I moved the robotics board out, and replaced it with -- gasp -- dishes.  Shocking, right?

Then I pulled out the strings and started to get a feel for what they will look like together.  These are all sewn together into groups of 4.   Not sure of the layout after that.  Though I like the idea of a row of each color, I'm not sure I have equal amounts of strings in all the colors.  Time will tell though.  

Look What I Made!

 I've been thinking of making some pretty color coordinated scrap baskets.  I was planning making them from scraps of course.  First though, before making a bunch of scrap fabric with strings and crumbs, I thought I'd work on a prototype.  I found this cute fairy fabric in Mom's stash.  She wasn't a quilter, but she had some fabric that she used for crafts, and my sister brought it to me when she came to visit.

 I used some foam board in the bottom for stability, but the sides fold down for storage.  I might try foam board in the front and back.

I measured it so that three will fit across the little shelves that Kurt put in the closet in my sewing room.  Now I just need two more to fill up the shelf!

Before and After

 It is a rainy day.  A nap was so tempting, but I haven't made much progress on summer organization projects yet.  The girls and I have been whipping up some homemade beauty products which made a bit of bathroom organization bubble to the the top of the list.  It is amazing how many bottles and jars of this and that there are under my sink.

I'd like to make some decorative fabric containers, but for now, there were some extra baskets left from the toy room clean-up of last week.  

Miscellaneous Monday

 Everyone is pretty spent after the powerlifting tournament yesterday.  Here is Ryan with his deadlift.  His max was 105 I think, which is 1.5 times his body weight.

 And here is Anna in her squat.  She hit new personal records on all her lifts.  I guess if I was a good sports Mom I would have written it all down.  Never would have predicted that powerlifting would be the next sport in our family.  Even Kurt went with us this morning.

 I'm working two days this week at training to be a trainer.  Today is wide open though.  We lifted first thing this morning.  I haven't been out to run yet.  Jelly legs on squat days -- maybe an evening run tonight?  But check out my grout cleaning!  Here is the side I haven't done yet.

And here is the side I finished already.  I'm going for 80% better rather than for perfection.  Usually I try to clean the grout each summer, but last summer went awry and so I have two years of grime to scrub away.  I'm doing some cupboard reorganization too.  Anna's job is putting away dishes these days and sometimes she gets ---well -- creative.  This morning I found appliances, mixing bowls, baking dishes and Tupperware all in the same cabinet.  Heterogeneous storage scheme?  Maybe it will be a new thing!  

Whata Weekend!

 I am so ready to settle down with some binding and enjoy a little slow stitching.  We rented Despicable Me 2 to enjoy with the kids, and then after bedtime, it will be time for Downton Abbey!  Such a nice way to end a busy busy week.  I am just ready to turn the last corner and from there it will be the home stretch.  I'll have to think about a hanging sleeve and then think about where to hang this one.  It isn't going to be a bed quilt, but it doesn't really go with most of the colors in our house.  Maybe we should redecorate?
 I was gone all day yesterday for Science Olympiad.  It was in Orlando which meant leaving while it was still dark and getting back after dinner.  The kids had a good time and enjoyed the competition, though we came home completely empty handed.  Not a single place out of 23 events.  So sad for the kids.  While I was doing that, Kurt took Ryan to a FAMAT math competition, also in Orlando, but on the other side.  Then he and the girls did a quick trip to Universal while Ryan was doing his math thing.  Even with all that, they were still home by early afternoon.

Somehow while we were away, the closet organizer that holds the printer and assorted electronic gadgets in the closet in my sewing room collapsed.  We are now in the middle of trying to reorganize and arrange everything.  The upside is that I will now get the closet for all of my sewing things and the electronic paraphernalia is going to live somewhere else.  Kurt has already put up these shelves at one end of the closet.  I'll need to decide how to best arrange things, but it should offer quite a bit of useful storage space.

 At the other end I have installed this hanging bar for quilts with a shelf above for WIPs.  It will be nice to collect everything together in one spot instead of having them scattered about the house.

This was the view of a neighbors house on the way to school on Friday.  FROST!  I know ya'll up north are used to it, but it is quite unusual for us here in Florida.  Keep in mind that our schools don't have inside hallways and it is impossible to buy an ice scraper.  We tried once to find one as a joke for a friend moving to Colorado and it just couldn't be done.
Tomorrow is a day off school for Martin Luther King Jr's birthday.  Sydney has a piano lesson, but I hope other than that to spend the day with fabric.  Hope you find some time to slow down today and head over to Kathy's Quilts to see what hand stitching people are up to today.  

Potholder Parade

 I did a big cleaning spree in the sewing room earlier this summer and set aside some orphan blocks to use for potholders.  Not wanting to settle into an ongoing project quite yet, these little guys seemed like a nice way to putter away a little bit of time on a rainy afternoon.

 I did get two more rooms done first though.  This is the dining room before, it has become a craft room for the kids ongoing projects.  Painting for Anna and robot construction for Ryan.  Fun summer projects to be sure, but OH SO messy.

I couldn't quite manage to get them to put everything away, but it is still much better than it was before.
Now I think I'll settle in to sew some binding onto my potholder collection.  

Settling Back In

I am SO happy to be back home.  The past month has taken a toll though.  Just one too many people coming in and dropping everything off before packing up to leave again.  So far I have restored order to two rooms.

 This is where everyone unloaded their suitcases on the way in.  Most of the contents will go straight to laundry.

Even just having that little bit by the front door empty and clean makes me feel much less anxious.  Does anyone else have trouble sitting in a room full of clutter?  It can't just be me.

 Somehow the family room has become everyones drop off point in the middle of the house.  Most of the cleaning here was just having everyone pick up their stuff.  I didn't even check to see that it got put away, I was just happy it wasn't on the coffee table anymore.

I even dusted and swept.  So much better now.  Maybe I'll tackle two more rooms after lunch, or maybe I'll sneak off and quilt for just a little bit.  Whatever I do, I'll be happy as a clam to be doing it in my own home.  

Another Drawer

 Getting bored of before and afters yet?  One tiny project each day is keeping me moving.  So the big question for today, how much stuff do we really need on a daily basis?

Not that much as it turns out. 

Baby Steps

 I have definitely decided that the key to getting organized is taking small bites.  This is the drawer where Kurt keeps his bathroom things.

Ah, so much nicer now.  

Tiny Islands of Organization

Hurray for home days.  Anna and Sydney were both off to camp this morning, but Ryan and I got to have a home day!  He was busy working on a robot he has been designing.  He seems to have outgrown the lego mindstorm kit and is building using sheet metal and motors from power tools.  I'm not sure he will be able to make a working battle bot, but he sure is having fun.

After supervising a little time with the drill press and making a quick trip to home depot,  I was ready to tackle another organization area of irritation.
This is a spot that the kids have taken over where they dump all the things they don't want to put away.  Right now it is full of extra school and craft supplies.  

I think the easiest way to prevent dumping is to start with a nice empty area.  If it doesn't fit in the drawer it will have to go somewhere else.  Seems reasonable, right?  As for the drawer, that is a project for another day.  Maybe one I can get the kids to do?  Well, a girl can dream, can't she?
Most of the day has been spent lesson planning.  I have gotten out of the quilting mode all of the sudden.  Still, considering that all the secondary teachers in our district are going to have to teach an extra class next year, any work I can get done now will make me life less hectic in the future. Again, I am full of dreams today.  

The Return of Before and After

 It has been ages since I have done a before and after.  Mostly because I forget to the take a picture before I start.  I had just started tearing everything out of this cabinet in the laundry room when I remembered to go and grab the camera.  Most of what is in here are collections of t-shirts for future t-shirt quilts.  As Anna and Ryan have both finished elementary school now, it is the perfect time to tackle making quilts for them both out of all of their primary school memories.  Anna helped with the cutting and just a few hours later we had separated the interesting parts and sorted them into piles by people.

 A huge back of sleeves and scraps have gone out to the trash and there is empty space in the cabinet!  Each person now has a jumbo sized ziploc bag with nicely trimmed shirts waiting for their turn in line.  The only other thing in the cabinet that warranted keeping was a stack of home decor fabric.  I keep it segregated from my quilting fabric, and it is now folded and organized.

Since Anna helped with the manual labor, her quilt is first in line.  This is the layout she has planned so far.  There was a neighborhood party at the park this afternoon, but when it was over we started ironing on interfacing and trimming the blocks to size.  We had a nice assembly line going with Anna ironing and me cutting.  I think it is about half done so far, but we are all taking a break for dinner.  

Next Time

 The Midgets aren't done yet, but I'm already thinking about my next big quilt. 

 I'm not sure yet what it will be, but if it requires paper piecing, I will remove the papers as I go. I'm sashing out my blocks now, taking out the papers and checking them over.  57 blocks have made it to the wall, and a big stack is still waiting patiently.  It is taking much longer than I thought, but I want to make sure it is done properly. 

 Yesterday we got the kids to help with a bit of cleaning and organization.  Anna cleaned the pantry. 

 Ryan took care of the drawer that holds the kids school and art supplies. 

Sydney did the tuperware cupboard.  They all did such a good job that we all celebrated with doughnuts when they finished. 
Today we enjoyed the last weekend before school starts with a movie and lunch out.  Sydney has a piano lesson next, but after that I would love to get back to my blocks for a while.  It has been two years since I started working on them and I am anxious to see them all together.