I'm All Organized!

A couple of months ago, I posted that my friend, Betsey, and I were organizing my sewing room while Jerry was out of town. Well, at long last, it's finished! I waited until Jerry was able to make me a board to hang some of my rulers on, plus we had a couple of other ideas that we needed to finish that took a little longer than anticipated.

I love it! If you know me at all, you know that I struggle to be organized. Way back in the 5th grade, Mr. Casey (who was probably the hottest teacher I ever had, but who notices this stuff when you are 11?) told Momma during a parent-teacher conference, "Julia's mind is like her desk. Cluttered." Momma was a bit horrified at the time, but really, it was the truth. My desk always looked like a bomb went off in it. Even after we would have the scheduled desk-cleaning-day, by the next day, it looked pretty much like it did the day before we cleaned everything out. Sigh.

Anyway, it's always been hard for me to figure out where things should go. Betsey (and this is just one of her gifts) just seems to know how to put things in places that make so much sense! I've been able to start organizing other closets and yesterday, I worked on our sunroom, getting it ready for the summer. I'm on a roll!

I promised pictures of my finished room. It's a little room (I think it's about 10x12), so we had to figure out how to maximize my space. We took the doors off of the closet and bought bins and crates to put in the closet. I need to buy a couple more, but they have been out of stock with the color I want. I hopefully will get them soon. I've put my unfinished projects in there (shhh...way too many, but we won't talk about that anymore), and I can hang some projects (like my colon polyp capes I'm making for the Cancer Queens). Jerry put a solid board on the shelf of the closet, so that I can put books and magazines (and cat food) up there.

While cleaning out the closet, Betsey and I found a box that contained a childhood book about a little girl and her doll. In the back of the book, the child could cut out the girl as a paper doll and dress her in paper doll clothes. This was Momma's book, and then I played with it as a child. It was in surprisingly good shape, so Betsey suggested framing the doll and the clothes. I bought a shadow box, and Stephie framed it for me. I love it! I put the shadowbox above my thread case that I have all of my threads organized in. I also have the book, but it's on top of another shelf. Here's Adeline!

Jerry framed a piece of pegboard for me so that I could hang my larger rulers. I bought a set of drawers that hold my scissors, rotary cutters and tapes. And, yes, those are my extra three sewing machines under the table that I haven't been able to part with.

Years and years ago, Ma-Ma bought a cabinet for her sewing room. I inherited it over 27 years ago. I remember her getting it. She had ordered it from either JC Penney or Montgomery Ward (I forget which one) and Daddy had to go get it with his truck. It was so shiny and big! It's always held our fabric and sewing supplies. There was no way I was going to part with this cabinet. Betsey suggested covering the front with favorite family pictures. I still have some more to put up, but I ran out of frames and keep forgetting to put frames on my Wal Mart list. As goofy as this sounds, having this cabinet is like having a part of Ma-Ma in my sewing room with me, and having my family pictures is like having them nearby, too.

Betsey and I bought several white containers for my fabric in the cabinet and separated the fabric so that there is a container for browns, greens, reds, batiks, etc. Now, I can go to just one container to find the piece of fabric that I need! It's great.

 Jerry and I had already put some cubicles where my old dresser that Stephie took stood, so we bought some fabric drawers and organized more fabric, my embroidery items, current projects, etc, and we still had some openings that I could put some of my pretties in. On the top is the book I mentioned, and some other things. Above my metal cabinet, Jerry put a shelf that has my Momma's childhood Singer "toy" sewing machine (it would never fly now, because it has a real needle and actually sews). Because she never had the desire to sew, it is in pristine condition (I even have the box). It's a treasure!

So, that's the grand tour! I've really enjoyed sewing in my room. I have a southern exposure, so a bright sunny day like today is really fun--being able to work while enjoying the sun at the same time.

Thanks for dropping by! It's time to go work on those Cancer Queen outfits! Need to be ready for that new colonoscopy song that's premiering in May!! I feel the creative juices flowing! Until next time....have a wonderful spring.

Julie