I am one crafty Mama. I sew like a Madd woman and can whip out just about what ever I need to Johnny on the spot. I am very laid back and can go with the flow and change on a dime if needed. This craftiness has a price though. I live in a mess.
My crafting is usually guilt ridden because I can think of about a dozen other things that I need to do. So, when I craft I get in the sewing room as fast as I can, sew like a tornado and get back out to do the dishes or something like that. The craft supplies are usually left where ever I put them last and the pile grows. Also my house is in the middle of a construction zone as we add onto the house to move my mom in here. As we work on other rooms, their contents gets left in my craft room. That doesn't help. Also when company is coming with no notice, the contents of the living room gets dumped in the middle of the floor of my sewing room. That doesn't help me either. (thank you DH and D kids)
Then my sewing closet, instead of holding neat little boxes of crafty supplies, contains about 2000 pounds of wheat storage that is waiting for pantry room to put it.
Also this is my room after about 3 weeks of insane Christmas sewing projects and a new pattern design.
Result.....
My sewing room makes me sick every time I pass it and I HATE to have people come into it to get supplies from me. I have tried all kinds of tactics that work for a month or two but then the clutter creeps back in as in crazy stress of my life goes out of control again.
So I am going at it like AA or the basic steps of repentance.
I AM ADMITTING I HAVE A PROBLEM.
(are you wondering what the other steps of repentance are?..... I would be at this point, ....
they are 1 admit you did something wrong, make amends or fix it if you can, apologize for doing the thing to the person you hurt (self, others, God) and promise never to do it again and pray for forgiveness)
Back to the mess now.
Here is my plan. I had to shock my self into reality so I figured I would come clean and admit that I don't live in organized crafty land. I will admit that my craft space is the black hole of Calcutta (what ever that is).
AND....
I am posting pictures of my craft room on the first of every month this year to show my progress and keep myself accountable for my actions.
Trust me I am sick about the state of this room and more embarrassed that you can imagine that you are seeing my craft guts strung out all over the place. I contemplated cleaning it up a bit before the shots but that wouldn't be honest.
So here are the scary details of my craft room. Please run now if you are weak, this is very Scary!
View through the front door of my craft room.
View through the back door of my craft room.
Yes my craft room has a back door. The contractor cut one so heat from the wood stove could get in there and keep me warm.
My SAD sewing table.
I really can sew there, honest.
My cutting table/desk.
No I can't cut stuff there right now.
My wall of fabric storage.
DH built these for me last year to help me organize and it did work of 3 or 4 months. Then the clutter came back.
Closet O' Crap
Honestly there are no excuses here. Can't think of one, except for the 2000 pounds of wheat in there somewhere.
There I have purged and told all. There are no more secrets in that room.
Now onward and upward. I am bent on cleaning and organizing the mell of a hess (to quot my dad) and bring order once and for all to my favorite room (after the kitchen).
I do plan on enlisting some help. I will be using the Fly Lady and the Slob Sisters since they are the ones that understand the cluttered person's mind and do realize that we are not lazy but just don't have a clue about order. Sorry we just don't get it but we ARE able to learn and do work very hard. We just need pointers. :o)
So I would like to issue the challenge to any of the rest of you out there that have been living with a deep dark cluttered secret and would like some public help to get it organized, to do just that. Go public and get it done. We will all be here to cheer you on.
I issue this challenge to everyone that reads this post.
***edited to add***
My plan for January:
Set the timer for 15 minutes everyday and de-clutter in the sewing room for those 15 minutes.
When the timer rings, turn it off and walk away.
Why fifteen minutes - you can do anything for just 15 minutes. It is long enough to get some real work done, and short enough that you don't burn out. The ADD person can keep on task for 15 minutes at a time.
The key is that you stay on that task ONLY for your 15 minutes. If you find things that need to be put somewhere else then put them in a basket, bag, or box and put them away when the timer goes off. If you don't you will distract yourself into another room or other task and get nowhere fast.
Now we will see what that does for me and I will take pictures again on Feb 1st and see where I get. :o)
35 comments:
Gosh, I'm not the only one with a messy craft room. LOL :) Love your closet o'crap. I have one of those too.
Dear Lucy,
I feel your pain and I am right there with you. One big difference in your little house and mine is that I don't have a craft room so mine is in every room. My plan is to start tomorrow (my only day off of the week)and then every day spend 10 minutes in each room when I get home. I can't stand it anymore and I accept your challenge.
Congratulations!
Oh my. your description of your room sounds like mine at time, especially the dumping of everything else in the house when visitors are coming. Found another lady having a craft room blitz here, you might be able to "support" each other. :-)
http://ozcountryquiltingmum.blogspot.com/2009/01/why-does-everything-take-longer-than.html
Lucy, I adore you for this post! I am insipired by you. I am sure my hubby will send you a check if you can get me to oganize or downsize my clutter-I mean treasures!
Cyndi Barker
(Angelic's sis-in-law)
OMG, I love you. That is EXACTLY like my sewing room. Difference is, you have a fitting form and I don't. Actually, and you have a bigger room, hence more stuff. :p Mine stays that way because when I have time to go in there, I want to SEW, not spend precious time CLEANING!
Mine is my front sunroom/foyer, so guess what people see when they first walk in my house?? Mmhmm. But I am about to lose it all..I'm moving back overseas to a house that has no room for a dedicated craft/sewing room. I am heartbroken. :wah:
Depending on the day and the occasion, my room is either a craft room or the junk room:)
If I actually HAD a sewing room I'm sure it would look just like yours! I dream of having my own "studio" someday, until then I use a corner of my very large bedroom. When I'm in sewing mode I have stuff spread out all over the place, including all over my bed, so I have to clean up every night just to be able to get to bed! I like to think I'd have a clean, orderly studio, but hey! who am I kidding.......
OMG it's just like my sewing room. Except there is no sewing going on in my room because I can't even see my sewing machine, never mind sit down at it. You've heard of the 10 gallons in a 5 gallon pale-mine is more like at least 20 gallons. It is my one resolution for 2009 to get that room useable. Wish me luck, I'll be following along with your progress.
Lucy you need a 12 step program to dejunk. And when I find one I'll let you know. At this point I'm still looking for one for me.
Mine has taken a turn for the worse too. I've been trying to work on it bit by bit, but when the rest of the house is a mess it's easy to shut the door on that room. ;)
ooh, that's scary stuff!! You are very brave indeed to post all those photographs and take that first step forward!!
I look forward to seeing what it looks like all nice and tidy, but don't forget that it is a work in progress - if you try and do it all at once you will feel grumpy and overwhelmed like I do sometimes!!
OK Lucy you are my sister and when did my sewing room go live at your house? I do want your dress form.
Oh Lucy I love it!!
I am a messy sewer but you should see me scrap book yikes!!
So put my sewing and scrapbooking messes together and just imagin the mess I have. LOL
Good for you for posting this. I recently listened to this audiobook:
"It's All Too Much" by Peter Walsh
I can't say that I've totally reformed my whole life but I really do find it so much easier to get rid of stuff. Also I do much less guilt crafting. I actually feel better cleaning up BEFORE I do a project, or even better, just after I finish it.
Looks like pure creativeness to me!!!!!!! Every time you buy something get rid of something? Or put it in the garage in a box for donations... Just dont give away any fabric, buttons, lace, old jewelry, and rhinestones, paintbrushes, wait a minute... we are all alike!! I feel for you, and wish you so very much luck!!!
many Hugs,
Jackie
omg honey, know that you are not alone in the world... mine is less fabric and more paper... but virtually the same.
I think you took pictures of my craft room. If some was comming over and might see the "room of shame" I would cover as much of it with sheets and tell them I was getting ready to paint. I'm sure they totally believed me. If only I could use my powers of clutter like a super hero. You know.. "Look! it's Captian Clutter! She will surround the bad guys with a pile of stuff and save the day!" I guess I'll keep my super powers to myself. Good luck organizing your spaces.
I aplaud you for realizing there is a problem here, but why wasn't I invited to help you? My corner of the living room where I sew since getting my sewing room renovated into a bathroom after the tornado looks pretty sad right now. I need to retake my bearsden and reset up in there I guess. Good luck and call me to help. I would like to.
Dearest Lucy,
I just got up from off the floor. I haven't had such a good giggle in quite a while. Moving on...I've always found that the most creative people tend not to be that organized. They are in another world and quite frankly, if you know where your stuff is and can get to it, that is all that matters.
I do know how you feel though. Mine got so cluttered that I started to ITCH. I am not joking. I was avoiding even going in there!
I suggest you not worry so....eat it like an elephant, one baby bite at a time. Once your house is finished, it will get easier.
Oh, and BTW, I've actually seen MUCH worse.....yes, I really have.
I see fabric all through your mess. This can be really fun. It is amazing as you go through each stack of clutter what you forgot you had. The key here is to decide exactly what order you desire it to be in when you go hunting for things next time. I have several themes of organization going on, there is the color scheme, their is the small scraps vs. lg. scraps, there is the from Austrailia, Japan and Africa, there is even the batik stack, the retro stack and of course fabric other than 100% cotton, and I almost forgot yardage stack, also grouped by color. We won't even start with the trims and other equipment to do artsy play. There is even containers to consider, shelves vs. plastic tubs vs. drawers vs. closets and underbeds. Personally I use them all. Haha. LOL SB
You go girl!! I'm looking forward to the follow-up pics!
I have to go through our computer/sewing room about every six months or so 'cause it gets in such a shape...I chalk it up to creativity.
My bedroom closet looks like your sewing room at the moment. You've inspired me to get at it...but I'm not taking its picture! LOL!
Good luck w/it...no doubt you'll get it in order!
Just one BabyStep at a time. Remember to just jump in where you are!
My sewing room is just like yours. I work in the very middle with stuff all around me. I cannot put it away because there is no where to put it. Every space is filled! I can't get rid of anything. I feel helpless.
Where do you find the body form thing that you put cloths on? I don't know what they are called and can't find one. I would love one.
Hi, I just found your site and love your ideas... and your writing is great! Love your humor!
I relate to MESS caused by creativeness! But I have to admit that upon seeing your craft room all I could think of was, "OH, how I wish I had a room dedicated to crafts/sewing." Our house is tiny & the kitchen is the all-in-all room. Every craft project has to be cleaned up for each meal, for homeschooling, games, paying bills, etc.
So, mess and all, your room is awesome! (and I love the 15 minutes orgaznier!)
Happy 2009!
Oh my that looks like the inside of my house, I keep my craft room tidy and organised but my house is a total tip.....I mean somethings got to give doesnt it LOL
Your sewing room looks worse than mine - I feel so much better now! Thanks for the 15 minute idea - I usually go into my sewing room, wince mightily, have no idea where to start, and so don't. Your idea is so much better - now to take up the challenge. Thanks, and good luck!
Your room looks just like mind did before we discovered ....mice. EEEKKKKK!!!!! I just got rid of all my scraps, and a bunch of other fabric cuts. It has hard, 'cause like you I can pull a gift out of there in about an hour, but I just couldn't bare to think of finding baby mice in my fabric!
I think the only difference between your room and mine is that mine is in our laundry area/famiy room/music room/throw any kind of junk cause you can shut the door room. the laundry was the real killer cause it was just in piles.
I'd been wanting to clean it for months, but had no where to put anything and plus who has time over the holidays?. I still have too much craft stuff and not enough food storage, so I'll go back and wean again.....BLAHHH!!!
Good luck on your room. We are all rooting for you!!!!
Thank you for sharing and being someone others can relate too! I wish I could whip something out like you mentioned being able to do.
Wow! Now I don't feel so bad. You know what they say "Misery loves company" I've been working on decluttering my wool room for about two weeks. Slow and steady. I'm beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel even though I have miles to go. The book "Where Women Create" by Jo Packham might help. It's helped me.
I so appreciate your courage for sharing! I am in the same boat. My supplies are in a little room and have just exploded with neglect. It's a disgraceful mess. I started with 15 minutes today and there is a difference even with that (to me anyway). Does cramming materials in tubs count as "cleaning up"? I hope so. I need to get it out of visible sight, hoping to find my chair tomorrow!
Congrats on coming clean. My sewing area is called either my 'treehouse' or my 'hidey hole'. Yesterday I finally started to tackle it. It was a good feeling. Maybe collect up some fabric scraps and other odds and ends that you uncover/don't need and do a giveaway? That might make you feel even better about the process!
WOW! i don't feel so bad now!
Post a Comment