a sunday afternoon project.....

Just lately, I have decided it would be a good idea on the weekends to try and get some sewing preparation done so I can just sit down and sew during the week - cutting out blocks, preparing applique, tracing stitcheries and so on.

Today I planned to cut out the next 3 or 4 blocks for my Underground Railroad quilt, which got me to thinking about how I was going to store them, as some of them wouldn't be sewn for a few weeks.  I could have stored them in plastic ziplock bags, but didn't want them to get creased and/or start fraying.  

So, I made a folder/holder; 

Some time ago I bought two pieces of A4 board from Bunnings with the intention of making myself a sandpaper board, but was then given one, so the boards were just put aside.  I covered the boards with fabric, cut two pieces of batting and sewed them together down the middle and glued them to the board covers, and added some ribbon to tie it closed.

And now I can keep my cut pieces neat and tidy.

 xx

getting organised.....

To my friends that know me well, and even those that don't, sadly it is no secret that for whatever reason, I have really struggled to be organised over the last couple of years.  I could say there are lots of reasons as to why this was, but at the end of the day, I just allowed myself to get very disorganised.

Finally though, I have started to get myself organised once again, slowly cleaning out, tidying and organising as I go.  And it's such a good feeling.

The thing that had become the most disorganised was my sewing and craft stuff, which had all pretty much ended up in rather a jumble in my spare bedroom/sewing room.  Finally I couldn't stand it anymore, and have started working through it all, bit by bit.

Although I still have a ways to go, for the first time in a long time - and being greatly encouraged by joining OPAM this year - I have got all my UFOs together, as well as some projects which I have 'kitted up' with patterns and fabrics, ready to be cut and sewn.

And here it all is, in bags and boxes and ready for me to get stuck in - sewing, crochet, knitting, the whole kit and kaboodle!

Some of them are small projects which will not take much to get them finished, while others are big, long term projects.   There are a couple of 'leaders and enders' projects, and some scrap projects where I have just made a block here and there.

There are also some new projects for swaps and secret sewing for birthdays and Christmas that I need to do (a couple of which have been started), but at least I am becoming so much more organised and it doesn't feel so overwhelming, as it did for such a long time.  In fact, I had got to the point really where it felt like an overwhelming burden and a huge weight on my shoulders, and I wasn't enjoying it.

Which is of course the point, isn't it - to actually
enjoy it and to get a great deal of pleasure and relaxation from doing it.

 
One of the larger projects is a quilt I started in Machine Applique classes I did about two years ago, and I have finally re-enrolled in that class to work on it and get it finished.  I decided to go back to class to do it as I really enjoyed it and the teacher is excellent, I learn so much from her.  The pattern for the quilt is one of her own designs, with both machine applique and machine quilting using a quilt-as-you-go method.

All in all, it feels so good to start having some organisation happening, and feeling like I can just pick up things and start working on them.  It's a feeling I haven't had for awhile.....