Decluttering Around Here: Project 3 Update
I’m here to report: my third decluttering project in our challenge was a huge success!
#1 - Papers are under control at our house. I’ll be back to report on #2 next week. For now, it’s time to celebrate. Did you get your three projects finished? It’s a busy time of year. Doesn’t it feel good to have some of that disorganization under a bit of control?
The third item on my list was a bit tricky. Fabric is pretty pricy in Germany (think 30 bucks/yard!), so I try to buy fabric at locally owned shops in the US or at traveling fabric markets in Berlin.
I only planned on taking maybe 8 yards of fabric to Germany. My mom had a different idea, I suppose. We attacked her sewing supplies earlier this summer (more on that later), and lets just say I walked away with far, far more than I ever expected. Suddenly I had a whole bin full. (The other bin has batting, scraps, unfinished projects, and some clothes that need repaired – and you know my plans for half-finished projects!)
Chemical smells and I aren’t the best of buds, so I always wash, iron, and fold fabric. I keep my fabric on a bookshelf in Germany, so having everything look nice (and dare I admit – color coordinated) makes all the difference… ahem – until you run out of room, as I successfully did with the bins.
I really like these large containers of German thread you can get (mine’s from JoAnn’s). You can see a few colors poke out a little higher than the rest. That’s because I’ve used those colors and keep the bobbins full of that color of thread right below the spool. There’s nothing worse than a tangle of bobbins when you sew.
My pincushion was something I made in my Junior Girl Scout troop when I was around 10 years old.
I threw out some scraps, pulled out a few things to donate, put unfinished projects first in my mind, and really got organized. Now I only wish it were Saturday because I’m ready to sew!
And how about you? Was your third decluttering project a success? Have you been onboard all this time with your projects? Huge cheers all around because guess what, ladies and gents – we may not have done everything we wanted, but we did something. And you have to start with something.
September 8th, 2010 at 3:32 pm
i did de-clutter my kitchen cabinets and it’s a great feeling. except i’m having to re-learn where things go b/c i moved some important stuff around to (i think) better places.
September 8th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I have a similar thread box. I didn’t think about placing the bobbin underneath the thread in the box. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing.
September 9th, 2010 at 4:43 am
I didn’t get to the boxes that I had intended to deal with – I did however sort out my books, cd’s and dvd’s. We bought another bookshelf while I was on leave and now everything is on the shelves – now for a rainy day to sort the shelves! Hopefully the boxes will be tackled on the weekend.
September 9th, 2010 at 6:45 am
Our toy cabinet is decluttered, but the office remains. It’s a big project. My new deadline: end of September.
September 22nd, 2010 at 11:33 am
I am loving your decluttering project. Sadly, I’ve been decluttering for years. No, I’m not like one of those people on tv whose home is so buried, they can barely walk through. But facing the stuff that I’ve collected for so many years is an enormous challenge. I had to laugh that you could deal with the paper clutter in a week. Or the craft supplies. In all honesty, if I addressed paper clutter daily, it would probably take me a month to get through every paper in my house. THAT is very scary. And very frustrating. And very overwhelming. Craft and sewing supplies? Same thing. If not longer. Even when I gain ground, I discover that I have a bunch more. It drives me insane. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to live a decluttered life.
HOWEVER . . . I am enjoying your posts and they truly are motivating. It has helped me to get rid of a little more than in the past. Keep up the great work, and thanks again for sharing. :-)