Clutter Hotspot #3 - Sewing Room Counter

This week's clutter hotspot assignment by Tsh of SimpleMom for Project Simplify - 2012 is "Closets, countertops, and drawers (oh my)."                                                                                                                         

The pieces of plywood keep Henry
out of the cat food, and (eww) the cat box

Wednesday morning, the day I remembered I needed to de-clutter something to show you today, I went into my sewing room to feed the pets.  That's about the only reason I scoot in and out of my sewing room lately.  I've been dying to sew, and feeling quite sorry for myself that I don't have a clean and organized space in which to do so.  

Besides the pet stuff, and the newlyweds taking it over as their laundry room, I'd been wondering if the layout wasn't working for me...

• Are the counters too shallow?  
• Do I not want to sew facing the wall? 
• If I reconfigured the room could it be more usable?  

-- I spent some time on plans, and searching the internet for great sewing rooms to use as inspiration. Without a door to close it off, or room for a huge cutting table or to set up a full ironing board and leave it up, as I'd like, it's not the same space I left in our last house.  I have been sorely in need of pattern storage.  But few of the sewing rooms I found on-line were any better than what I have.

So, what is the real reason I've been avoiding that room?  ...   FEAR.                                                                                                                       

• I was afraid of getting aggravated.  When I want to start a project, I want to start in a clean area, and not have to clean up the messes of others first.  When I find things that haven't been taken care of properly, I get agitated. I hate that tense feeling, and rather than feel mad at whatever family member(s) have been somehow negligent, I shut my eyes and avoid the situation.

• I was afraid of my inability to make the necessary, firm decisions in dealing with what's there, and only moving mess from one spot to another... Pseudo-clean-up.

• I was afraid of facing the reality of sewing machines that need repair and maintenance, and the unknown dollars it will take to make that happen.  But getting estimates would likely be a better step than sitting back in dread of finding out.

• I was afraid I wouldn't be able to clean and organize it without depending on over-busy Hubby to build something new to make it work, or worse, change something he already built.   I can see options of what I want, but as the "idea person," and not the "make it happen person," I feel a bit helpless.

But this is the week I decided to push aside all those unhelpful fears and see what I can do to make it into a room I can enjoy using.  It will take effort on the part of others to keep their own clutter out of my way, but there has been no motivation for that in the disorganization that existed.

After a few days of intermittent work, banding and organizing fabric, removing tools, stereos, and other things that don't belong in the room, 
it's still a bit of a work in progress.  

I was happy that all my sewing books fit exactly in an open spot in my new bookshelf in the dining room.  I wouldn't read them in the sewing room anyway.






I did go ahead and ask Hubby to make a few shelves for above the washer and dryer.  Princess Sassy and Prince Steadfast had already expressed the need, and I think a few more shelves in the room, especially at 5 feet wide, could help us all.  The wonderful guy already has 2 made, maybe to be installed this weekend.

I would've posted my "after" photos this morning, but I just had to do something about the 2 giant boxes of jumbled up patterns, still sitting in the leg-space of my sewing spot.                                                                                                                                                                   








I ran to Staples and got a packet of 10, fold-'em-yourself storage boxes, that hold 2 rows of patterns each.  (I used 5.)




They are now organized by type, so we might find what we need, and they can stay neat.  I think these boxes might fit nicely on the new shelves.  











We had a lot of pattern pieces, instructions, and envelopes that were no longer together.  
I saved a few pieces that looked familiar, and like we might find the other pieces for in time... The rest I threw out.  I was sad to know that there were likely pieces to old favorite, tried and true, patterns in the trash, but if we don't see it, maybe we won't miss it.  




Of course, as you muck out any room, you make some discoveries, like some of Hubby's tools, one of the newlyweds' shower gifts, and other treasures...

My mother-in-law's 1956 Elna machine.  We've had it

for over a year without checking to see if it  works.  It does.

It will present a learning curve, and I suspect, after years

of non-use, needs a new belt and maybe other attention.

15 year old magazine... but featuring the subject 

I was writing about last week in Playtime!

So, of course, I couldn't throw it out... yet. 

My first childhood embroidery project

I have 3 hurdles left to leap... 

• Where to put the cat food so that it's not in my work area, but the dogs can't get it.
• I can only find 1 sewing machine power cord.  I had hoped the other was hiding in the clutter.  Must be in clutter elsewhere!
• I need a work table.  The one in here now is the add-on to extend our dining table.  It's the wrong size and height, and offers no storage.  The wooden box you see in the photos was the drawer box from under our first oven, that was smaller than the ones to follow.  I think if Hubby makes another just like it, they'll be perfect for the work table, and I can move the patterns into it one day.  For now, I have it upside down on the table to try as a temporary, raised work surface.

Before

Before...

Thanks, SimpleMom and Project Simplify partiers, for helping me get my sewing room clean!  If I go missing sometime in the next week, send someone here, 
where I'll be preparing for next Friday's declutter unveiling, for which I'm supposed to choose my most needed Hotspot.  Wish me luck...  ;-)

Break Away

I'd mentioned previously that Princess Eager, Prince CuddleBunny, and I were going along with Hubby when he went to the other side of our state to attend a technology educators' conference in Wenatchee, WA.  Since we were seeing snow here, I was hesitant to plan a trip over the mountain passes, which, at the beginning of the week had forecasts of heavy snow and winter weather warnings for the day we were to leave.  


After much prayer and a few days' time, the forecast was milder, and although Hubby bought chains in preparation, both passes we travelled were bare and wet.  

Waiting for Dad at the Convention Center

We left here Thursday and returned Saturday.  Friday was a sunny day in Wenatchee.  

Running the RC vehicle shown
by Saxton-Bradley,
one of the convention vendors

After Hubby's meetings, 
and some playtime in the hotel 'gym' to entertain the kids, we decided to explore the countryside a bit.  We hopped in the truck  and 
drove up the Columbia River toward Entiat.  

Rocky Reach Dam

The para-educator who helps in Hubby's classroom grew up and has family in Entiat, and she insisted we had to see it.  


It was a gorgeous day and a gorgeous area.

Orchards, orchards, and more orchards

Painted rock wall over Entiat from decades of brave/crazy high school kids

A different type of terrain than we're used to, but beautiful

We actually saw 3 rivers in our travels that day, and were a bit envious of the farmhouses settled along the edge of the babbling Entiat River... I could just imagine falling asleep at night, listening to the sound of the flowing water.

It snowed the day we left Wenatchee, and we saw snow and hail as we drove home.                                                                                                                                                                                      

But the roads were, again, clear, and we weren't delayed by hours of avalanche control work, which we've encountered in past years.  We really couldn't have asked for better travel conditions for the whole trip.

North Bend and Mt Si

As is our tradition, we stopped at the outlet mall in North Bend on the way home, so the kids could shop at the Nike Outlet store.   We used to stop for baseball cleats, but now it's all running wear... and just clothes for looking sharp.  ;-)  




Since stopping at North Bend put us so close to Snoqualmie Falls, and the 2 youngest royals hadn't ever seen it, we took a bit if a detour to visit the site.  
The Falls was roaring with huge volumes of water, so much that the splash made a fog over the area that cut the view of the waterfall itself to almost nothing.  

It also meant we got very wet!                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Just a reminder of what the Falls looked
like in June

There-are-Even-Words-in-the-Photos Wednesday

Besides the new fitness activity I shared with you Tuesday, I did some home decor that I'd promised to show you upon returning from my blogging break.


I've been troubled about the attitudes and words being tossed around our home lately.  --Kids making fun of each other, avoiding chores, speaking harshly, etc., etc.  I've been wanting the members of our family to re-open their hearts toward each other, and conduct themselves more as God asks in the Bible, both in words and in service.


I get tired of talking and feeling that I'm not being heard, so I decided to post written evidence of my priorities and hopes around the house.  Without money to spend on a more artful project, and also wanting to get the word out sooner rather than later, I decided to go the fast and inexpensive (tacky) route... I printed the messages out on paper.  


First I created sheets that emphasized "Relationship," and listed ways in which I thought they could better build relationship with God, with the family, and with others.                                                                                                                                    

I made several copies, and hung them where I thought they'd be seen most.  

--Especially in spots where family members might have the chance to read and meditate on them as they lay in their beds, sat and ate, or did other quiet activities during which they might have time to think...








Next I made lists of behaviors I'd like to see put into practice... Like "Speak Kindly," "Notice others and care how they're feeling," "Be Thankful," "Play a game together," "Give a Hug," and many others.                                                                

I cut them into separate, little pronouncements, with which I 'decorated' the walls in several locations of the house.






I figured, if nothing else, they'd have a clear understanding of the types of things important to their mom.


You're probably wondering...

"Have they read them?"

"Have they made a difference?"                                                                                                             

I walked into the kitchen just in time to hear Prince Inventive trying to persuade Princess Eager to clear the dishwasher for him.  As support for his reasoning, he pointed to one of my signs on the kitchen wall and said, "It says right here to 'Help out with someone else's chore.'"  :-\                                                                                                                                                                                        

Well, at least I know they're being read...