Reorganizing

So remember how I said I've been making some changes in my sewing room?

It all started with this Follower Friday post on Gen X Quilters. When I saw Kati's amazing design wall, I thought, that it's—why haven't I made one of those yet?

The thing is, I've been sewing in a room that was set up more than six years ago as an office, so that I could work from home full time. After I had my girls, I worked less and less and sewed more and more. But I guess I never stopped and took a hard, objective look at my space and how I was using it. I now spend 95 percent of my time in that room sewing, but sewing stuff took up maybe 20 percent of the space. I mean, check out that gigantic corner workstation desk. What on earth was that still doing in there?? It was a handy spot for stacking things (and I've got a lot of stacks), but it also commanded a hefty chunk of real estate. Including valuable wall space that could become a design wall. Duh.

So the corner desk, plus a whole lot of other officey stuff, was finally banished to the basement this week. And in its place: A lovely flannel sheet nailed to the wall! I can't believe I didn't do this earlier! Too bad I'm still using that awful office chair. Sitting in it makes me feel more like the CEO of a bank than a mommy working on a quilt.

I also decided my thread, needles, and other notions deserved better than just being dumped all together into a giant basket. There was stuff in the bottom of that basket that I didn't even remember I had, because it was too hard to find. A cosmetics organizer from Bed Bath & Beyond seems to fit the bill (top shelf). Now I can see almost everything I have, and the basket is perfect for my rulers. The middle shelf is where I'm keeping tops that are awaiting quilting.

I love my new and improved sewing room! I don't have as much desk space now for my stacks, but that's what the floor is for, I guess. It just goes to show that every once in a while, you have to try to look at your space with fresh eyes and think about how it could be used better. Just because you've always used it in a certain way doesn't mean you still should.