I’m so excited!
And I just can’t hide it! I’m about to lose control and I think I like it! OK…we can all stop dancing now. Except for me! I ordered my sewing cabinet yesterday and it should be delivered next week! Uh oh! Stop dancing, Candy. This means you have to empty out the palace! Egads!! But I do have a plan…of sorts.
Stage One is emptying out the closet and rearranging it. Oh how I dread this!
See, I told you it was messy! This is just a peek inside. << Insert horror scream here!>> Most of the things on the top shelf belong to #2 Son. He left the nest–flew the coop–around twelve years ago. Initially, he didn’t want any of the stuff–I was the hoarder who kept it. Sunday, I told him I was getting rid of it and now he wants to know what’s up there. He’ll find out in July when we go to visit him–it will all be in the trunk! 🙂 Won’t he be surprised!
I save dumb things–like empty boxes from Apple products. Yes, Apple devices come with awesome packaging. But do I really need the ipod box? Really, Candy?
I have a partial shelf stacked with Quilter’s Newsletter magazines. I haven’t looked at them since I stacked them there. And I seriously doubt that I looked at them before I stacked them there. But I’m torn…I don’t want them any longer but I hate to just toss them out. But I also hate to take them to my guild meeting because if no one adopts them, I have to haul them back home with me. I’m not wanting to do that! I’m looking at their shelf space with the green eyes of envy.
The embroidery blanks–some I’ll keep, some I’ll donate. I always have such grand intentions. But I can never find that 25th hour in the day. So this closet is where those intentions go to die–they languish in the land of what might have been! Hopefully, they can find a place where they can revive their dreams–preferably in someone else’s room! 🙂
This will be a daunting task and not for the faint of heart for sure! But I know I can do this. Hard hat is ready!!!!
buriedinscraps 
Be strong – you can do it – think of all the space for fabric you will gain!
I can do this! That is my mantra!
LOVE your closet shot! 🙂
So, magazines….the guilds here package them together (4 or 5) and sell them really cheap as a fund raiser at quilt shows. Or, how about donating them to the library? Or drop them off at a women’s homeless shelter? Or, just bite the bullet and if they don’t get taken at the guild meeting….dump them in the trash (or better yet….have a girlfriend do it so you don’t feel the pain!).
What is an embroidery blank?
Those are some good ideas for the magazines.
Embroidery blanks are things to which you add embroidery. I have the embroidery module for my machine. So, I have floursack-like towels and denim vests and sweatshirts and pillowcases and fabric bookmarks….things like that…that are crying out for machine embroidered embellishments. I try not to hear them!
Yes you do need that Ipad box, I wish I had a couple more. They are such a nice weight. I took the heavy weight steam a seam and a fun cheap fabric from Joanns and covered the top of the box. Then I have a nice cute box to put my cut fabrics in for hand pcing projects. I have many works in progress and they each have their own little box until they outgrow it. No sence using nice quilt shop $10 and up a yard fabric to cover the boxes and they sure look nice on my shelf . I know it is hard to purge things when someone gives you a good excuse to keep them. If you lived closer I would take that box off your hands for you LOL Have fun petting and folding all that fabric as you rearrange and organize. It’s a big job but kind of fun to find treasures you forgot you had. I am still doing some of that with the addition of the new shelf I got from my mother in law.
Oh no!! I beg you…please don’t give me a reason to keep the iPod box!! Great idea, though!
I think that is an excellent reason to keep the box. I have making fabric boxes on my to-do list (Wonder when the to-do list becomes the ta-done list?).
You go Girl!
I’m starting to believe there is no ta-done list! Or it ne er gets shorter anyway. Take one off…put two on!
I’m so glad someone else keeps their Apple packaging. Shall we both be strong and throw it away together?
You first! 🙂
Stay focused on the “prize”…..the cabinet IS coming, you want to be ready, this, too, shall pass, that which doesn’t kill you will make you stronger, a journey is begun with that first small step, ummmm, let me see-any more!?!-reach for that ‘brass ring’ (maybe that one isn’t in your ‘memory bank’! hehe!). How are ‘we’ doing? If the above isn’t working……..GET OFF THE ‘PUTER AND GET IT IN GEAR!!!! LOL! Encouraging hugs coming your way, Doreen
I don’t think you left anything out! Got ’em all! Just wish there was one that said “Hire cleaning crew!”
I love to see your name in my comments. You always make me smile!
I really can’t start until the weekend. Saurday afternoon, the fun begins!!! I will not be buried in scraps…I’ll be buried in junk!! 🙂
I have said it before: I feel your pain!!! That is why, after living on this little hobby farm for 38 yrs., I take comfort in the fact that our son & wife (who live a stone’s throw up the drive) will be purchasing the place (we will have a ‘lifetime lease’!) and the enormous task of a move will probably not be something we will have in our future. All that we have accumulated will be his to dispose of (he threatens a very large dumpster!!!). Am seriously considering a HQ (sit down) Sweet Sixteen longarm machine in the fall. That will force me in to some serious re-organizing, also!!!!! Must focus on that “silver lining” hmmmmmmmmmmmmm????????-)
A long arm is never in the picture for me. Just not enough room! Never enough room!
Me, too, but this HQ model does not use a frame and is basically a large DMS. With some ‘housecleaning’/rearranging it would be doable in my little space. The 16″ of harp space is the huge ‘plus’.
So, you just use it as you would use your home sewing machine? Without a frame? I have a Juki that has a larger harp than my Bernina but not 16″. It’s on a frame and we do “fight” on occasion! It stitches beautifully off the frame but I have thread breakage when it’s on the frame. I’m sure it’s just a thread combo/tension thing.
What Juki do you have?? I use a Juki TL2010Q for my FMQ. If I have a large project I do turn it so it sets on my table as though it was on a frame (with the fly wheel away from me/needle towards me). The HQ sets in it’s own table the same way as if it were in a frame (see: http://www.handiquilter.com/product/hq-sweet-sixteen/ ). There are other similar machines out there that are lesser in price, but by the time you add all that comes in the HQ pkg the price is close.
P.S. I have found with my Juki that it is particular about the size needle (12 or 14) and very particular about machine speed vs. machine, or quilt, movement! After doing the FMQ QAL I have gotten tons better at coordinating the speed/movement combo and don’t have the breakage problem now.
I have the TL 98. I still feel it’s an issue with the frame since it sews beautifully off the frame. I’m ready to try it again since I’ve picked up some tips with fmq.
When I got my Juki I had thought I would put it in the New English Quilter (http://www.machinequilter.co.uk/the-new-english-quilter/our-products/new-english-quilter-ii ) frame. I LOVE this machine!!! It sews like a dream….quiet mechanism, perfectly locked stitches!! Having thought a bit more about it, I have decided I really don’t have the room for a full frame/longarm setup so that is why the HQ Sweet Sixteen (or Tin Lizzie???) is/are being considered. My FMQ “Hearts & Feathers” went beautifully. I used regular sewing thread (white) in both the top and bobbin and size 12 (regular sewing) needle. Perfect! The only “thread” that I have had problem with was Sulky “Sliver”…a flat, ribbon-like thread. It had more to do with feed off the spool, though. It must come off the spool sideways not up through the guide so it doesn’t twist. The situation you are experiencing is odd that the frame would be some type of issue!! Hope you can resolve it! Hugs, Doreen
It probably has to do with the position of the frame…too close to the machine bed or too far away. I just haven’t found that sweet spot yet! And I’ve heard that you can roll the quilt too tight so that might be an adjustment that could be made. I’ll figure it out because it’s personal now. It’s me against the frame!
You are scaring me………you are, now, sounding JUST LIKE ME!!!!!!!!!! “It’s a machine; I am the master/mistress; I WILL prevail”!!!!!!! You go girl!! Then have that glass of wine (if it’s not too early, hehe!).
Never too early! I think my boss would frown on it since I”m at work right now. 🙂
Hope they don’t monitor your ‘puter!!!!
Not yet…
You and I need a ‘chat room’ LOL!!!!
Hello…again! Just popped in to tell you CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! I have just awarded you the Leibster Blog Award!!! Take a moment to stop by my place for today’s post……Sharing the love & hugs, Doreen
thanks! I have no idea what I need to do, though.
Here are the steps (not written in ‘concrete’):
Thank your award presenter on you blog and link back to him/her.
Copy and paste the award to you blog.
Present the Liebster Award to 5 blogs that you think deserve to be recognized.
Let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
The hardest part was sorting through my favorites for those blogs who had less than 200 followers. Needless to say, people like Leah Day did NOT qualify! If you have further questions, send me an e-mail and I can explain what I did step by step. Hugs, again!!!, Doreen
OK…I will try to get at it this weekend. I’m at work right now. Darn work always gets in the way!!
Will be around this weekend if you have a question!!
Be nice and put all the sons stuff in a plastic bins. Do NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES…. open those magazines. Box directly into bankers boxes and remove from home. Also my husband can’t get rid of boxes either… so we flatten them and put them together in a bigger box. As a family of pack rats I know your pain…
followed your advice…packed ’em up. Only kept two. I found my George Harrison magazines. Couldn’t throwback George to the curb!
lol! This made me laugh as I look at my hugely overflowing bin of old pajamas and cute shirts the boys used to wear. I intended to make them into a cute blanket (or 10 with the amount I have), but they’ve just been sitting there. So, I am afraid I am not much help, but I do really believe in the less is more philosophy…really, I do! And getting organized does help a lot towards getting stuff done, or at least looking like you will, someday…
No argument that it’s easier to sew with less clutter. Just hard to throw things away.
I love getting organized! ENJOY!
I wish I could hire you!!
Are these magazines quilting ones? Also, on another note….I have the Juki TL98P.
When I bought it I was advised to only use topstitch needles for quilting and to use Superior Threads brand of cotton. The tension is turned to number 1 on the dial and this combination works really well. Good luck with your tidy up! Avis x
P.S. Congratulations on the award, you deserve it 🙂
Thanks for the Juki tips! I’ll try those settings. Which Superior thread do you typically use?
I’m new to this so I haven’t used much but I’ve tried King Tut, Nature’s Colors and Rainbows so far. The only problem I had was with horrible knotting on the back because I forgot to put the presser foot down. Didn’t do that again!! Enlarge my photos to take a closer look at how they turned out. Also, the tension on the bobbin is important (I forgot that bit before). Insert the spool in the bobbin as if ready to use. Hold the thread and let them go. It should drop 2 or three inches then stop. If it doesn’t drop, tension is too tight. If it drops a lot, tension is too loose. Loosen or tighten the screw on the bobbin by one quarter turn as necessary. Repeat until you get the right amount of drop. You probably know this bit already 😉 I haven’t changed my settings for all of the above threads. Hope that helps. I don’t know where you are located but I buy my threads from Barnyarns.co.uk. They have a huge selection. Good luck 🙂
Thanks for all the tips! I will try them all. I’ve been using King Tut for my fmq on my Bernina. It seems to be heavier than I like…especially when traveling. But I like the look of it sometimes so I’m torn. I may try the Rainbows….they look sooooo pretty! I don’t think I ever set the top tension to one. That might solve some issues for me. I have a quilt that I can put on the frame in the next couple of weeks so I’ll be giving your ideas a try!
Great advice, Avis!! I, too, turn the tension dial way down. I have used some King Tut for my FMQ but only if I am not needing to do much “traveling”. Used regular white sewing thread top and bobbin (for the Leah Day QAL) and a regular #12 needle. The Juki sewed like a dream. Am doing a larger (50″x 50″) quilt now with the same micro-stippling and it’s going wonderfully! I read that “topstitch” needles work well, also, but haven’t tried them for quilting. I usually use Connecting Threads cotton quilt thread (top and bobbin) with a #14 quilting needle. Also, works beautifully in the Juki. Do not use this thread if there is “traveling”, though, cuz the thread build-up/breakage does become an issue!!!
Organizing and cleaning out sewing things is the hardest for me!!!! I totally empathize. Hugs.
Thanks! It’s good to know I’m not the only one!
Ah Candy… It’s the quilt “collectors” lament. I have lots of areas like this too!!! You are not alone! Good luck!!!
I’ve found such a sisterhood!!