stream of consciousness of my cleaning escapades

[mandie_rw]

Actual sewing was minimal, but I did some cleaning of the Sewing Room Disaster so that can only be a good thing!

Tom bought some plastic storage totes as a "please try to corral your sprawling hoarder tendencies, my beloved betrothed" gesture, so I spent a good few hours in there on Saturday, cleaning up maybe a quarter of the godawful mess it's become. The more space I have, the more I spread out, and I like organizing things until there are things that have No Home, and then those homeless things just get piled up, and unfinished projects get piled on top of them, and then suddenly you realized you haven't seen the floor in that corner over there for two years...

So, uh, I made a bit of a dent in there. Culled and relocated the costume shoe collection to the top of one of the bookshelves in labeled boxes (it's ok, I have a wee stepladder and we're not prone to earthquakes) and relocated most of the fabric bolts to the shoes' old home on long low shelves. Even wiped down said shelves and put shelf paper down (because it's a crappy old shelf that was from the basement at the old house, and it's always been vaguely dusty no matter what you do to it). Also started some organization of the looming piles, and may have managed to corral all the fur bits that Pip pulled out of their box and dragged all over the room (thanks, jerk). They now go in a plastic bin, cat. Moved the cotton/linen fabric off its designated shelf and into a bin, so some of the random fabric lengths that have been piling up can now go on said bookshelf. Will probably need to designate another UFO bin (yikes), but the old UFO bin is a smaller one, so once I cull old projects and replace the old bin it might not be that bad. Might...

Oh, also the vintage hat collection went in a new big bin, too. Not an ideal storage method for hats, but an improvement over the "in random bags and stashed under things" method. At least they're smaller than my costume hats, which will in no way be contained by bins and I have no idea how they're going to eventually be moved without getting smooshed. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it...

Once I got tired of cleaning, I cut out and sewed the grand total of one mask - I need a few more (the christmas ones are officially banned form rotation now because it's SPRING, GIRL, so I need a couple new ones to go two weeks of school before having to wash them all), but I found a scrap of organdy on the floor that was just big enough for one mask - and since that's what I use for interfacing, hey, let's go for it.

I also found a lonesome scrap (a big scrap) of a bit of linen-rayon from a dress I made in 2014 (yes, I had to look that up, and HOLY 
SHIT do I keep things forever) that I'd always intended to make "a shirt or something" out of, so I did most of that as well. Sleeveless and very very simple, but it's one less scrap on the floor! Still have to face the neck and armholes, and do the hem, but it's definitely doable this week if I can peel myself away from the internet during my free time.

She says, while on the internet...

Comments

[danabren]

(thanks, jerk).

I can't stop laughing at this.

[mandie_rw]

A very casual aside! I trash-talk him alllll the time...it recently occurred to me that a transcript of my cat-directed remarks would make people believe I really dislike this critter...

[marianme]

The ever expanding piles sounds so familiar. Nice that you were able to corral and organize and make something. That’s a weekend win

[mandie_rw]

Definitely! I've been ignoring it for way too long, so figured I needed to jump on this inspiration before it departed!

[mala_14]

I have no idea how they're going to eventually be moved without getting smooshed. You and Imaginary Fiance can just wear them all during the move. Problem solved!

Kudos for getting so much done!

[mandie_rw]

xD I'm imagining Tom wearing my recent turn-of-the century hat while driving one of those little U-Haul trucks now, and casually tipping his hat at people at stoplights...

[mala_14]

That kind of visualization is just one step away from making it happen! ;p

[totchipanda]

...until there are things that have No Home, and then those homeless things just get piled up, and unfinished projects get piled on top of them, and then suddenly you realized you haven't seen the floor in that corner over there for two years...

Wow does this ever feel like my house lol. My roommate has said she's fine with my random projects in the living room, bc im trying really hard to keep them contained to specific locations. Sewing room, however, is a "here be dragons" land, not the least bc I've barely started on organizing the space. You did a LOT with getting all of that organizing done, AND sewn a shirt? Well done you!

[mandie_rw]

Thank you! I figured I'd best take advantage of the burst of inspiration while it was there, haha. It's funny how I really don't "see" my creative clutter, whereas I'm a lot neater and cleaner in spaces like the kitchen and bathroom. But my bedroom? Sewing room? *plays "Jaws" theme* Thankfully Tom's on a similar level of messy, so at least it'll probably never turn into a fight LOL (except that he doesn't see the hair all over the bathroom. NOOOOOO)

[brickhousewench]

I store my hats in cardboard boxes with clear windows (that I got at IKEA) and one of those old fashioned round suitcases (that I bought on eBay). I know bonnets are an odd shape, but IKEA has a lot of sort of tall, rectangular storage boxes that might suit. Also I've got a few actual hatboxes that I've grabbed over the years at places like Michaels, but the really big ones are super hard to find.