It Does Get Better, Right?

I am trying to get things de-cluttered and organized in several areas of my house so I can get this longarm moved in. Things sure seem to be a big mess right now, but they say things get worse before they get better. Hopefully this will be better soon!

The machine is in the soon-to-be sewing/guest room. The frame is in the tool shed. There is a room at one end of the tool shed where the seed is stored after it is delivered until it gets planted. I told Husband that office would make a great quilt studio. It is insulated and could be cooled with a window A/C and heated with a stand alone heater. It is big enough for the longarm, the huge ironing board that was sent home with me with the machine, the huge cutting table now residing in my garage, 

and all my fabric. I suggested he think about retiring from farming so I could have that office. Sounds good, right?

Not likely to happen any time soon. So, I am working on the sewing/guest room. I want to get the bed frame, box springs and mattress set up with a bed-side table. My son still has lots of stuff in there that he hasn't gone through yet to decide what he wants to keep and what can go. For now there are boxes on boxes that need to come out to make room for the bed. I have some under-bed storage tubs that will help store some of it. The rest will go upstairs into the black hole of forgotten items.

Next, I pulled all the fabric and yarn from the pie safe, bins, and shelves that I could find.

Some of this yarn will be going to quilt retreat later this week to pass on to any one who wants it. I have had it far too long without doing anything with it. Time for it to go. Some of the ladies do charity knitting so I am sure it will get taken.

Then, I began to measure, label and stack fabric by yardage. 

This is fabric left over from project for a friend. There is enough to make something.

Projects were bundled and labeled with the steps needed to complete them.

Starting at the top, left - 

Exchange quilt last year - needs blocked sashed, top assembled, quilted

Exchange quilt the year before - needs blocked sashed, top assembled, quilted 

Blooming Stars bed runner for my mom - needs quilted

Fading Charms quilt - needs piecing, top assembled, quilted 

Ombre Stripes quilt - needs more strips cut, top assembled, quilted 

Batik Snowflakes quilt - not started

Four Patch on Point quilt - needs sashing cut, top assembled, quilted

This bin rack is behind my MegaQuilter set up, before...

...and after.

Starting at the top, left is a dark blue wide back with no plans, yet. The grays are for sashing and backing of a T-shirt quilt in progress; right is 3 projects ready for quilting. They are bundled with their backing and binding fabrics.  

Second shelf is more wide backings and projects ready for quilting.

The third and fourth shelves are smaller bins filled with yarn, some bundled with patterns for planned projects - a sweater, Knitted Knockers, socks. One tub is still... empty!

Next, on to the pie safe...

Projects went into the pie safe, on the top shelf, along with the yardage of white, cream, gray and black solids, on the second shelf. The third shelf holds small cuts and pieces of light neutrals for backgrounds and yardage of black. The bottom shelf has a mish-mash of things that will probably get moved to other spots. 

In the sewing room there is a nice shelf on the wall over where the sewing table is and will stay. I began making stacks by yardage there. 

 Starting on the left is yardage 3 yards and over, next 3 yards, then less than 2 yards but more than 1 yard, then 1 yard, then less than 1 yard but more than 1/2 yard, then 1/2 yard, then full 1/4 yard, then fat quarters. Anything smaller than that will go into a different storage system.

This does not include the fabric stored upstairs. I have a big cabinet up there full of fabric sorted by color.

I want this room to still feel a little like home for my son when he comes to visit so I don't plan to paint it, at least for a while. I will replace the curtains which are a made from deer pillow panels that he picked out several years ago. I think something more neutral will work. He plans to take the fish and asked us to store the aquarium and stand until he can figure out if he can manage it at his tiny apartment. That will go into the basement and I will have room for the huge ironing board and a design wall.

My goad today is to get that room emptied out on the end the bed will go and get the bed set up. Guess I better get busy!

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts is

hosting Design Wall Mondays and  

What a Hoot Quilts is challenging quilters to 

finish '18 in 2018'.

Check them out.