Desperation

So I read in the Big City's daily paper today a call for submissions. I immediately broke out the camera.

The headline read "Let us help you get organized." An expert in home organization will help one lucky reader declutter a room in his or her home. It just so happens that I am DESPERATE for some help in this area...


The room in question happens to be my sewing room. It started out as my office and as my sewing hobby grew I just kept adding piles and piles of fabric and assorted supplies. Now that Jaxon is running around, I'm constantly stepping on toys and picking up bobbins with long tails. I need a place for everything and everything in its place. The above picture was taken AFTER I straightened up.


Why can't the rest of the room look as simple and clean as my Eames rocker? *sigh* Yes, that is the ironing board on the floor. When I started sewing regularly I moved it from the laundry room and for awhile I would store it in the closet, but I am using it so regularly I tend not to put it away.

The room is lined with books. We bought supplies to build some (more) bookshelves in the living room, but that is pretty far down on Charlie's priority list. I would like to turn our old baker's rack into an ironing station, but the only place to put it would be where the bookshelves currently reside, so I haven't done it yet.


Ah, the true mess. Fabric piled in plastic crates, fabric piled in cardboard boxes, fabric piled under the table, fabric piled ON the table. It doesn't end. I think I would like to have one big shelving unit to hold it all, but where? All that clutter includes the things I use regularly, but isn't there a way to store it all that it would be close-at-hand but hidden?

See the cutting mats on the floor? There is no surface big enough or clear enough to use them except the floor, so that's where I leave them.


And finally, the closet. I've tried for organization -- you can see it I think -- the desk with plastic storage drawers underneath; plastic crates for supplies, magazine boxes up top. It just isn't enough. I think some things have to go, but it is going to take someone more ruthless than I am.

So what do you think? Cluttered enough but with enough potential to be chosen? Fingers crossed.

You might have noticed a WIP in the above pictures, hanging on the closest doors. It's an almost complete skirt that I am very excited about. I need to move it to the back burner for a few days while I work on my student's finals and complete a couple of other projects. Here's some more work on the funky quilt:


And look how sweet my boy is saying "Hi" to this goat at the petting zoo. He loved it!