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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Chicks, Blocks and Stacks

It's been a productive week for me!!  Since Jeff left on Wednesday, I've been burning the midnight oil -- partly to exhaust myself because, just as I've gotten accustomed to having a bed-fellow again, he's gone and I have to figure out how to keep myself warm!
:-) Sigh....

I tied into a several-day project of re-organizing my sewing room.
Oh.
My.
Word.

It was SUCH a mess!! So all the furniture went out, all the fabric went out, all the projects -- finished and unfinished! -- went out, and the cleaning and sorting began.

I didn't realize how much fabric I have....!! I got it all sorted by color, and stacked to the ceiling in the closet.  Before I'd kept lines or types separated, but this is much better.  I can see at a glance what I have.

Um....I think I can lay off the background fabrics for a while.  I think I don't need to buy any fabric until the next millennium!!

I organized my projects, too.  I bought hang-up shelves for my closet rod, and stacked boxed-up projects into them so I can pull them out easily.  Before they were stacked willy-nilly on the closet floor and I could never find something without pulling out a million things! UGH!  How can I complete Judy's UFO Challenge if I can't find the UFO!? So that's much better!



I kept my peg racks on the wall for blocks to hang on.  They're pretty!! :-)  and they are a good reminder that those projects need attention.

I had to drop everything on Sunday, though, with a phone call from the post office.  Did I wanna come up and get my baby chicks!?  I wasn't expecting them 'til Monday, but okay. Yeah. :-)  They are the cutest little things!  My friend and fellow quilter Tracy and her family piggy-backed the order with us, so they came Monday to pick up their baker's dozen.  Nothing bonds people like quilting and chickens! LOL 


With all this going on, I managed to actually sew!!! I'd curtailed my sewing time while Jeff was home, so it was heaven to sew nearly the whole day today.  I worked on Eventide (a Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. pattern), Thelma's sew-along at Cupcakes n' Daisies.  I've also been working on the mystery quilt I'm leading at my club (a tease, since I can't show it to you!), and I've got 25 blocks finished on the Farmer's Wife.  I'll be doing a dozen or so more blocks for the FW this week in preparation for our monthly class. 

And while doing all these, I've also been "leaders and enders"-ing on Cathedral Stars, the class I missed with Bonnie Hunter.  She's right...it's like getting a bonus quilt while you work on another one!!!  I have my little basket of "twosies" -- 2 - 2" squares, a light and a medium/dark -- stacked up and ready to feed into the machine between chain sewing other units.  Fun, fun, fun!!

And all in an orderly room that doesn't smother me anymore!

Paul wrote "For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is." (Colossians 2:5 NIV)


Thank the Lord that my faith in Christ is much firmer than my ability to keep my sewing room orderly!!  :-D 
Blessings!

35 comments:

Kathy MacKie said...

Like you I also did some tidying up in my sewing room. You did a superb job! When I was young which is many years ago I remember when my Mom would get the chicks, they always spent the first night in the house. They were just bunches of fluff!

Staci said...

Okay-- here is a city girl question: why were the chicks at the post office???

Enjoy your lovely sewing room! Doesn't it feel great to have a good clean out?

QuiltSue said...

I too wondered how come the chickens were at the post office - and on a Sunday too.

Your room looks great and that stash of fabrics looks wonderful.

antique quilter said...

ok don't you have enough to do???? raising chickens too????
love your new sewing room looks beautiful
your going to be so happy you did this, I still am
took a long time but well worth it
Kathie

Sarah Craig said...

You have been very productive!! And I love your chicks - although my husband was quick to point out that while they're cute now, they do grow up! Party pooper.... And I know why they were at the post office - because you can order them from the Sears catalog! I used to sell them back at one of my first jobs...

Tracy said...

Our little group is doing great in their galvanized tub... in our bathroom! I was pleased that they slept all night, and didn't keep me awake.

Love your newly organized room!

Rhonda M said...

A sure sign of spring is new chicks! I love what you have done with your sewing room! Girl, I think you get the prize for fabric stash. :) I know you must enjoy being in your room even more now that you have it organized and quilter-friendly. :)

Jayne Honnold said...

I'm a newcomer to your blog - through a link at Cupcakes-n-Daisies. I am familiar with your area of KY as our son attended Cumberland College (Univ. of the Cumberlands, now). We drove down Rt. 75 several times over his 4 years there. Your newly cleaned and organized sewing room looks fabulous, and I am motivated to continue working on mine. I blogged about it several days ago at jaynesquiltingroom.blogspot.com.

Love your blog!
Jayne

StitchinByTheLake said...

I love organizing and sorting and when I get my sewing room all done it's a joy to work in. Then, of course, it deteriorates gradually and it's all to do again. :) blessings, marlene

Barb said...

I'm not sure what I'm more envious of, the clean and organized (to perfect pitch) sewing room - or those sweet chicks! They are so fluffy and I wish I could pick one up and kiss its sweet little head!
You are such a whirlwind - and get so much done. You are a true dynamo!

Stray Stitches (Linda G) said...

It must be something in the air because I too have spent some time cleaning and rearranging in my sewing room. All of your sewing is fantastic - I love all of the blocks!

Deb said...

Amazing job of reorganizing your sewing room, it looks wonderful. What fabric are you using for your Eventide, it's really pretty?

Karen said...

Besides sitting and drooling over the cute little chicks, I've decided to keep this post to spur me on to my own reorganization project. I have been thinking about installing shelves in my closet and this just sealed the deal. Thank you for all the get it done inspiration!

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

Looks to me like you have enough in that closet to open up your own fabric store! yes no need to buy fabric for awhile.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/

Lori said...

I love an organized sewing room! Yours looks fantastic. I think you can make a few quilts with the fabric you havce;)

I love baby chicks!!

Angie said...

I am truly impressed! Not only by how organized your space is but by your fabric collection! :D

Oh and I am expecting the call from my post office next week to get my chickies! Yay, there is nothing so cute as day old chicks! ;)

Quilter Kathy said...

Wow...your organization is amazing! Everything looks fabulous...what a fun environment to sew in. Your Yuletide blocks look great!

Sue said...

Congrats on organizing your sewing room Great job! I like your progress on Eventide

Crispy said...

ROFL, are you planning on opening a quilt shop? Also ROFLing at your stack of projects yet to be finished too. Sweety, you could sew forever with what you have (I'm jealous LOL).

Awww the little chicks are so cute!! I hope they fair better than the last batch of chickens.

Crispy

Loris said...

Your projects are coming along beautifully. Love the FW and the new Rosie quilt. Awesome work with the re-organization...cleaning up always makes me want to sew too.
Give those sweet little chicks a little pat for me. They look so soft :-)

Ann Marie @ 16 Muddy Feet said...

I work at the post office so I know that they were there because they were ordered from far away and shipped to you, and they were there on Sunday because the mail travels 364 days a year. Because you have postal employees there that care, they called you on a sunday so the little chicks had a better chance of living, instead of waiting to just deliver them on Monday. I love your closet, and now you can shop from your stash like I do too.I love having it all organized.

Teresa Rawson said...

What cute, fuzzy chicks...when I saw the name of your post, I thought you were going to be talking about GIRLS, not CHICKENS!!! Your room looks FABULOUS! I love sewing in an organizxed space...something about my mind being tidy, or something like that. My quilt posse wants us to start the Farmer's Wife...to use up our repro scraps (rationalize it anyway you have to...right??). It's not really starting anew quilt if you are just using up scraps, right?? Your blocks look great.

In stitches,
Teresa :o)

Nicole said...

My gosh, Mary Lou, you sure do have a lot going on! My daughter and my sister have chickens and having those fresh eggs is wonderful. Your fabric is organized so beautifully, you need to give yourself a pat on the back for that! What a great environment to sew in. Your Eventide quilt is going to be just gorgeous.

Linda C said...

I too have been sorting and tidying. And l thought l had a lot of fabric!! Love your new tidy space. Its an inspiration waiting to happen. And those chicks are too cute!! We had a new arrival in our family last week.

Carrie said...

Your sewing room looks terrific! Great job! And those chicks! They're SO cute!

And I love both of the quilts-to-be on your design wall. I look forward to seeing them finished. :)

Reenie said...

Wow!! Just wow! lol I can't believe all you have accomplished!!
What type of chickens did you get? I have Golden comets and I LOVE my girls!!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I am drooling over your fabric...wow!

Your chicks are sooo cute!

Shelley said...

Mary Lou, just wanted to send out a great big THANK YOU for the lovely photos of your stash. I shared them with my husband and he then gave me money to go buy more fabric--once he saw that I really don't have that much at all lol! Girl, THAT's SOME STASH!!!

Debbie J said...

Your room looks wonderful and the chicks are so cute! I love doing leaders and enders. I just need to get as organized as you and get my twosie in order.

Sharrieboberry said...

You know you're in a small town when... the post office personel will call you on a Sunday! And let you come pick up the package they're calling you about!

Aw! The little "peep" sound that little chicks make is so sweet!

Congrats on the clean sewing room. Best wishes to being "solo" for a while.

angie said...

After seeing your fabric stash, I may have to repent of jealousy! ;) It must be fun to plan a new project with so many fabrics available to choose from. You've given me something to shoot for! :)

Taryn said...

Your sewing room is glorious! I've struggled with the collection versus color storage question. I am thinking the color method creates the most order. I've got collections stashed everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Your closet looks wonderful & your li'l baby chicks are too cute!

Glad you had a wonderful R&R with hubby and that his remaining time away is short.

Blessings!
Shannon

A Plain Path said...

Ooh, I'd like to shop from those shelves! I gave all my stash to the Christian girl's home my neice works for, for their sewing class. I miss it, but happy for them.

Your chicks are adorable!!!

Rose Marie said...

A good sort through your sewing room is always a good thing. When I cleaned my room up last year, it was a wake-up call for me to use my stash and stop buying fabric. Now, only backings and border fabric is bought and I'm having fun just using my stash and I can see it going and going until it is gone and what a pleasure that is. Those chicks are adorable and I, too, want to know about chicks and the post-office.