The emotional side of decluttering

Oh my—what happened to yesterday? And now a brand new week starts! Did I get any sewing done? None! And quilting? None! 

So, while this decluttering is great, I have to learn to balance my time a bit, as I don't want to give up one for the other! 

Actually, a good/bad thing has happened because of this decluttering. I'm actually spending more time in the office on the computer! But I managed to get all the follow-ups completed and out the door yesterday. I have one document that I need to proof this morning before I send it out. And I did a smidgen of prep work for this coming weekend. Can it be true that I'm able to keep on top of the paperwork? Can my befuddled brain be a result of the mess in the office? 

I did some sewing the day before and finished my monthly commitment to the UFO club. 

My completed Christmas ornaments

I dug out a container with some Christmas ornaments that had been started but were still in progress. For some reason, I finished ONE - the cardinal and it was in the stash of finished items, which will have to be dealt with at some point. 

YES—I know the contrast between those trees and the background fabric isn't the best. I was a newbie when I started these. The backings were cut, the trees were paper-pieced, and the fronts were ready to be embellished. 

So, rather than sew beads on as per the pattern, I dug out some sequins. Guess what? I dug out that plastic bag of sequins that had floated around the house forever. Why? Because I had left it on the cutting table in preparation for this task. 

I used my sewing machine (Designer EPIC 3) to sew the sequins. Yep -- you have the tools - let's use them. The Designer EPIC3 and other HV sewing machines with built-in sequin stitches have a single sequin stitch. Try it out!!

Sewing sequins on with the Designer EPIC 3

Then, I cut the fronts using the mitten-shaped template, sewed the two sides together, and added the cuff. The last thing was to cut the shank off some large gold buttons and hot glue them to the top of the tree. And there they are - six more ornaments done! I'm going to work on another one of the designs this month. I think there are eight different images in the pattern. I'll work on them until they are done, and since there's a virtual retreat this coming weekend, this would be the perfect opportunity to putter with something small. 

You are going to get a chuckle out of this. So, where did that little container of sequins come from? 

The container of sequins

Notice there are needles and pins in there, as well as some odds and ends of floss. In all the years of moving that thing around and its being in a plastic bag, which wasn't practical, it never occurred to me where the sequins came from. 

But if you remember earlier this week, I repaired M's Christmas stocking. Then I put two and two together and realized the sequins and floss were from her stocking! OH MY GOSH!!!

M's Christmas stocking

I made that stocking for her when she was young; now she's closing in on 29. That was obviously in the days when I had zero clue about clutter. So the floss bits were tossed, the pins were put with the rest of the pins, although these pins look like crowbars, the needles are set aside to be put away. The sequins were put into a small tin and then into the drawer where they should have been stored many years ago. That's the drawer I search for when I'm looking for sequins. 

Yes - I think I'm getting the hang of this! 

But that reminds me of what's in some of those drawers and bins in Studio B. There is loads of stuff that I will never use—not just fabric. It doesn't need to be reorganized—it needs to go! But I'll get to that when I'm ready. I can't do everything all at once, so I'm so happy to have the luxury of time to clean up this mess. 

I've even given myself the task of perhaps getting rid of the four-drawer filing cabinet in the office. Yep -- I will see if I can get rid of ALL the paperwork. DH has a small two-drawer cabinet in his office, and I consulted him about it last night. Before I did that, I had a peek and found a file on M's car, which she hadn't owned in years! So I'm sure between the two of us, we can manage to keep what we need in that two-drawer file cabinet. Once the filing cabinet is gone from my office, I can use the pull-out filing drawer on my desk. Which can't be used because the filing cabinet is in the way. Does anyone want a four-drawer filing cabinet? It's free, or it's going to the curb! Look at me - I''m ready to toss the thing, and I still have three drawers to clean! 

And that desk drawer is another story. I should open it as far as possible and take a picture to show you what a professional organizer will "make" you do. It wasn't very practical, but to her credit, I may not have been ready then, yet I paid her to do stuff! She was a professional ORGANIZER, not a decluttering expert, although they should be both. 

I sorted through the pet folder while I waited for various things to happen while working at the computer. Good grief—how many rabies tags does one household need? I pulled them off the paperwork, and now I need to remove them from the plastic bags. YES—I know I could toss it all in the garbage, but the plastic is recyclable, so I'm trying to do my part. They used to hand out rabies tags, but thankfully, they no longer do. 

Just for the record, since I found the invoice, Miss Sparky left us in August 2015. I remember I was riding my bike with a group on the Greenbelt Tour and came home for one day so we could take her to the vet. I knew before I left that she wouldn't last long, and I was very happy that I could be there for her. It's always sad to lose a pet. Would it stop me from getting another one to experience the joy? No!

As this paper goes out of my life forever, it's important to document those important moments. I'm sure Sparky's end of life would be documented if I looked back in the blog to 2015. 

So, as I wait for files to load or to save, I'm going through the next folder of crap! Once this is done, I'll see what's left, but I might need your help to let go of some of this paper. Actually, there are some things I'd like to keep, such as invoices and authentication certificates for artwork. I'm sure there are a few more. But let's get rid of the garbage I know doesn't need to be kept. 

OH, DH lied to me. I asked him about a couple of blue filing boxes he had in his office. Perhaps I could use one temporarily while I finished my decluttering. He said they were under his desk and empty. I just checked - BOTH of them have crap in them. Hmmm --- we're going to have a chat this morning. I want ONE!!! It's TEMPORARY, and both boxes can go when we are finished with them. Oh my -- M will have a glorious time dealing with us when we're gone because there'll be ZERO paperwork except for our wills for her to deal with! I hope she appreciates all the time it's taking to clear the mess up! 

If you listen to Messie Condo, you'll realize that I've graduated to the really hard stuff—the paperwork with emotions attached. And I passed! I'm able to get over the emotion and toss what is really garbage. I mean, who needs bills from pets that haven't existed for almost ten years? But, like most things, it gets put away and forgotten. I'm itching to open those two blue boxes and the drawers in DH's office. I bet 3/4 at least could be tossed. Will he even notice? No - I'll let him do it! I should put them by the sofa so he has a job to do when he's watching TV. Yes -- that's what I'll do! 

So, if you think your house is neat and tidy and clutter-free, how much stuff is hidden behind closed doors that no longer needs to be there? That's the stuff that needs to be evaluated!

On that happy note, I'm on my way to spin class. 

Have a super productive day!!!

Ciao!!!! 

Decluttering has become a way of life

OK—I'll try to stop talking about the decluttering thing in the blog for a bit. But seriously, you won't turn back once you get the hang of how this works. I opened the pantry in the kitchen when I had a few moments waiting for lunch to heat up. We store the dog supplies in there. It wasn't quite tidy enough for me, so I spent a mere five minutes, and now it looks like this. Did you notice the partially empty shelf? If we didn't have dogs, this would be EMPTY!

The dog supplies

The less you have, the easier it is to tidy up and know what you have and what is not being used. I can't believe I lived in clutter for as long as I did! The sense of calm this morning as I decluttered the detritus that had been collected by my computer was unbelievable. I can tackle anything today! 

Wait—there's more! I have this shelf of binders in the office. They are a jumbled mess, and I have no idea what's in most of them. 

Binders in the office

I had other things on my plate yesterday, but I quickly glanced and spotted two of them completely empty. They are gone!

One was filled with new page protectors! 

Empty binders - GONE

Decluttering doesn't have to take hours at a time—a few minutes here and there will get the job done. Now that I've started to attack the office, spotting things that need to go is easy. These five-minute jobs are easy; I'll leave the complex (paper) stuff for later. 

Once I'm retired, I'll live a "clean" and very calm life and do everything I want. Stop laughing! I'm learning to say no, and I'm learning to clean up and keep it clean. It's going to be glorious! I almost can't wait to move! There will be so little to tidy up or even to pack up—it's going to be an amazing experience! 

But wait—no one is retiring or moving yet. These are just preparations to enjoy the rest of my life in a calm and clean environment. But even better, I get to live in that environment today—not quite where I want to be, but getting closer every day! 

Here's something else that went out of the house yesterday. When I originally asked M if she wanted her Christmas decorations, she wasn't sure. Seriously? Now you have an apartment with your future husband? Well, I just said - don't worry about it and was going to put them away. Well, guess what? Dillon LOVES Christmas, and now she wants the decorations. I pulled her box back out, then pulled out what was left of my Christmas stuff and found a few things I had made for her. 

Her felt Christmas stocking had a bow that was ripped in half, so I got some new felt and made a new one. 

Making a new bow

I sewed the new bow on in the toe area. 

The Christmas stocking is repaired

All her decorations and other Christmas stuff fit into one box, and now it's winging its way on the UPS sleigh to get to her before December 1, as there's an advent calendar in there. 

A box on its way to M

One box down and about twenty to go. M has agreed to fly home and with a close friend, and they will go through the boxes. Now, when can we make that happen? I even offered to pay for her ticket - -that's how badly I want that stuff cleaned up! I'm super happy to keep what she wants until we can arrange to get it to her house. But I would say that 90% of the stuff is garbage; if it is not, it can be donated! There's no point in keeping it - she's been gone for 10 years, and I've been trying, and the pile is much smaller, but it needs to be gone! Getting rid of that stuff would be HUGE! 

I have a few things hanging around that I'm trying to figure out what to do with, but when I think of someone who might use them, I text them to ask. If not, I will come up with Plan B. 

Here's the latest quilt on the bed. You know what? I wish I had started this sooner. Walking into the bedroom and seeing the quilts on the bed gives me great pleasure. This is NOT a queen-sized quilt by any means, but it works. 

The quilt of the week

I have to put the modern quilts away this weekend, and while doing that, I will start sorting. I'll pull out 10 quilts I don't use for trunk shows. I'll use them on the bed for one week each, and then they will go into the donation pile. They will more than likely end up with Quilts of Valour. And you know what? That is a HUGE relief knowing that I'm giving them away. It's all about enjoying stuff or letting it go. I struggle with both, but the floodgates are now open, and well, I said to Murphy and Lexi that they better behave, or they might be gone too! 

So they have been OK since their altercation a couple of days ago. But they are very wary of each other. It didn't help that DH and I have been out and about during the days and evenings this week. Lexi was so out of sorts that she slept outside last night. Don't worry. She has a beautiful little hidey hole under the shed, and she's dug out a comfy spot to sleep. It's dry and out of the wind. She came to the door multiple times, but she wouldn't come in when I opened it. Was she trying to entice Murphy to come out? I don't know, but even when DH came home, she wouldn't come in. 

Now, I'm trying to be aware of them in the kitchen and to keep them out. But look at this. That Muprhy has to be part of the action! Always!

MOM - I can see you! 

I'm doing great on the writing this week. Again, the feeling of calm at having the time and the space to work is mind-blowing. I feel very calm and in control! And it's only going to get better! I've stopped watching those time-wasting reels on social media. They are just such a blatant waste of time, and yet we get sucked in! I'm not watching shows or listening to audiobooks at the moment. It's peaceful and quiet in the house. I can actually hear myself think! Some people have to turn on sound when they enter a space. I'm the opposite. I could live in silence! 

I've been going through old quilt magazines, and some of these are more than 25 years old. Why waste my time? I acquired them, and I want to look at them. Once I'm done, they are in the recycling. And besides, it's hilarious to see some of the things they talk about. There were way more articles in the past than there are today. 

But does anyone remember these ads? Of course you do, because you have many books on your shelf as a result. 

Remember ads like these? 

Oh my gosh—my Mom was HOOKED on those clubs, and there are so many books that she never looked at, sitting in the old house. I belonged to several clubs, but I don't think I have many books left. They have all been donated or thrown out. 

And what about quilt shows? Do you remember when the publicity coordinator for a quilt show had to get cracking to get the show advertised in the magazines? And we had to do with the post! 

Canadian quilt show listing from 2000

Canadian Quilt Show listing from 2001

And what about these local shows? This first one was before my time. 

But look at this show announcement from 2001. Yep—that's ME!!!!! I don't think anyone ever contacted me. Wait—maybe one or two people. 

That's ME

I need to work faster on those magazines, but once I get started, it'll go faster. Right now, I just read them occasionally; there isn't a concentrated effort at the moment to eliminate them. I'm still working on the office, and then the magazines will be first on the list to start decluttering in Studio B. 

I have them sorted by title, and I've gone through several titles already, and they are gone. Now, I'm working on the QUILT ones, and once they are gone, I'll pick a new title. So there's a process in place; it's just slow at the moment while I work on other things. 

I need to get back to my CD sorting. I had taken a hiatus for a couple of days, which is not uncommon for me. I go gangbusters, my schedule gets busy, and the job is half done. So, I'll take a few minutes this morning before I get to work. But it's super easy to see how quickly a note here, a junk thing there, piles up, and you've got clutter. This is a constant struggle to keep things under control. 

But even if you declutter half a drawer or door, that is way better than none! The next time you tackle that space, it's going to be faster and easier! 

OK—so I didn't stop talking about decluttering. Why? It's become a very big part of my life these days, and I suspect it's going to continue for at least another ten years! But hopefully, not on the scale that I'm working at right now!

I see my pending folder is overflowing, and there is stuff that I need to check off, so I'll be working on that this morning as well. Then it's back to writing! 

And what about the appointments or phone calls that one has to make? Why are there so many of them? Order the dog's prescription, then arrange to pick it up. Drop off at the thrift store and schedule the tires and car maintenance. Get the dog groomed, etc. It just never ends. Little bits at a time! And when you're not stressed, it sure is a lot easier! 

On that happy note (I sound like Bob Ross!), I'm off to start the day!

Have a super (and clutter-free) day!!!

Ciao!!!

The brain works in mysterious ways!

Hopefully, some of you visited the Libby app to check if your local library has quilt magazines. We've had them for quite a while, but I like the paper copy. However, I'm going to change my mindset on that. Besides, Libby will alert me when a new issue comes up. It's all very civilized, but we all know that change is challenging, and I must let myself go with the flow! 

If Libby doesn't have them, check if your library has Hoopla. Often, magazines are also available from that app. Digital has many advantages, and it's time I moved into the 21st century! 

I finished reading the first publication and moved on to the next, and yes, it is also a quarterly publication now. It saves money, but it wouldn't surprise me if some publications go by the wayside! or they become digital only. So many things that we know are having to reinvent themselves. I shall chat about movies another day. 

As I put my list of $10 quilts into a spreadsheet - WAIT - I never told you how many were on the list. I thought about that after I logged off the blog, and no one guessed. Well, the number is SEVENTY!!!! Actually, it's 73, but some of those quilts were taught twice. That's an awful lot of quilts. Now, how many of the 70 are complete? Well, my finish rate is pretty low! I'm not going there at this time. 

But as I was putting the list together, I remembered all the students in the various classes. I've no idea how many people there were, but there have been loads in the classes over the years. I was trying to remember one person in particular, but her name escaped me. The face and which store were clearly in my head, but not her name. 

Last night, something EXTREMELY weird happened. I looked at Facebook, and her profile popped up on the screen. Now - we all say that our phones or our smart devices in the house are listening. And that's possible. EXCEPT - I never breathed a word about this person out loud! I never even vocalized that I was trying to remember her name. That's a voodoo moment, to be sure!

In looking at the current issue of these magazines, I spotted a new ruler brand and rotary cutter called TrueCut by The Grace Company. 

My Comfort Cutter

Not that I'm about to change, as I'm not good with change (LOL!), but I'm curious if people like these weird-looking rotary cutters? Has anyone tried the TrueCut rulers? Apparently, there is a groove along the ruler's side that the cutter fits into to prevent slipping. I don't know - just reading about it in the magazine. 

Now, here's something else extremely freaky. Remember a couple of weeks ago when I was "desperately" trying to find that little glass bowl with sequins? I looked everywhere, and it wasn't to be found. 

This morning, I walked over to the buffet in the office, and OH MY GOSH!!! The little dish was sitting right there. 

The little dish of sequins

It's in a plastic bag so the sequins don't spill, and there were other sequins with it. Can you tell me why that is sitting on the buffet? And it's on top of some books I had pulled a couple of months ago from the bookshelf. How many times have I walked past that and never noticed it? Why did it jump out at me this morning? 

Just beside it is a bag of used books I want to return to the used bookstore. I put two books in there yesterday and NEVER saw that little bag of sequins, but this morning, when I put a third book in the bag, the bowl of sequins jumped out! Can you tell me why that happened? 

To top it off, the other day, I wanted to buy a Trendtex Challenge kit from the Canadian Quilter's Association, but I found out my membership had lapsed. WHAT? I'm always on the ball for that. Well, it turns out that I got the renewal form but never followed up on it. Why? because it got thrown back onto the table in the office, and something got piled on top of it. 

That's the biggest pitfall here, and that's why excess paper is piled everywhere. I don't have time, or I need the room. Papers get shifted, and deadlines are missed. I found the paper while looking for the second half of that list of quilts! 

All is good - I renewed my membership and ordered the Trendtex Challenge kit. But seriously?? I need to get a bit more organized. I'm doing great, but stuff still needs to be done, mainly in this office. By the way - the Trendtex Challenge is currently only available to members. 

Yes, I had all kinds of intentions when I was away to go through my closets and the office. I'm struggling just to get some sewing done. I'm getting better, but this office needs some work! 

I still have THREE emails that I need to send out for classes. One got done yesterday. There isn't an immediate rush, as the classes don't start for a couple of weeks, but I know people get anxious, so I'd better do that soon. 

Now, I had better find a safe place for that little container of sequins so I can find it next time I need it. Sheesh—how could I miss seeing that container?

I had pulled out M's box of Christmas ornaments and was going to take pictures, as I thought they might like to have them now that they are in their apartment. Look what I found! An origami John Deere tractor. I have no idea where we bought that! 

Origami tractor

Now, here's a very frustrating thing about my child. When I was at her house, she was surveying her stuff and made a comment that irked me. When she left home, she packed her car full of stuff and drove across the country. She remarked that out of all the stuff that she had in the car, almost all of it was gone. She's sold or given it away. 

So why is she still so attached and unable to get rid of anything in the 20 boxes and closet full of clothes in our house? It's a control thing—I absolutely know that. 

She couldn't decide if she wanted the ornaments, so I put them all back in the box, which will go back in the closet. I was so close to getting rid of another box. 

It's just annoying and very frustrating. DH says I need to pitch it all, which I'd be happy to do, but I will give her ONE more chance, and then it will all go. 

Speaking of getting rid of stuff, our third dog is an outside dog and lives in the forest! OK -- so not a dog, but enough dog hair to make a third dog! I'm still getting three huge brushfuls of hair off Lexi every day! I would say that I've her looking somewhat spiffy, but it lasts about an hour, and then her hair starts clumping again. Sigh...

Our third "dog"

I wasn't happy about how some of that fusible tricot was sticking to the T-shirts, so I used my steam press. And guess what? That fusible tricot isn't going anywhere! It's on permanently now. Have I said how much I love that steam press? It's the best!! I used a press cloth (a piece of muslin) to protect the rubbery stuff on the T-shirts. It worked like a charm. 

Using the steam press

One more quilt was trimmed, and the binding was made for it. Now, there are four items that need the binding sewn on. I'd better get myself organized to do that, but not today, as I have a meeting. 

One more quilt to bind

I was working on a customer quilt yesterday, and I was almost done. The bobbin had run out with half a row to go. That's no problem to fix, but the top thread kept breaking. Now, why is that? I changed needles, turned the needle slightly, rethreaded the top and bobbin, and still, nothing. Of course, I was frustrated! 

Almost done and the bobbin runs out

The quilt design is a spider web, and I like to use invisible thread for that. I have this massive spool (it's about 12 inches tall). OH MY—look what happened!!!!!! 

My massive spool of invisible thread

I think the internal structure has disintegrated. After fixing the spool, I was able to fix the row. However, I'm using it on a second quilt, and I'm halfway through it and running into issues again. I rarely leave a quilt on the machine overnight, but I did last night. 

However, here is the first Halloween quilt for a customer. It's trimmed and will be dropped off this morning. 

Customer quilt

I'll deal with the second one tonight. 

And that's enough freaky stuff happening in my day! Yes -- I still think listing all the lost things in the house is a good idea. It would make me feel good that there should be fewer and fewer things on the list. 

Well, I'm off for the day. 

Have a super day! I hope that something you do today will trigger a memory or help you find a lost thing!

Ciao!!!