There was a bit of cleaning up in the studio last night.
The far side of the basement where the fabric lives – and where stuff in between trips is unceremoniously dumped to be taken care of when there is time for it.
And there were PILES, much more than what you see on top of the cutting table covering my Accuquilt Studio.
There is fabric to put away, yardage for the cabinets, fat quarters for the bins you see on the wire shelving unit at the far side of the room – and copious amounts of scraps destined for “holding bins” until I can find the time to slice them down and enter them into my own Scrap User’s System.
What prompted this late night foray into the depths? THIS BOX:
The quilters in Indianapolis took up a collection!
It’s as if they thought I didn’t have enough fabric in my life..LOL!
And I wouldn’t trade this box for the world!
Check this out!
Rolls by color family, baggies of squares -
This box is going to head directly to the cabin where stash is limited. I’ll finally have enough on hand there to sort my strip drawers by color family (Oh doesn’t that just sound like the most fun, ever?! But it needs to be done.)
Another reason it is going to the cabin? I’m full here. I found fabric in bags that never made it OUT of the bag, and was purchased at least 6 months ago. All collecting on every flat surface imaginable.
And every year I get to this point where I stomp my feet and say “ENOUGH!” to myself.
What good is all the fabric in the world if you can’t find the time to create with it? To sew up beautiful quilts? What is the point?
And the answer comes. “It’s all in the possibilities.” The possibilities of what could be made with that fabric if given the time to do so. And that time is coming.
This went from this mountain mess to this:
Better. Not great, but better.
And I pulled 3 machines to go to Quiltville Inn with me over Thanksgiving. Dave’s grandmother’s featherweight (for the new table that Elizabeth and Mouse brought me a few weeks ago) and 2 lovely little Singer 99s that will be perfect as a “loaner” machine for those who don’t want to fly with one.
There are some parts machines hanging around that I really need to just disassemble, baggie the parts and let the carcasses go. It’s just too hard to do it. But soon.
My view about 4:30am.
New touch screen monitor to keep me from squinting at the little lap top.
Why didn’t I do this earlier?
My brain is spinning at full speed over what is happening not just today but over the next many weeks as 2018 goes out and 2019 comes in.
The Hubster is finally getting his lasik done today. I will be sitting in the waiting room for who knows how long, so I was up to sign books and keep the orders going out. Yes, my busy bag is coming with me!
My friend Mona is on the same kind of crazy ride and fighting her own deadlines. She is coming later today to use the longarm on a couple of gift quilts that need to he ready for Christmas.
Window installation at the Quiltville Post Office should be finished by the end of the weekend. The idea of moving my whole mail order center to Virginia as my String Frenzy book release happens and how to logistically pull this together at a new location (versus doing all of this from my dining room table) keeps occupying the background space of my brain.
Can I really do this? Can I make it work? One day at a time. One hurdle at a time.
And at this moment, one order filled at a time as I sip a chai latte and say good morning to this new day ahead with all of the challenges it will bring.
Yes, there are 6 different flyers for 6 different Quiltville Excursions through Craftours coming up! We’ve added Vietnam for 2021. A place I’ve always wanted to visit. Click HERE for tour itinerary. It’s going to be off the charts amazing!
At the top of the blog you will find tabs for each of our trips coming up. Pick one, and contact Craftours to start your reservation process! I would love to have you join me.
Stack those bed risers!
This old vintage table sits VERY short, and it took two sets of stacked bed risers to get the table up to the height I needed it to be. Needless to say, we now don’t have a table to sit at for dinner. LOL. We’ve been eating either standing, or sitting on the couch with trays.
What can I say – it’s temporary. Only a few more weeks at best. And it keeps life interesting.
Don’t forget that we are still ON for Quilt-Cam happening with HollyAnne of String & Story on her Facebook page – Friday evening, 8pm Eastern. I’ll share it to my own Quiltville Facebook page so it is easier to find if you don’t follow hers. I will also have it embedded in Saturday morning’s blog post.
You also know what Friday is?? ONE WEEK UNTIL PART 1 of GOOD FORTUNE! OH goodness –my heart is just jumping around I am so excited for this to begin!
Quiltville Quote of the Day.
Staying silent while wearing a smile will make folks wonder just what you are going to come up with next!
Tumelo Trail quilt from my book Scraps & Shirttails II available in the Quiltville Store for the low, low price of $19.99. Have you made one?
Hitting send, and heading out the door to the eye doc -
Bonnie, if your fabric bins are too full, maybe you could have a giveaway on your blog of a 'starter kit' with the colors you are featuring in your upcoming mystery quilt. I know those of us who make "Bonnie quilts" would love to receive some of your stash.
ReplyDeletetoo right SandyPA... and by the way miss big tease, you never told us (or if you did i missed it) what happened to the huge table full of scraps after the workshop... did you award it in toto, or did everybody just take some home? Thanks, always, you are so busy you wear me out just reading you posts... hugs and blessings, just one more week! I'm beside myself! and the book, the Universe knows, i needs another Bonnie Hunter book...smiles and hugs, safe travels, Cats in Carlsbad CA
ReplyDelete'Studio' is too grand a word for my sewing area ;) but I did a power clean/organize sweep through there a couple of weeks ago. Feels so good to work in there now! It's a tedious chore when you'd rather be making something, but so worth it! Enjoy your clearer space!
ReplyDeleteI have to chuckle...I started moving all my sewing essentials (i.e.: EVERYTHING I own to sew, cut, bind, etc.) upstairs to my sewing loft. I made a gigantic mess which I thought, "Oh, cool. I can just leave it, turn off the light and go downstairs when I'm done." Weeelll, my daughter is flying up for Thanksgiving and I need that space to let her have a comfortable place to sleep. I cleaned it...yes I did. And ever since, I can't get my creative mojo going!
ReplyDeleteMiss Bonnie...you make my head spin some days! I wish I had half of your energy!!!
I need to clear off some flat surfaces. It so easy to just toss that bag of fabric down the stairs. One week until Mystery time! ! Mona will have fun today. Tell her hello! Hope the Lasix goes well for the Hubster. Will you recognize him without glasses??
ReplyDeleteWas looking at this pattern the other day...thinking about using my ORL 9 patches from step 1 to make this pattern.
ReplyDeleteNever knew you could stack bed risers on top of each other to work even better!
ReplyDeleteI just love seeing other quilters sewing areas. Thanks for sharing. I feel your angst when you get done with a project and look around...makes you want to run and hide. Anyway, I had a thought, what if you let your dad do the disassembly work, bag, and label parts while he is visiting if he needs something to keep him busy and productive? All hands on deck and all that jazz. About your fabric, I read online that they are taking up collections of fabric and everything else for quilters who have lost everything in the fires in California. Perhaps a big donation will help them and yourself. May God bless all your hard work and plans. Aren't you loving the rainy day?
ReplyDeleteI frequently receive scraps from friends. I can SEW relate to your sense of occasional scrap overload. Just keep quilting!!
ReplyDeleteJust out of curiosity, How many working sewing machines do you own? Someone recently convinced me I do not need 3 so I gave one to a grand who loves to sew but was only sewing by hand.
ReplyDeleteWhat time will Quiltcam happen in Queensland Australia time?
ReplyDeleteI would love to watch one live instead of a day or two later.
I keep wishing for a bigger sewing space, but in reality, more wall space, storage space, and cutting space would just be more room to drop piles of fabric and stuff! When I saw the first pictures, Bonnie, I began to think you were a hoarder. LOL
ReplyDeleteYou NEED all of that at hand; you are constantly designing new quilts and filling them with beautiful color. I love your designs, your spirit, and your energy.
Must be something in the "air" with all this moving stuff. I truly needed a larger sewing area. Decided the den was the perfect place. Hubster refuses to give up his office space in there. So the move began, me alone. Part of the craft room (sewing stuff) moved to the den. Some of the den moved to the living room. Some of the front bedroom moved to the craft room & the new sewing room. Winter clothes had to come out storage into floor in front bedroom. Plants outdoors had to come inside for early winter survival in November no less. 37 year old Coca Cola collection has to be stored away for sewing but first must be carefully washed, cataloged, & carefully packed up.out of den. There is very little "peaceful" space in beautiful home...& Thanksgiving is Thursday. The laundry room is the only room that "looks peaceful" ...that is sad. Have a great week end everyone.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I was thinking to thin your stash, you should offer at Quiltville a MyStashBuster class, and provide class attendees with fabric FROM YOUR OWN STASH!!! And Holy Scrap Batman, is it that time already? 7 days left to starch and iron my fabric and get ready for Step One! Wow, times does fly!
ReplyDeleteI am packing up my own stash in preparation for the 'big' move (just across the street into my late parent's (larger) house. I'm so excited. This is the first time I've had a studio/sewing room space since 1980!!!! (All these years as a 'dining room' quilter, I'm not going to know what to do with myself LOL)
ReplyDelete