The #DeclutterChallenge Day 1

I’m a fan of quilter and YouTuber Karen Brown of #JustGetItDoneQuilts.

Cluttered guest room/sewing room/dumping room needs reorganizing loveAfter months of remodeling chaos, my sewing room is a mess. Time to take out the garbage according to her Day 1 declutter challenge.

youtube.com/watch

Today was the day we had friends and family over to the house to celebrate my husband David’s big birthday. Preparations started early; my in-laws offered to come over at noon to help clear the decks and set up for a pizza party for about 25 adults and a few children. My brother-in-law Mitch came from Phoenix yesterday, and we had a wonderful dinner at Seasons52 as a pre-event warmup. Could we do this socializing thing after months of being holed up in the Pillow Fort of Solitude during the remodeling phase?

Yep. It was fun! But the best part of the party is still when everybody leaves.

The guest room is being converted to a sewing room/computer room; all the sewing stuff was wheeled in there yesterday, and the existing furniture has been repositioned, but my sewing machines are buried, my long-delayed table runner project is under a pile of stuff, and my gaming computer is yet to be set up. Meanwhile, extra furniture comes out tomorrow before work.

But after Mitch gave me an opening with a joke about procrastination, I handed off the Christmas present/housewarming gift that I made last fall, then lost my confidence in actually mailing the box. Their neighbor is a quilter, and my nerve failed at the thought of her seeing my modest efforts. 

But Mitch said “Oooh, she’ll love the blues,” so I’m much more certain of the thing, and it’s out of my hands. So now I need to continue with the editing down/culling of my household stuff that this crazy remodel project forced me to face.

Today, I placed some broken, beloved glass things in the recycling bin that my Aunt Veda gave my mom, that I inherited and promptly broke soon after receiving it (actually the cleaning service ladies broke it, but it was in a dangerous spot). 

I’ve got more stuff like that of Mom’s that need to be properly placed and used, or let go. That’s in the weeks to come.

For tomorrow, just taking out garbage in the sewing room will be a start.

 

 

Quilting Inspiration: Ruler Roll Project by Angela Attwood | Sew Steady

Quilting Inspiration: I’m not ready to invest in quilting rulers to make these elaborate stitching designs. But this pattern just gave me a brainstorm about my next project: a table runner and set of placemats, with a self-binding and mitred corners – the top is patterned and folds over to the back, and they would be reversible.

This project will give you creative practice with your Westalee Design Ruler Foot Starter and Sampler Template Sets.
— Read on www.sewsteady.com/product/ruler-roll/

How to Sew Easy Mitered Quilt Binding

I’ve spent the last 2 years re-learning how to sew. First as a necessity, to make masks for family and friends, then as a creative outlet while furloughed from my travel job. After returning to work last year, I started getting interested in quilting.

The Spruce Crafts site was extremely comprehensive – every time I looked for info on how to do something, their clear, written tutorials showed up. I looked at this one for a recent project, and although I went with a different method from a video by Jordan Fabrics, this is an excellent starting point and reference.

Bind a quilt with easy mitered corners with step-by-step instructions and illustrations to sew a perfect binding every time.
— Read on www.thesprucecrafts.com/sew-easy-mitered-quilt-binding-2821069