JUST GET IT DONE QUILTS BLOG

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO STEP 1 Before you begin today, set your timer . Choose an amount of time that feels manageable—these items are small, easy to overthink, and can be surprisingly emotional if some were passed on to you. STEP 2 Define Your Capacity. So Keep: Everyday needles you use regularly Specialty needles you actually  use Let go of: Needles with no labels Bent or damaged needles Duplicates for machines you no longer own Specialty needles that you’ll never use STEP 3

Click to Watch Video Thread may be the supporting actor in quilting—fabric gets all the attention and most of the budget—but thread is what literally holds everything together. And yet… chances are you have at least one spool in your space that is older than you are . ' Now today this day may feel like a scavenger hunt as those spools end up everywhere. Thread can be collected from: Your sewing machine area Drawers and cabinets Hand-sewing kits and travel kits Project bags St

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO Last week we decluttered the garbage and started working with the capacity of our room by defining how much space a collection should occupy. This week we are continuing that strategy with our tools. But tools have an extra consideration and that is function . And we are starting with our scissors, snips and rotary cutters. Our tools accumulate as our skills grow and we experiment with different styles. Some are pretty and bright, others are antique and

The kids have gone home. The decorations are packed away. And hooray—my Pilates teacher is back from vacation! Life has officially settled into that deliciously quiet, fresh-start rhythm. This past week, after my decluttering for the day was done, I gave myself the gift of a little solo time—no rotary cutters, no deadlines, just reflection. I looked back at the year 2025: what did I stitch together, what stayed unfinished on the design wall, and what I’m ready to leave in the

Watch the Video This past week we cleaned out the garbage, and moved all the non-sewing clutter out of our space. We cleaned out the paper and put our archives in a safe spot. We’ve found our sewing machine and had some fun making on our Declutter Challenge project  Traditionally, day 7 has been a catch up day. I know many of you have busy lives and despite your best intentions you might have missed a day. Or you might need an extra day. Or you might be tired. There is no jud

Watch the Video In the previous days, we have been talking about shelf space, or overall capacity. Shelf space is valuable. They give us easy access to items we use fairly often, and the aim is to remove those items that are not used. Decluttering is not about getting rid of everything. It’s about getting rid of items that don’t serve you. Things that tie you to a past at the expense of a future. Part 1 Today's category is about ARCHIVES the tokens and memories of your quilt

WATCH THE VIDEO Today it’s all about patterns. And not all patterns are equal. Some we have in hard copy, and some we download. Some we pay a fair amount for, and some are free. So you might have several different categories depending on how you value them. We often have a voracious appetite for them, grabbing them from as many places as possible. But if you have been making for a while, there will be so many that you outgrow or you'll realize that your tastes are for a diffe

WATCH THE YOUTUBE VIDEO Today is similar to yesterday as we are again dealing with our valuable shelf space. And today we are looking at our BOOKS . Books are more substantial than magazines. Some are for reference and will always be useful. Some are inspirational and might not be specifically about quilting at all. And some will be full of patterns. Some might have cost a fortune, and some you grabbed at a garage sale. They might be precious because they are from a favorite

Today is our first day that we focus on the CAPACITY of our sewing room. So look at your shelves, drawers and cupboards, and determine how much volume your space can hold. Because it is what it is. And the key to a happy sewing room is to not be OVER capacity. We’ll start with a simple category - magazines and subscriptions. Both hard copy and those sneaky digital ones that overload your inbox. Ask yourself, with the square footage you have, how much space do you want your

What doesn't belong in your space? These are the squatters. All those items that you dumped here because you were in a hurry or you just could not make a decision on where in your home they should go. So the question you are asking today is: Does this belong in my sewing space? If the answer is no, today is the day we put it all back where it belongs. The kitchen, the bedroom, laundry room, storage room or garage. Just put it back. Don't get distracted by trying to organize w

Okay everyone, on your mark, get set, GO. Our first couple of days is about ONLY having items in the sewing room that BELONG in our sewing room. Chances are with the busy-ness of the past month, you have dumped a ton of stuff and debris in your sewing space thinking that you’ll deal with it after the holidays. So today it's all about the garbage. For every item you look at today, you are asking this question...and only this question: Is this garbage? S et the timer for 15 m

Click on thumbnail to link to live We are starting the challenge slightly differently this year...with a live Q&A to answer your questions and outline the challenge. It will be held Dec 26th at 7:00pm EST. You can just click the thumbnail above to watch it live or the recording. Download this thumbnail and post to your social media with the hashtags #declutterchallenge2026 #sewingroomdeclutterchallenge2026 #justgetitdone✅ Right click on the image to download Like any challen

Well, the snowball that is the last quarter of the year is picking up steam. We have celebrated 7 birthdays, two anniversaries, Canadian Thanksgiving and this weekend is our annual Family Cookie Baking Fest. Everyone has their favourites, so it’s a day of pouring over the old cookbooks and Christmas magazines to find the versions they like.  My mother and I used to do it over a weekend with the kids helping out as they got older. About 10 years ago, we realized that the more

This week, I am in the mountains. It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Canada so my husband, my youngest and I are sharing it with my third born...

I think one of the weirdest changes that happens when your kids get older is that Labour Day no longer signals big changes. For the first...

It is 2:00 pm on Saturday August 2nd, and I have two hours until I give my first lecture in 8 years. When the Festival of Quilts asked me...

Sew Very Easy and Chatterbox Quilts at Quilt Canada! Can you believe June is already behind us? It absolutely flew by for me — between...

May went by in a flash. My husband and I had a week in the Netherlands before joining RGE Travels and K&B Sewing for another quilting...

Suitcases Zipped and Ready To Go! My bags are packed… and yes, I’ve been humming that classic John Denver tune “Leaving on a Jet Plane”...

Baby quilt from a panel for twins on the way. Last week I did something that I have never done before. I looked at my March videos: 4...