JUST GET IT DONE QUILTS BLOG

Click the Thumbnail to see the Video It once seemed so far away. And 21 days later, we are just about done!!!  This morning as I stand in my sewing room, I see all the clean surfaces and it makes me smile.  In the past weeks, I have run the gamut of emotions. One day I felt so overwhelmed I didn’t know where to start. Then I turned on my timer and repeated the question of the day and the task was done in three turns of the dice.   Another day, I found myself so angry at mysel

Click the thumbnail to watch the video If this is your first year or sixth doing the challenge, this past week has been a tough one. And the last step is the toughest of all. Your fabric. STEP 1 Start by setting your timer. For most of us, it will be impossible to declutter your fabric in one day. With all the hard work we have done in the past 20 days, we have been making space...and some of that space can be claimed by your fabric. Today is all about putting your fabrics ba

Click the thumbnail to watch the video We have three more days to go. The finish line is in sight. I know we can do it. Today  we are dealing with our widebacks and yardage. This is the fabric that we purchase in quantity. And because of its size, it can take up a huge amount of space. STEP 1 Set your timer. It might be on a bolt, it might be in a plastic bag, or hiding in a Rubbermaid container somewhere. There are also different types of yardage. You might have purchased

Click the thumbnail to watch the video Today we are dealing with your batting and your batting scraps. STEP 1 Set your timer. This might be a busy day if this is your first year, or it might be an easy year.  STEP 2 Define your capacity. Today’s question is: How Much Space Do I Want This To Occupy? And your answer should be: a combination of the capacity you have to store batting scraps with the number of projects that you actually intend to make they can take up a lot of squ

Click the thumbnail to watch the video We have just FIVE days to go. The finish line is in sight. I know we can do it. I hope you have your climbing gear because today we are climbing Mt. Scrapmore. Today’s the day we grab all of our scraps from all over the sewing room, basement, garage and any other place that you have been stashing them. Today we get to see just how big Mt. Scrapmore has become. STEP 1 Set your timer.  STEP 2 Define your capacity. Now scraps happen. The

Click the thumbnail to watch today Today, our challenge is to find all the projects that you have started . It doesn’t matter if you call them WIP’s (Works In Progress) or UFO’s (UnFinished Objects) or WOMBAT's (Waste of Money, Batting And Time), let's get them all out in the light of day. And when I say started , that means that there is some cut fabric or half sewn blocks, or partially constructed rows. STEP 1 Set your timer. You use the interval that works best for you. ST

Click the thumbnail to watch the video The first week was all about the garbage, the squatters and the paper. Last week was all about your tools and notions.  And after all that hard work you should have reclaimed some space.   So in this final week now we can spread out a bit and take a good look at our fabric, batting and projects. And today we are looking at kits and precuts. Kits are fabric bundles that might or might not have a pattern. Sometimes you have purchased them

Click the thumbnail to watch today's video Today is the end of the week two of our 21-day Declutter Challenge. STEP 1 Even on a free day, I recommend starting with your timer. Set it for 15 or 30 minutes  — not because you must declutter, but because it gives you a gentle container for whatever you choose to do today. When the timer ends, you’re done. No guilt. No pressure. STEP 2 Today is another catch-up day  — or as we used to call it at school, free time . You get to choo

Click to watch video Today is a big one  — today we tackle notions .  That means elastics, buttons, ribbons, snaps, zippers, interfacing, foundation papers, bag hardware, and all those little bits that somehow multiply when we’re not looking. STEP 1 Use Your Timer This is absolutely a timer day . Set your timer for 15–20 minutes. Notions are sneaky. They live in containers… inside containers… inside other containers. The timer keeps you moving and prevents overthinking. You

Click to Watch Video STEP 1 Set Your Timer. Before you start. Choose 15–20 minutes. You can always reset the timer if needed. Just take a break and have a glass of water first. STEP 2 Define your capacity. Your sewing machine will take up a lot of space in your sewing room. It’s not just the sewing machine but it’s the table, the chair and us. ..plus all the accessories. Unfortunately there is not a lot of wiggle room here. It is what it is. And maybe today, it’s more about

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO And congratulations—you’ve made it to hump day . We’re officially halfway through the challenge , and if you’re anything like me, you’ve made several trips to recycling, garbage, and donation drop-offs. Well done. Today we’re focusing on two workhorse areas of our sewing rooms: our cutting station and our ironing station . For you that may be one spot, for others it’s two separate spots. And once again, we’re asking the same question we’ve been asking all

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