#declutterchallenge2023

Jan 21
3 min

Declutter Challenge - Day 20 - Fabric

Welcome to Day 20... the penultimate day of the Declutter Challenge 2022. We are just about at the end. Just today and tomorrow. The past week has been a tough one.. And the last step is the toughest of all. Your fabric. For most of us, it will be impossible to declutter your fabric in one day. And honestly why should you. Fabrics are our paint, if there was no fabric, there would be no quilting. It brings us joy, soothes our souls, and refills our bucket. And with all the ha

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Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 12 - Sewing Machines & Electronics

Karen

Jan 12
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 12 - Sewing Machines & Electronics

Today we are starting with our sewing station. We have already found our sewing machine, cleaned it and oiled it and hopefully used it. So more than the actual machine, let’s look at all the accessories that you have. For most of us, 95% of our sewing is using a straight stitch with the same presser foot. But what other accessories do you use often, and are they easily accessible? For the remaining accessories, take a good look. For any that you don’t know how to use, put on

4,003 views3 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 11 - Irons, Rulers & Cutting Mats

Karen

Jan 11
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 11 - Irons, Rulers & Cutting Mats

Congratulation everyone. Today we are officially halfway through the challenge. I know that we have made many trips to the recycling and garbage and probably have a nice pile of stuff ready to donate. Today’s challenge is about your cutting and ironing stations. At our cutting station, we have already covered rotary cutters on Day 8. So today it’s about cutting boards and rulers. Our cutting boards deteriorate with use. No matter how good your technique, the more you cut the

4,539 views3 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 10 - Needles & Pins

Karen

Jan 10
2 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 10 - Needles & Pins

We have talked in previous days about capacity, then we talked about function and yesterday we were also dealing with deterioration and age. Needles and pins might be small but we need to apply all three factor in our decluttering process. Different pins are for different jobs. So the first step is to identify which pins you are actually using. Eliminate the ones that you don’t. Step two is to cull out the dull, bent and rusty. Remember to dispose of them safely. I keep an ol

4,904 views7 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 9 - Thread

Karen

Jan 9
2 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 9 - Thread

Threads are the unsung heroes in our quilt-making. Fabric gets all the attention and the biggest impact on our wallet, however, without thread, nothing would stitch together, and we wouldn't have all those fascinating quilted designs. We can become just as obsessive with our thread purchasing. Weights, textures, and a rainbow of colours, oh my! If nothing else, playing with the colours can lift your spirits for the coming week. So what else to do, but finally declutter our t

4,517 views5 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 8 - Scissors, Snips and Rotary Cutters

Karen

Jan 8
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 8 - Scissors, Snips and Rotary Cutters

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 quaint. But you might a

5,216 views3 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 7 - Catch-Up Day

Karen

Jan 7
1 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 7 - Catch-Up Day

This past week we cleaned out the garbage, sent all the non-sewing clutter out of our space and cleaned out the paper. And found our sewing machine. Today is a free day. This is a day to catch up, catch your breath, and do another 15 minutes in a certain category. Do a bit more tidying up. Clean a bit or simply sit sew and enjoy. You might have a brain dump of ideas that came up during the week that you can put where you need to put them. On to-do lists or schedules or imag

11,340 views16 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 6 - Archives

Karen

Jan 6
2 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 6 - Archives

In the previous days, we have been talking about shelf space. 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 stuff that doesn’t serve you. Things that tie you to a past at the expense of a future. Today's category is about ARCHIVES the tokens and memories of your quilting. And it’s not so much about removing t

6,029 views6 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 5 - Patterns

Karen

Jan 5
2 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 5 - Patterns

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. And 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 realize that your tastes are for a different type of quilt,

5,910 views7 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 4 - Books

Karen

Jan 4
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 4 - Books

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 quilter, a workshop that y

6,479 views8 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 3 - Magazines

Karen

Jan 3
2 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 3 - Magazines

Today is our first day where we are dealing with the capacity of our sewing room. So look at your shelves, your drawers and your cupboards and recognize how much volume your space can hold. Because it is what it is. And the key to a happy sewing room is not to have OVER capacity. And we’ll start with a simple category - magazines. Ask yourself, with your square footage, how much space do you want your magazines to occupy? Then only keep the quantity that can fit in that spac

6,873 views22 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 2 - What Doesn't Belong

Karen

Jan 2
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 2 - What Doesn't Belong

Now that we took out the trash, now it time to find any other items that don’t belong in your sewing space? Or maybe yours is like mine; it doubles as a guest room. So maybe for you it's about moving items back in once the guests have gone home. Today we put it all back where it belongs. Use your timer; you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll accomplish in 30 minutes. Repeat if necessary. If you need more time be sure to take a short break in between. You might also need a buddy

8,399 views12 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 1 - Garbage

Karen

Jan 1
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Day 1 - Garbage

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. You are going to grab your boxes and put on your timer and set it for 15 minutes. Give yourself a target of 20 items at a time. Then

13,437 views20 comments

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Before We Begin

Karen

Dec 28, 2022
3 min

Declutter Challenge 2023 - Before We Begin

Like any challenge, we need to do a bit of prep before we get going. Decluttering is all about getting stuff out of your space. That includes: Garbage Broken and damaged items Things that belong in other spaces in your home Stuff that needs to be returned to a Sew Mate Objects you no longer need, use, or like Things that no longer serve you Stuff that no longer makes sense in your space Already overwhelmed? Just take a deep breath, and tell yourself that "You Got This". Be Re

8,339 views8 comments

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