Welcome to day 13 of the Sewing Room Declutter Challenge 2023.
This is definitely a day to use your timer. For today is the day we tackle your notions. This means your elastics, buttons, ribbons, snaps, zippers, interfacing, foundation papers and more. And not only are we going to find a lot of clutter, this is where we have containers, inside of containers, which get inside other containers. And the more steps you have make to locate an item, the less likely that you will make the effort to find it. And more importantly, you’re unlikely to put it back.
We purchase notions for workshops, seasonal crafts, costumes and school assignments, and of course the projects that we never actually make. And it’s crazy but today it’s often cheaper to buy notions in bulk than one at a time. And that leads to the crazy new issue of ‘overstock’.
Notions come in all sorts of shapes and sizes which means it’s a colossal effort to manage them. And since they can get lost in the containerverse, it is often faster to just buy them again.
So start by identifying how much space do you want these items taking up? Are they all going to fit in one container, a drawer or a shelf? Then only put back the items that you need right now.
Then check for deterioration. Elastics break down, metal corrodes, plastics become brittle.
I have these two drawers for notions which is down for the 4 drawers I had a couple of years ago. And I had hoped today to bring it back to one. But even after compartmentalizing my drawer with my foam board hack, it appears that I still need two. But at least now I can see what I have at a glance. These zippers were a COVID purchase. I bought four sizes just not one. And I think in the past couple of years I have two. So now I can see them, hopefully can use them or they will be in the donation pile next year. These ribbons are a mess but I won’t pause here now. I’ll do it while I watch TV. I also think that I will take one of every snap, button and grommet I have and make a sample for reference. I also have punches and presses that I need to figure out what goes with what. The I’ll code them with washi tape.
If this is your first year of the declutter challenge, this is the day to be brutal. If you have containers that have not been opened in 2-5 years or more, don’t even try to sort them. Open the lid, confirm that there are no important documents or folders inside and let it go. You have lived without the contents for years. The odds are in your favour that you will continue to survive without them. And 99% of it is replaceable if you must.
This is also the day you need to look at the crafts in your space that you no longer do. Knitting. crochet, beading, scrapbooking, quilling, felting, card making, watercolors. What have you done in the past 2 years? Which ones are you ever likely to do again?
Now if these are crafts that you still do or intend to do, you will still need to declutter them. So make up some categories, similar to the ones we are doing for sewing room and plan to tackle them at the end of this challenge.
It’s hard, some are really hard. But when it’s gone the relief is worth it.
Now, this will be a day you will find the old, the crumbing, the weird, the wacky and the colourful. Maybe supplies from when your children were young. Last year I let go of some items I had since university. So be sure to post your photos online with the hashtags. #declutterchallenge2024
Take care I’ll see you tomorrow for Day 13