Non-Sewing/Embroidery Goal January 2022

Other than sewing related goals, I do have another type of goal for this month.

In 2016, my husband and I, our children and grandchildren took a fantastic trip to Oahu, Hawaii.

I want to organize those hundreds of photos that we all took and shared with each other.

With the help of Snapfish, or Shutterfly, I want to create a memory photo book from favorite photos.

Anyone else as slow as I am at organizing?

In the comments, tell me what non-sewing related goal you have set for yourself (if any).

Carry On!

Thread Storage

While internet surfing, I came across Jennifer’s blog, Bee Sew Inspired. I am glad that I did…Jennifer has the cutest doll patterns (and much more)! What really caught my attention was her Organize Along event…I can always use ideas that make my life easier. The first week is on getting your thread untangled.

In my upstairs sewing studio, the ceilings are slanted, so wall storage is not an option.

I have a considerable amount of thread, most of which is stored somewhat neatly. The Aurifil 12 weight thread (I like to use for embroidery) is stored by color in plastic storage boxes. My DMC floss is wound on cardstock, and also stored by number in plastic storage boxes (no photo).

I have an array of rayon and metallic threads as well. They are stored in plastic storage boxes…contained but not tidy.

And then there are the spools that I use for general sewing and piecing. I keep them willy nilly in metal drawers right next to my sewing machine. I like to just toss them in there…suits me fine. But the quilting assistant could reach her little claws in there. She couldn’t pull the spools out, but she did manage to have a grand time anyway.

Jennifer shared a tip to use thread netting to contain threads. I know that this isn’t new for some of you, but it is to me. I ordered my package of netting from King Amazon. I got a package of 100 and I can easily cut it for the different size spools.

I love this tip! I can still toss the spools in the drawer, but I no longer have those pesky tangling loose ends!

I am curious…how do you store your thead?

Quilt On!

Organizing Paper

In the spirit of decluttering and organization in January, I have stopped everything (but the day job) to clean up my catch-all basket of shame.

Well…alright…there was more than one catch-all basket of patterns and ideas and such (I even found the crepe recipe that my son-in-law gave me who knows how long ago! How did that get in there?).

It all started when I realized that I couldn’t find what I was looking for.

Isn’t that how it always starts?

Organizing this stuff is hazardous!  I could get sooooo easily side-tracked!

I want to begin something new.

More than one something.

Gotta stay focused!

For fun; here is a photo of one of my poinsettias blooming.  I have two that are several years old.

And, yes…I am so proud that in spite of myself, and living in a northern clime, that these two plants are still doing so well.

Stay Safe!

Quilt On!

Organizing the Blog and the Candace Project

I have not posted in a while, so thought that perhaps I should check in.  

I have been slowly working my way through organizing the blog, and I am not finished yet.  It is taking some time, since I started blogging in 2011, and I don’t have hour after hour to devote to this task.  At least, not hour after hour all in one sitting, since I apparently do have hour after hour to get this done.

My blog is essentially a journal for me, and it has become difficult to find relevant posts when I want to reference, or reminisce a particular past post.

I have deleted a few posts.I have added new tabs to the header, and I have links to relevant posts listed under those tabs.  I don’t know about you, but I think this will work better for me.

And that may be all that matters.

The bow tie leader/ender basket slowly fills:

The bow ties are pinned in groups of ten, so they will be easy to count when I decide that I have enough for whatever size quilt that I haven’t made a decision upon yet.

I have begun a new project.  There will be no deadline; no rush on this one.  It may take a very long time.

The enlarged photo is a posterized version of my niece, Candace:

I haven’t done an ‘art quilt’ in a long time, and this one has been on my heart for several years. 

Candace was visiting and wanted to learn to bake a pie.  She was thrilled with her first made-from-scratch cherry pie.  A happy memory, and a good one to replicate in an ‘art quilt’!

Fabric Trays and Kallie

Hubby and I adopted a 2 year old rescue cat named Kallie.  

She is a super sweet and playful kitty.  She loves her toys, and she is getting quite a collection.

I decided to corral those toys into a simple little fabric tray.  The tray is small; Kallie can easily get the toy that she wants.

And no, she doesn’t put her toys away.  That’s what her owner is for.

The fabric trays are very easy and quick to make, so I made one for my toys, too.

If you would like to make fabric trays for yourself, or perhaps a gift for someone (fill it with dark chocolate and I’ll gladly take it off your hands), click here.  The link takes you to my Pinterest where I have pinned a few tutorial variations.

You can easily change the size to fit what you want a tray for.