Weekend Organization

As you all know, I have NOT been quilting, but decluttering, organizing, and simplifying. Friday morning, I started out by doing laundry and working on a few odds and ends. First on the list, was modifying this lacy valance to fit on a rod, and fill the gap between the tv and the top of the cabinet. That required hemming it to the correct size,(and removing the makeshift straight pins) and correctly inserting the rod, which is held in place by two cup hooks screwed into the underside of the top.                                                           Next, I moved to the kitchen, and did a little rearranging in my little corner. I moved my little table to the corner, brought my office chair back upstairs, and moved my rocking chair to my office.  I also donated a little table with a drawer, and an office swivel chair, back to Goodwill.                                                         Friday, when Louie got off work, we took a drive to the Quad Cities to do some junkin, just to spend some time together, since he would be busy all weekend with pool tournaments. On the way there, I was talking to him about how I wanted to reorganize my quilting storage area, and get rid of my suitcases used for storage, because they were keeping me from knowing what I actually had. I told him I would like to find a nice dresser, or I was thinking about stealing one from him.

Well, guess what? The second place we went, I found one! It is vintage, and had a mirror that slipped down into brackets on the back of the dresser, but I did not want the mirror (which made it look more vintage), so we donated that back, bought the dresser, and removed the hardware from the back.  Saturday morning, Louie helped me take it to the basement, then about 9:30am I started working.                                            I don’t know the manufacturer of this dresser, but it is HEAVY and built well, with SOLID wood everywhere, and dove tail joints. The top drawers are half the size of the bottom two drawers, and the bottom drawers look like each drawer is actually two. Perfect! I love it! I especially love the top drawers, because they remind me of my card file cabinet, which I keep my fat quarters in.                                  (Card file cabinet)                                                  Of course, everything you buy used, usually needs touched up, so I worked my ‘magic’ (Old English and furniture polish).                               Much better!                                                                          The top two drawers are filled with sewing machine accessories to different machines.                                        The other four drawers are filled with fabric yardage, folded to fit the space, and stood up neatly for easy viewing upon opening of the drawers.                                       I emptied several suitcases, and went through my plastic drawers, and organized the smaller pieces of fabric by colors, and labeled the drawers. The suitcases I did keep, are labeled with the contents, and filled with things less often used, or needed.                                                                 I even have enough room now to ‘park’ my cutting table in my closet!                                                           I am very pleased at how my dresser worked out for me, and how nice it looks! I am definitely going to keep my eyes open, and if I see another one just like this one, I am getting it.                                                   It would be perfect to have two in this space, and to get rid of this sewing machine cabinet, which I only use for storage in the drawers.  I even took the arms off my chair so it would fit further under my other sewing cabinet.                                                                                                      A total of about 16 hours (a double shift) was spent on my project. I filled 5 suitcases and a tote with stuff I decided I could live without. Goodwill, here I come! 

Louie got home about 1:30 this morning (Sunday), as I was just finishing up. I went to bed at 2am, and got back up at 7:30.  Physically, I almost did myself in, but the pleasure of the organization feels SO GOOD!                                                     I did not accomplish one thing today, and I was very tired all day, but tomorrow when I go to work, I can think of all I accomplished this weekend, feel the satisfaction, and dream all week of what I will accomplish this coming weekend…..after quilting, that is!

Be blessed,                                         Michelle