Organized Chaos

Have you ever been SEW organized that you could not find something?

There are a few things that I have misplaced over the years. One thing comes to mind, which I have NEVER found. A green ceramic Christmas tree. When I quit putting up a big tree, when our family quit exchanging gifts, and when only Louie and I exchanged, I would put out this green ceramic Christmas tree…until I misplaced it. I know I put it in a copy paper box, and I know it used to sit under a sewing machine cabinet with a big tablecloth over it, in our bedroom. But I don’t have the sewing machine and cabinet anymore, and I don’t have the tree either.

What really bothers me, is that, I try to think of myself as an organized person. I can remember (gee, I can even remember when I used to remember everything, but THOSE days are gone!) when I knew where EVERYTHING was. Well, I guess that was when we lived in apartments and didn’t have so many hiding places. And, that was before Louie and I started going junkin’ and brought home stuff by the bags full EVERY. WEEK.

Sew, a few weeks ago, I did some more cleaning out and de-cluttering, (I have hauled out probably 10 vanloads of stuff since fall of 2010, and I’m still not done de-cluttering). That was the weekend I set up my quilter in Louie’s office/utility room. When I stole the bookcase from the corner and put it under my quilter, I wheeled my second Juki TL98E which sits down into a cabinet in that corner. I also cleaned out the Juki cabinet. I decided that I was going to put all my Juki TL98E accessories in that cabinet, (because I want to be organized and know where everything is!!!)and the accessories I was looking to put in there, were both extension tables, and one more of the knee controls, which is clamped to the underside of one of the extension tables. Now why I needed to do that, I’m not really sure, because there will probably never be a time that I will EVER use the extension tables, but I just NEEDED to have everything together, because I NEEDED to know where the extension tables were. (I’m a control freak like that). Then it  happened. I COULDN’T FIND THE EXTENSION TABLES!

                           

For a few weeks, I have been looking for the extension tables. I have looked under the basement steps (pulling everything out) about 5 times and they were not there. I have looked around, behind and inside everything I can think of. In fact, I have been resigned to the fact that, as of late, I can only remember seeing ONE Juki extension table, and can not remember the last time I saw the other one. BUT I KNEW I HAD ONE. WHERE WAS IT???

It has been on my mind since then and I just couldn’t stop thinking of it. I fell asleep very early last night, and so when I woke up at 2pm this morning, and realized the garbage had not been taken out yet, and I put on my shoes to take out ‘said’ garbage, my mind went to wondering again, where that DARN Juki extension table could be!

Ok, so it’s 2 am. I’m thinking of the table, and I can’t sleep now anyway. I went to the basement again. I was about to rip everything out from underneath the basement steps again, when I thought I would look inside my ‘organized’ quilting closet AGAIN, for the 10th time. (Hi, my name is Michelle and I am addicted to vintage sheets…and everyone says, ‘Hi Michelle!’)

                    

                    

These bins are filled from floor to ceiling with fabric pieces usually under one yard in size, organized by colors and marked with sticky notes, and the bigger bins are filled with sheets.

                     

My quilting closet is also a place I ‘park’ my cutting table and two small white tables.

            

…and ‘OH!! LOOK! My Juki Extension tables!!! Woo hoo!’ If I had actually read the note on the outside of the suitcase when I looked the other 10 times, I would have found them weeks ago….and there are TWO extension tables in that suitcase!!!

             

                   

Well, the bad news, is that they won’t fit anywhere inside my Juki cabinet, because they are too long, which is why they were in this suitcase in the first place. I decided maybe if I put more post it notes on the suitcase, it would catch my attention the next time I think I lost them. I should have attached one of those big gloved hands on a spring, like in the old cartoons, to the suitcase, to poke me in the nose, so the next time, I can actually find it! (If I’m lucky, one of my quilting girls will remind me next time I can’t find them because they read it here!)

                     

One of the girls even asked me if I had put it in a suitcase, and I did admit that I had not opened any suitcases, but that is what I would have done this morning. I did open this suitcase, and they are indeed, both in there.

Well, at least now I can rest, but it will only be for a few minutes, because then the alarm clock will be going off, and I will have to get up to get ready for work.

Are you organized like I am? I hope not!

Now, where’s that darn Christmas tree????

Be blessed!

Michelle