Cleaning up my studio is an ongoing process, as I’m sure it is for most of us. As I work on various projects, the mess inevitably starts to build. I push scraps to the side of my table instead of putting them in my bins. I pull out certain thread colors and let the spools gather next to my sewing machine instead of putting them away. Packing materials and print patterns gather on the floor in the corner. You get the idea.
At some point though, I inevitably hit an internal wall where the clutter starts to affect my ability to work efficiently and happily! I clean up, and the cycle starts anew. It’s the circle of sewing studio life.
Two years ago I participated in the Spring Clean Your Studio blog hop with Cheryl of Muppin.com, and it was fun to jump onboard again this year. It was eye-opening to see where messes tend to gather in my room and the places that gathered clutter in 2020 are the same places that gather it today!
(Reminder – my “studio” is what our house floor plan would call the formal dining room. I have a nice view of our front yard, and I’m flanked on either side by the foyer and the kitchen. Despite not being able to close this room off from the rest of the house, I really enjoy having my study/studio here!)
I’ve started going back to the office on certain days, but am also still working from home a good amount, so my desk continues to pull double-duty for my day job plus quilting work. I essentially have two “zones” — my work computer is on the left, and I just swivel to the right for personal work. My desk top never stays neat for very long, but I will enjoy it while it lasts!
I also have a piano in here now! This was my birthday present in 2021, and it was in the living room for a while. In December, we moved it into my study to make room for the Christmas tree — and now it’s April and we haven’t moved it back. It’s kind of nice to have it in here, but it does block my window.
The corner by my quilt ladder is definitely a dumping spot, and in the “before” picture those boxes were full of packaging and shipping supples, plus a few boxes of print patterns that I needed to collate. I moved all that into my bedroom closet, which is where I store all my printed patterns. (It’s a walk-in closet so there’s plenty of room.) It’s always so nice to see the quilt ladder corner cleaned, even if it only lasts for a few days!
And finally, the sewing area itself! At first glance, the biggest difference is just that the rainbow quilt isn’t hanging on the wall — I gave a lecture to the Lakeview Quilters’ Guild last night about 100 day projects, so of course I had to take the rainbow quilt with me as an example. (It’s already back on the wall, but I took these photos at lunchtime yesterday.)
The rest of my cleanup is less visible in photos, but trust me, it happened! Along the back wall, I’ve got miscellaneous supplies for making postcards and tiny art, but the cutting mat and pressing station are both clear, and I put a bunch of thread spools and notions back in their proper spots.
So! I’m feeling pretty good about this cleanup and the good news is that it only took me about an hour. For more spring cleaning and sewing/craft room inspiration, make sure to check out all the other stops on the blog hop.
Happy cleaning!
April 15 – Muppin Inc http://blog.muppin.com
April 16 – Duck Creek Mountain Quilting https://www.duckcreekmountainquilting.com
April 17 – Quiltblox http://quiltblox.com
April 18 – by Hilary Jordan https://byhilaryjordan.com
April 19 – Sarah Ruiz Quilts <- You’re here!
April 20 – Sugar Sand Quilt Co. https://sugarsandquilts.com/blog
April 21 – Katie Mae Quilts Http://katiemaequilts.com/blog
April 22 – The Geeky Bobbin https://geekybobbin.com
April 23 – PhoebeMoon Designs https://scrapdash.com
April 24 – Sunflower Stitcheries and Quilting https://sunflowerstitcheries.com
April 25 – KISSed Quilts http://kissedquilts.blogspot.com
April 26 – Tamarinis https://tamarinis.typepad.com
