2023-The 30 Day Challenge-Get Ready for Week 2!

I said to myself when I started this that if I made it through week one, all will be well. Today, the smoky air here has cleared quite a bit. I lament the situations in other cities. Terrible conditions, mostly we need to stay inside. I will admit to opening the the doors for a while, as I usually do to clear the air in the house that becomes stagnant according to Feng Shui principals.  

A girl and her rocking chairs. The serenity of a porch with a view and a mild breeze. A respite from the project. I switch back and forth when the weather turns hot. The southern side of the house can be brutal. I don't keep quilts on the front porch rocking chairs unless I am there or expecting company. The birds and the squirrels just cannot stay away. 

OK, so week two is approaching and a little heads up for those who wish to follow or just pick and choose your project of the day. Some of these will take an hour, some even less depending on how you work. I never keep a bent pin or needle. My tools are always put away at the end of a session and my machines are all cleaned in the same way. Seeing some machines in my online groups that are literally packed with lint and thread clippings amaze me. Risking the life of your expensive tools is foolish. A few minutes is all you need to take care of business. Anyway .......

1. Sunday, June 11th. This is labeled a "catch up day." 
2. Monday, June 12th. Sort pins, toss broken and bent.
3. Tuesday, June 13th. Sort misc. notions.
4. Wednesday, June 14th. Sort buttons, snaps, beads.
5. Thursday, June 15th. Inventory interfacing and batting. I am adding embroidery stabilizers to this.
6. Friday, June 16th. Inventory scissors and rotary cutters. I will add to this: new blades for the rotary cutters and sharpen my paper cutting scissors at this time. *My baby will be 51 this day, I will be making his favorite Pistachio cake, with no lime jello this time!
   
7.  Saturday, June 17th. This will be my catch up day. (my weeks begin with Sunday. Tomorrow, family events.

This is the garment pattern drawer. I don't have the tabs in yet but each category is distinct. Tops, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets and coats, sleepwear, lingerie. This is maybe 60 or so. In the back are envelopes that are too large to stand so they are lying down.

This is one of my work baskets. I choose the pattern, the fabric, interfacings if needed, pins on a magnetic disc as well as the scissors I will use. This is a 100% polyester and there is a pair of Kai scissors with serrated blades that I will use for the fabric. The red handled scissors are for paper only.

You just have to love these magnetic parts dishes available at Harbor Freight. This is a small one, only a few dollars and they are fantastic. Notice how most of the points on the pins are circled around the middle base. I didn't do that, the magnet did.

On the side of one of the IKEA carts is this basket, originally deemed for kitchen use. Here I have a collection of patterns ready for testing.

This pattern interested me with the side-tie robe and jacket.

And then the top of another IKEA cart has only the Style Arc patterns. The envelopes are much too large for the drawers and I like them like this because it is easy to see what I have.

These are new crafty type patterns for cosmetic bags, tote bags, and a collection of "fills" for the embroidery machine on a USB stick. To the left of my machine I have a letter sorter that I store these in. If I only use them once, they get passed on.

The sorter from this angle. I have a couple apron patterns in there too. I mostly categorize things like this as craft. They are bonus sews for me. A when time permits type of sewing. Baby patterns, some applique projects too.

This is a drawer in my tool chest. Another magnetic dish, a traditional magnetic pin cushion with long pins and glass heads, and a box of new pins. As I mentioned in another post, any pin bent is discarded into a large old pill bottle with a slit cut in the lid. When it is full, I tape over that slit and it goes in the trash. 

This is the one and only scrap storage area. One cart. That's it with general categories.

Black and white 2 1/2 inch strips.

Mixed light and medium colors; strips, blocks etc.

Another drawer with medium to darker strips and blocks.

Larger pieces of light to mediums.

Many in this drawer are Lola's neck scarves that she wears for about 10 minutes after grooming. My long-term plan is to cut them into uniform squares or rectangles and make a quilt for her bed. No rush on this one by the way.  

• Well, break time for me. I have spent the afternoon making Grandma Gina's meatballs. 31 of them and 2 gallons of sauce. Tired, I am tired, so 30 minutes in my chair with a blanket while the pot cools and I will pack the meatballs with their sauce and a fresh basil leaf into a take-away container and off to friends and freezer.
• Since I already sorted works in progress during the pattern sorting and quilt fabric sorting, I am a step ahead on that one. And as I have mentioned my machines are always in A1 clean condition. I had the Destiny II cleaned and the automatic needle threader repaired just a bit ago so that is all I needed to address. Now the Coronet long-arm quilter needs a screw and bolt on the right arm, I need to sort through husbands tools to see if he has something I can use. If not, son will, I am sure. 
• See you in a couple days. Keep on sorting!!!