• Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Gallery
  • Free Resource Library
  • Pattern Testing
  • Technical Editing
  • Sunday Meditation
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • About Me
  • Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Gallery
  • Free Resource Library
  • Technical Editing
  • Pattern Testing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sunday Meditation
  • Terms and Conditions
  • About Me

Patchwork Sampler

Make quilts. Use fabric. Have fun.

quilting · November 29, 2016

Creative Clutter

Whenever I see pictures of quilters’ studios I wonder where all their stuff is.  Even at it’s cleanest, I have things crammed everywhere.  Once a year, over the Thanksgiving weekend, someone sleeps on the sofa bed (my thinking couch) in my sewing room.  To say it takes a Herculean effort to de-clutter enough to pull out the bed is an understatement.  I have a hard time staying on task in this room and could spend hours combing through UFO bins, baskets of scraps and boxes of patterns.  I was encouraged to be able to combine enough projects to eliminate two large bins. That must mean I’ve been sewing something!

It is nice to work in a relatively clean and organized room, but it still looks like this:

studio-1

Studio-2

I’m unapologetic about it though.  I work in here almost everyday and can pretty much find whatever I need so it works for me.

Part of the “fun” of cleaning in here is rediscovering forgotten treasures.  In one of the bins I found lots of little block of the month bags.  When our shop first opened in 1997 my business partner, Kim and I had the brilliant idea to cut blocks of the month.  This was a relatively new concept at the time and our spin on it was that we would precut all of the pieces.  We optimistically cut 25 sets the first day and crossed our fingers they would sell.  It turned out to be more popular than we could have imagined and we ended up cutting hundreds each month.  Kim and I alternated writing a pattern (hand written at the time!) and making the sample each month.  As a result, I think both of us only have our half of the blocks finished!  In the most recent excavation, I came across some of these very first block kits and had a nice time reminiscing. 

1997 BOM

Meanwhile, the four patch fun for Trail Mix continues.  These are really small!  I now have 44 sets of four and can start part 2 of the triple four patches.

tiny 4 patch

Related Posts:

  • PXL_20221010_125637416
    Quilting Progress-Week 40, 2022
  • diy design wall
    DIY Design Wall
  • String Spiderweb on bed
    String Spiderweb UFO
  • 3-1 Nyalik
    Friday Finish: Nyilak and Corona
  • scrappy trips block
    2024 Looking Forward
  • PXL_20230510_115911419.MP
    November Stash User Challenge

In: quilting · Tagged: block of the month, four patch, sewing room, studio, Trail Mix

You’ll Also Love

The Celebrate Quilt Block 4
Monday Motivation: The Celebrate Quilt Block 3
The Celebrate Quilt: Block 1 Tutorial

Comments

  1. Pat in Appleton says

    November 29, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    If I do ever get my sewing area tidied up, I don’t get to enjoy it that way for long. I guess I’m destined to be cluttery! I believe every flat area should have something on it!

  2. Patricia says

    November 29, 2016 at 8:11 pm

    Kudos to you on clearing out bins! Yea!

    My sewing room is really a bedroom, so I’m lucky to have a closet. But, I took the doors off. And it looks really bad. cluttered. a mess.

    But it’s my mess and I love it!

    At the end of each day, I try to make sure my large cutting table is cleared off – well mostly – but there are stacks every where else! I’m glad to be in good company! 🙂

Next Post >

DWM: Four Patch Fun

Recent Posts

  • Eight Reasons You Should Use a Specialty HST Ruler
  • Hitting Reset
  • Quilt Designs Everywhere
  • Good Thing I Didn’t Give Up
  • 2024 Looking Forward
  • Home
  • Blog Posts
  • Gallery
  • Free Resource Library
  • Technical Editing
  • Pattern Testing
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sunday Meditation
  • Terms and Conditions
  • About Me

Copyright © 2025 Patchwork Sampler · Theme by 17th Avenue