In my previous post I did a little exploration of the nature of deadlines in the context of preparing a craft stall for a village show. In this follow-up post I’ll share the fall-out of getting past that deadline!
First there was a heap of unsold quilts and bags to put back into storage *sigh* and re-post in my Folksy shop.
Then, as I wound down and discovered the short-term pleasure of not having a deadline to meet, my thoughts turned to…SORTING! Maybe unconciously I had been ignoring the piles of things around the house and the lists in my head that were crying out ,’Sort me! Sort me!’? Suddenly and quite unexpectedly sorting was the order of the week. I began at 6.30am on Sunday with the mini mountains of fabric offcuts, overflowing baskets and piles of trimmed wadding heaped around my sewing machine. As I worked my way through, two new fabric storage categories emerged: ‘Bright scrappy bits’ and ‘muted scrappy bits’ destined one day to become Scrap Vortex Quilts.
The next bit of sorting involved settling down on the sofa with my tablet and sorting through my Pinterest boards. I’m not a Pinterest junkie but I do find it a really useful online resource. My first boards were initiated by my daughter in the run up to her wedding but since then the themes have inevitably turned to patchwork & quilting. I used a board to keep together ideas and information as I planned this blog and one of my latest is just a useful pinboard as we shop around for kitchen appliances! It is so handy to be able to keep a picture and a link to any item of interest found as you are reading or browsing online – I’d definitely recommend having a Pinterest page! Camilla has some useful do’s and dont’s for Pinterest users.
Oh! Boy! Then there was sorting my bedside table… Books accumulated over a couple of years and mostly unread had become a burden and were part of the reason I’ve not been reading anything from beginning to end. Now some are sorted to be given away, others are in a box under the bed – ‘out of sight out of mind’!
Still to be sorted: My in-tray (I know, it’s a disgrace!)
And the ‘categories’ list of this blog has got a bit out of hand and needs sorting…
But this week hasn’t all been about sorting: I have, of course, started some new P&Q projects!
So the legacy of this recent deadline has been quite a bit of satisfying sorting and the realisation that I’ve come full circle – I need to set new (realistic) deadlines for the remaining areas of sorting and for the new projects or none will be finished!
Allison
I try to keep things sorted as I go, however I am not always successful at it.
That is by far the best way! I think having my storage boxes on shelves or in units would help me – it’s a bit tiresome having to lift them off each other in stacks! But that is a bit of a feeble excuse!
I’m actually very impressed by your in tray , very restrained I thought
I am guilty of the piles of unread books
Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone Helen!
… and the cycle begins again 🙂 your new projects look very promising ! I have the Amy Ellis book out from the library but will have to return it without making any of the projects due to time constraints. Oh well, I can always request it again.
I sometimes just like looking through quilting books even if I’m not in a position to start something – it’s good to see different patterns and colour combinations – it’s relaxing.
I’m guilty of everything you mentioned. Well done for finding the courage to start the sorting process.
Thanks Lucie, I am finding sorting very satisfying but I’m just doing it in short bursts with plenty of other things between!
I’m pretty good at taking care of most things, but there are some piles I put off and off and off! I do think having less stuff, in general, is a big bonus. I keep trying to get rid of things, but there are barriers to that, too.
Someone told me an effective sorting technique is to break it down into strict 15 minute stints. I’m not a deeply sentimental person but do find sorting decisions are difficult when a sentimental angle emerges! Is that where you run into difficulties?
I’m not very sentimental. One of the main “problems” now is we have plenty of room in our home and never have overstuffed it. But if I start getting rid of a lot of the decorative stuff, the house will start to look empty. 🙂
We read a quote from William Morris while we were on holiday visiting Broadway Tower, “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” Perhaps they are good questions to ask ourselves as we sort: Is it useful? Do I think it’s beautiful?
My dad did that. He got rid of all the extras before he moved, a couple years before he died. But when we went to his home while he was in the hospital, one thing I found was the teddy bear we’d given him. It was on his bed. Now we have it. The bear is one thing I could not get rid of, if it meant that much to him, one of the least sentimental people I’ve ever known.
Melanie, no wonder you treasure that bear. I don’t know if William Morris’ definitions of ‘useful’ and ‘beautiful’ extended to such special belongings but I think they should. Thank you for sharing.