Ingrid walked into the shop on Friday to find this mess! If you look closely you can see her brand new printer under the debris, along with lots of boxes of fat quarters and books. If you look in the background you can see the shelving has toppled over onto more shelving and this means hundreds of bolts of fabric are precariously pitched!
There was no apparent earth quake according to CNN, and there was no internal cyclone in the building, but that is what it looked like. Thanks to some great friends and hard work, the place was back together by midnight, and this time those shelves are staying put!
Fortunately no one was in the building at the time of the great collapse, and there were no injuries!
As I looked at the chaos which took over this normally neat and well organized space, it reminded me of how easy it is for things to happen, how one little goof is all it takes for the "domino" effect to take place.
It happens at work, it happens in life, and it happens in quilting.
So our challenge to you for this week is to let us know what you do to prevent the domino effect in your quilting process. What tips do you have for others so that their quilts come out as close to perfect as they can? Do you have little tricks that keep you on the straight and narrow during the quilting process? It does not matter where you use this tip...it can be in the fabric shop, on line, at your cutting table, in your mind, or at the sewing machine.
We are going to review all the tips by our followers and award a fat quarter bundle worth $25 or more to the best tip. We'll be checking in to see all the tips and will be announcing the winner on the blog and on the web site in one week. Please join us, and feel free to post more than once.
As always, happy stitching, and love to you all!
Lisa
10 comments:
I have adjustable shelving in my sewing room & have my fabric that is 1/2 yard or less, sorted by color in clear storage bins, with lids. When I need a small piece, or two, of specific color waves, I can easily check to see what I already have!
Sometimes a new pattern or project will overwhelm me, so I break it down into smaller steps! I CAN sew just one strip, or one block, or cut some of the fabric for a quilt top--today!
The one thing that has helped me the most is having experienced quilters who are willing to help me with every problem I come up against. The ladies who have become my friends are always willing to help me as well as encourage me as I continue on this quilting journey.
To keep the quilting mojo going, I try to keep the horizontal surfaces in the sewing room clear. I find once the piles pile up, I have little desire to be in that wonderful room...I can't do anything without having to move a pile and than move that pile; a viscious cycle. So, after a project or two, I put away leaving me a blank canvas for what ever project might present itself in my head or from my online pals...always ready for a last minute gift, or online swap!
When I am sewing a bunch of strips of fabric together, I get out my wooden drying rack, then I can organize the fabrics as I cut them, and locate the rack close to the sewing machine. It saves time and I never have to worry about wrinkling.
Another great tip is to pick a neutral thread for piecing. I usually use a beige, because I work with a lot of "warm" colors, if you sew with more "cool" color pick grey. These colors will blend in more than white, and save you from changing your thread as often.
Finally, I can't say enough about project bags. No matter how excited I am to finish a project, invariably I get distracted. This week I had to put aside my quilt to make Halloween costumes. Grab a bag, stuff everything inside including the pattern and your work space is cleared off to prepare for a new project, but nothing gets lost.
Hope you find these useful, Kami
'Oh dear, as you say, quite a tremor! Maybe it was top heavy or a front leg gave out that night! Well the Halloween tricks are past & glad you're back in order so quickly with more shelf support.
We actually had a sizable earthquake under Puget Sound about 10 years ago! Our immediate area not damaged, but my friends mountain cabin was like a rocking chair, with the land swaying from underneath! Some thought the Army mortar guns firing set it off that A.M. & things tumbled off our shelves :)
I sure agree with Free & the others here, as organization is key in the work area. My daughter brought me some clear stackable drawers this month; a nice gift & surprise she must think I needed. I like the page protector for patterns and the project bags sure helpful too.
'Oh dear, as you say, quite a tremor! Maybe it was top heavy or a front leg gave out that night! Well the Halloween tricks are past & glad you're back in order so quickly with more shelf support.
We actually had a sizable earthquake under Puget Sound about 10 years ago! Our immediate area not damaged, but my friends mountain cabin was like a rocking chair, with the land swaying from underneath! Some thought the Army mortar guns firing set it off that A.M. & things tumbled off our shelves :)
I sure agree with Free & the others here, as organization is key in the work area. My daughter brought me some clear stackable drawers this month; a nice gift & surprise she must think I needed. I like the page protector for patterns and the project bags sure helpful too.
It was really strange and really a mess, but now things are back to "working normal". We really should re-photograph the shop but there is never time! We are always too busy filling orders! I guess that is a good thing. :-)
I love all the suggestions from everyone. Storage is a constant challenge for me because whenever I think I have it figured out, something "grows" and I need more! I do love my super sachel bins for projects. I can keep most everything I need for a quilt in there and I have them for my threads too. Then I just stack them in the closet on the shelf.
BINS
Happy Stitching!
Lisa
Lisa, I'm sorry for the double post ...seems there was trouble with my ID the first time & don't see a way to remove the duplicate.
I understand the storage delema, as my son just emptied his storage unit, gifted a young couple with his sofa & moved his things home taking more space.
I also thought a framed peg board on the wall behind the machine would be helpful, though I have a short three drawer chest that fits at the end of the machine and one cutting mat reverses to press.
Hopefully I can reclaim a room, but for now the clear blanket bags & totes are a big help.
I'm glad things are going well for Ingrim and sound like it's keeping you both busy & we can see all the nice fabrics online! :)
I like the peg board idea. Right now I am sewing in one of our extra bedrooms and it functions as a "guest room" when the kids come home for visits. So I am using their old closet to store my sewing supplies, and I have an extra closet for fabrics.
Soon we hope to move to our new home in FL where I have a beautiful new sewing room and lots of storage space.
I can't wait! I'm looking forward to the warmth, and also to the great natural light in my new room, and to the fact that I won't have to put my projects away when company comes!
Happy stitching!
Lisa
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