Reorganizing

I spend a lot of time in my sewing room, although it's also a horse room, too. There are four shelving units filled with models along with two china cabinets. I enjoy having horsey things in there with me as I sew but the room has gotten very, very crowded.

Wednesdays and Fridays it's also filled with doggos and an extra blanket or two for them. It was this photo taken last week that prompted me to reorganize that room. I needed to add another three drawer tub for fabrics and there simply was no more space. And when the dogs are here, they like to camp out and snooze while I sew. I find myself stepping over dogs and blankets to get to things I need as I work.

Things were out of control, and I was having trouble finding things. Yes, I really do need five pin cushions, four magnetic pin holders, and three plastic boxes of other pins. A pin is not simply a pin - they come in different lengths and widths, with plain, plastic, or glass heads (the plastic heads melt so you can't iron over them like you can the glass or plain), and depending on the fabric you are using, you choose which pin is best for it.

Plus my sewing room is about to go back to being a guest bedroom for the holidays, and I need to be able to tuck things away quickly and get it ready for use.

A daunting task, yes, but actually I enjoy organizing and tidying up.

I didn't get this kind of help when I worked, although Pepper and Tammo kept me company!

A wheel had broken on one of my three drawer tubs, damaging the plastic wheel slot in the process. I popped off the other wheels and set the broken tub (full of horsey fabrics) onto my grandmother's writing desk. I never use her desk for writing, so why not? Besides, I can reach those fabrics much more easily now.

Tubs of 18th century patterns along with a tower of ribbons, mini tubs of sewing and embroidery tools, and a chest of drawers topped with (as well as stuffed with) embroidery items. I moved the Stablemate barn there, too.

Haversacks ready to be turned and to have a final pressing this morning on the ironing board. 

I sorted out every tub and box and have a bunch of things to give away - good fabrics and ribbons, but ones that don't fit either 18th century or pony pouch sewing. They just take up room so I am passing them on.

I was able to keep my Halloween decor out in the sewing room. There's not a lot of room for it now, but it is enough to make me feel festive. 

The wheel on the tub that initiated all this organizing broke because I was constantly rolling it in and out from under the sewing table and the friction from the carpet finally overstressed the plastic. As an experiment, I placed an extra sewing mat under another cart that often gets rolled back and forth. That made it easier to roll but I use that sewing mat a lot when I sew. I plan to look into an office mat or two instead.

I'd bought this new three drawer tub to replace the one with the broken wheel slot, but having removed the wheels and plopping it up on the writing desk kept it useful, and I'd culled so many things that I no longer needed, this tub is now free and open.

I have my 18th century block prints stacked on a folding table, but maybe I will put them into this tub? We will see. I may move a few things around a little more, but essentially I am done.

I'll post about the blackened beeswax ornaments that are for sale either later today or tomorrow.

Stay 'tooned!

Collection Cleaning and Rearranging: Still Working!

 Just because I was curious, I scrolled through blog entries to see how long I have been working on cleaning and rearranging my collection. I was a bit surprised to see that it's been over three weeks! But, I am getting it done.

Aside from a box going to Good Will and a painting to be hung, the upstairs family room is done and Craig can walk unimpeded into his library.

The spare bedroom library sewing room second model horse room is finished and I've migrated the longer models like Dundee, the Shagya Arabian, Pacer, and others to the deeper shelves in there.

Holding my breath, I cleaned and rearranged the Freeman Leidys, Metlox Poppytrails, Chevals, and other unusual china horses that are in the antique china hutch. I didn't break anyone, thank goodness.

Since I had very recently rearranged the Hagen Renaker minis (in a repurposed media cabinet) I did not do anything to them.

I do still need to do the Hartland shelves but I left that for the time being - I am thinking of selling most of them and wanted to think about that first.

Saturday I made a concerted effort to get started on the shelves in my office, the original horse room. 

And that's where the rearranging really began. I like to group by mold and so that means I get open pockets of space to fill. Almost everything on the bottom three shelves was transferred over from other shelves in the room.

During my spinal fusion in April, several discs were removed and I am shorter as a result. There are times when I can literally feel the difference that that makes and this is one of them. The topmost shelves have always been hard for me to reach; this time, I ended up using a Swiffer Duster on an extension handle to clean them instead of taking the models down individually. I simply could not reach them.

After I'd gotten all the Classics gathered on the narrow shelves by the window, I finished for the day.

I've got some completely empty shelves and then some open spaces on others for playing model horse Jenga when I get back to work this morning. 

Definitely this project will be finished this week - we will have three of our children and their families (and dogs) in town for the 4th of July weekend, so I want to get the collection rearranging and cleaning done by then. 

Wish me luck!

Much Better

Second post of the day.

I spent the day moving all my sewing and embroidering supplies and furniture out of my horse room and into...

... my other horse room! Honestly, it was supposed to be a library but somehow those plastic and china ponies snuck in there, too.

There are several sets of shelves and two china cabinets in there full of horses, so I am still surrounded by part of my collection while I sew and embroider.

The other room seems so much less cramped now.

No doubt I will fill it up again - with horses!