Saturday, January 29, 2011

Progress on the mission

Well, just when I didn't feel like I was making much progress, I reached the dresser.  I emptied the drawers and sorted fabric by basic colors (pink prints fills two drawers, so I seem to have a strong preference for these), a blue and green drawer, a drawer for solid fabric (like you use for backing some of those pretty prints), a panel drawer with specialty print panels, and a totally empty drawer (for now, trust me, got loads more fabric).
My plan is simple (until I make it more complicated, which I am prone to doing):  I have all my sewing stuff sorted in mesh hampers (and one large clear plastic bin), by what type of fabric/what it is used for (for example, one is full of fabric I make dolls from).  The clear plastic bin is full of trims (have I mention I LOVE trims?).  As the drawers fill up, the hardest part begins - what I want to keep, and what I don't.  After doing downsizing of fabrics for the last couple of years, it begins harder to make that choice.  I also have a better idea of how much room I will have for storing these goodies.  Sigh.
Here is a before picture.  I will post an after, once this side of the room looks more after.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Ongoing mission

A few of my collection of dolls recline on the antique fainting couch I had stored in the clutter room.  Yes, I knew I had it, but, it was so buried in "treasures" that you couldn't even see it.  Now the velvet treasure has some of my "girls" enjoying the velvet softness of it.  These ladies are antique boudoir dolls, who allow me to take care of them.  The charming lady in purple is a French silk face doll.
I am still inching along, but, had to work all week, so incremental progress on my mission to redo my grown daughter's old bedroom (now officially called 'the clutter room").  Tomorrow, hope to get more progress, as I am off from work.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Continuing on with the mission and soring things out for myself in a dream

Well, today emptied two more of those giant plastic bags (they are banned from my use forever).  I now have separated and sorted everything I removed from the future playroom, yesterday.  Everything either has a home already, or has been assigned a home location.  Nothing has been left homeless except for a small wicker basket of odds and ends that is amazingly small, considering what I started with.  In the process of assigning homes, I cleaned out my huge steamer trunk, which I use for sewing stuff (it has drawers and looks so cool) and reconfigured what I was keeping in it.  MUST REMEMBER: Do NOT over fill drawers.  Put only what belongs in each drawer, there.
One of the joys I've discovered this last year, is actually using the stuff I collected to benefit my home, not just let it take up room.  I lovingly refinished this old steamer trunk over a long hot summer.  Now, instead of just looking really cool, it serves a purpose.






I also have some little vintage dresses hanging on the old wooden hangers that came with it.
Feeling quite pleased with myself, today.
Last night I had a dream that although wasn't factual, was scarey real in terms of my subconscious sorting out why I hold onto stuff the way I do.  The people in the dream followed behavior patterns I had pushed deep in my memory, because they were ways I had been really treated, in the past.  I woke up anxious, until I realized that the life I live is vastly different than back in those days, and that it is up to me, what I keep, what I let go of.  No one else makes those kind of choices for me, at this time in my life.  What a difference that self reassurance made in my approach today.  It wasn't about how much stuff I could get rid of, but, rather how I felt about keeping it, what I was keeping it for.  One rule:  everything has to have a home.  The purpose can be as simple as the little vintage dresses, quilt, vintage gloves (they are beautifully beaded), shoe button hook - the purpose they serve, is the way I feel when I look at them.  These are things I gathered over the years because I enjoy their history, their texture and the pleasure they give me.  They have a home, I like them, I want them, so they stay.  Wish all things were that simple!