Organizing One Room At A Time !

Clutter, clutter, clutter!  Who doesn't have clutter?  A messy drawer, a pile of shoes, a over stuffed closet, a pile of papers or  to much fabric/crafting materials!  I have plenty of the above and going into April 2014, it's time to take control of the clutter!  

I have way to much stuff and it's time to purge.  Spring cleaning is a great time to start! April 1st, 2014, is a great time to start organizing a room, a closet, or a drawer.  This is No April Fools joke!!!!  Whatever room you decide to start with let  today be the day! 

Before you start, I have a new method of organizing and I'm excited to share it!  It might seem a little crazy but I do think it'll work.

I counted how many rooms I have in my home, adding the back/front yard and garage in the count. They are part of the house.  Although my husband does maintain both the front and back yard, I enjoy gardening and spending time outside.  These areas  always need some girly touches like new planted flowers! 

Say you have 5 bedrooms, 2 bath, the kitchen, the living room , the family room, laundry room, garage, front and backyard.  That gives me 14 separate sections.   Yes, it's a big challenge but you really do need to  start somewhere and someday on this crazy desire of organizing!  

If you want to have your house put together in a year and you have more sections then 12, you will have to combine a few rooms together.  For example, I know I can get both bathrooms done plus the laundry room organized within the same month. That cuts the 14 sections down to 11 sections or months.  Being my husband takes care of the yard work, I know that it will only take me one month to do what I need to do to both the front and back yard.  I can start working on my gardening! I might even be able to start on another room within that month. So now its 10 sections to complete! You can take a couple of months off to enjoy the holidays!  Or one month for the holidays and one month during the summer.

Remember to look at what months just are out of the question to organize.  Maybe you travel and are out of town on certain months.  You can either combine rooms or just carry the organizing on to the new year.  Just make it work for you without going crazy!  So it takes you 15 months to get the house in order, who cares has long as it's getting done.  You might have great intentions to get done in a year but life happens and sometimes you just need to let it happen!  No need to stress about it.

If you want you can get your calendar out and think about what months you want to do certain rooms!  Then start marking your calendar.  November/December are busy month.  Summer  time is not a busy month for me.   So pick easy rooms to clean and organize for those months that you know will be crazy busy!  

Remember some things you have no control over.  I have no control on what happens on my husbands side of the bed.  Yes, I can pick up his socks and put away his shoes, but he doesn't want me to, so I don't.  Well, okay now and then I do, but more often then I do, he does his own picking up.

Now there are a few rules you must follow:


1.  Only do one section at a time.

2.  One room at a time.

3.  Include the family in this new venue, when possible!

4.  Allow free days.  Reality is you won't be able to tackle
     something each day!  Life is unpredictable!
     
     I work full time and some days I'm simply to tired to tackle
     anything.


5.  Make your three piles:

                         DONATE - (You must give this pile 
                         away before starting a new room)

                         SELL - (Have a yard sale, sell on eBay, 
                         Etsy, or your Community FB page)

                         KEEP - (This pile must be put away
                         in it's new home before you start a
                         new room)

What room will you start first?????

                            He Has Made Everything Beautiful In Its Time.  
                                                     Ecclesiastes 3:11 

30/30 Sewing Challenge Complete

All of my finished sewing projects planned for the 30/30 Sewing Challenge complete.  I was so glad to take part in this challenge.  It helped me to create a good habit of sewing.  I  have to be honest there were days I just didn't have the energy to sew, but I did.  I'd actually put the timer on and sewed exactly 30 minutes.   It also helped me to use my stash!  Fabrics I've had for along time.  You wouldn't happen to know what I'm talking about...lol!   

So often we don't always take time to sew for ourselves.  We get to busy sewing and creating for others.  I do plan on making it more of a habit to sew and build my clothes with the kind of things I love.   



30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 1  

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 2 

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 3 

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 4

I want to thank Sarah from Berry Barn Designs for the challenge of sewing selfishly for ourselves for 30 minutes  each day for 30 days!!!!   

Also, I appreciate everyones comments and thanks to those who took part in the challenge.  I was really inspired by all the different projects worked on and completed during this challenge!!

Happy Sewing!!

30/30 Sewing Challenge - Week 4

More 30/30 minutes of sewing this week!  Made myself 

another blouse!  Yippy to that!!!

The blouse has some gathering in the front shoulders.

 It bunches up in the center!  Love it!

This was the original fabric I was going to use but 

I decided on the one above.  

The pattern I used is Simplicity 2181.

To see other projects completed by those taking part link up to Berry Barn Designs!!

Berry Barn Designs 30/30 Sewing Challenge Week-4 Progress

Cheetah Print Shirt and Shorts Sewing Outfit

When I heard Project Run and Play- Season 9 was starting a new season!  I thought, "Oh, now that sounds like fun!"  I knew I wouldn't make the deadline but I was still inspired to whip some- thing up for my cute little Grandson, Benjamin!  



So, here you go my #sewing outfit for my grandson Ben!  I only wish I could have had him model the outfit! Cheetah printed fabric shirt coordinated  with a pair of black shorts! 

A just for fun project!

                    

Take me to the zoo in Cheetah!

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 3

It's time again to show off what I've done with my selfish 30 minute sewing for me, me, and me alone!  Since I have two more weeks left to sew, I decided to add this doll to my list of things I wanted to finish.  

 I lifted her dress  so you could see her underpants!

I sewed her pants, jacket, and dress!  Used yarn to make her hair. And painted her face.

Then I assembled her together and now my Garden Doll is done!

I just noticed I need to snip a few out of control fabric threads!

It's been a fun week to sew!  I believe I'm getting into the habit of sewing for 30 minutes a day!  I really look forward to it!

Check out whatever one else has done!!

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 3

Maneuvering - Christian Bloggers Challenge

In December 2012, I had an accident at work that prevented me from moving my body like I was use to.  I wasn't able to perform my normal everyday duties at home or at work.  You see my job is very physical and requires lots of bending, lifting, walking, and standing.  I just wasn't able to maneuver my body due to the limitations of my accident and the pain I was feeling.

Maneuvering, is an important word to the Christian. Maneuver(ing) in the dictionary means:   a planned and regulated movement, a series of tactical exercises , an act or instance of changing the direction of, an adroit move, skillful proceeding, to bring, put, drive or make by maneuvers.  To manipulate or manage with skill, and to steer in various directions as required.  

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  But resist him firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

Peter explains to the #Christian that even though we may be suffering, we need to be awake, alert to our surroundings, with our minds and our heart.  There is an enemy ready to trick, to confuse, to harm and pull us away from our Savior!  The devil is using ever possible maneuvering tactical exercise he knows to bring in doubt and fear.   He is ready to devour us.  

We only have two choices. We can move our walk in the direction of what leads to darkness and eternal death or to humble ourselves  and steer the wheel of our walk by maneuvering it to the road that gets us closer to our Lord and #Savior Jesus Christ; the road to eternal life.

What better way then to have a plan, built by our Lord!

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma, Ephesians 5:1-2.  It's not easy to walk in love, especially when you're out numbered, you've felt like an outcast, you've been kicked around or called a liar.  For Christ experienced all of the above and more for us.  He is our offering and sacrifice and fragrant aroma!  How great is that!

1 Peter 5:10,  And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. 

So after a long while, I have returned to what I was doing at work.     

Let us be strong and look up!  Let us maneuver our minds, our hearts, our walk, our voice and eyes toward Him! Amen!

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 2

March 18th - 30/30 Sewing Challenge

Here's my finished blouse for the 30/30 Sewing Challenge - March 18th!

                                  In the next few steps I show you a few steps of  how I finished my goal for the 30/30 Sewing Challenge!30/30 Sewing Challenge/ Berry Barn Designs

This is the fabric and pattern I decided to use for my second project!  I choose a light weight fabric from my stash.  

 After cutting out my pattern pieces I began to sew front details of top!

 

I decided to make my seam allowance french seams.  You first sew wrong sides together, press seam, and then sew rights sides together to create your french seam.

I pinned the hems of my top and then sewed them my machine.

 I checked the fit!

Sleeves are hard to french seam so I decided to serger them to garment top.

Sewn the neck line and button on to blouse.

Here you have my second top I've made in a week.  Thirty minutes a day!  So wonderful!

30/30 Sewing Challenge Week 1- Share What You've Done

 30/30 Sew For Me Challenge

Sarah from Berry Barn Designs as put up this 3o minutes a day for 30 days challenge!  Here is what I've done!

For this weeks challenge I chose my fabric, 

which most of you saw.  It's a  red/black 

checkered cotton fabric.  I decided I was going to make

 the black top  (view A) on the 

pattern envelope of New Look 6079.

I then pulled out all the cut pattern pieces out from the envelope and gave them a quick pressing to remove any winkles.

Pinned the pattern pieces to the fabric and cut them out (no photo available).  I forgot!

Next I sewed the darts on the front and back.

       Sewed the shoulders and side seams.  

                                       Then I checked the fit.

I placed some interfacing to the collar piece 

and along the front where I will be 

placing buttons to give it body, shape, 

and support!

I then pinned the sleeves to the garment and sewed them on

Made the button holes and attached the buttons.  

Sewed the hems on the sleeves and edge.

Here's my completed garment!  

I was so amazed that in 7 days I was able to finish a cute top by sewing for 30 minutes.  I am so happy!  I can't wait for my next project!

Hollywood Sewalong – The Notebook Part 1

Introducing the Hollywood Sewalong inspired by 

The Notebbook!

                                                

I love this movie and the clothes, set in the 1940's.  So many emotions!  My good half drives a red truck, so the scene where Ryan Gosling (Noah) and Rachel McAdam (Allie) are kissing is so romantic! Smooch, smooch!

I love wearing dresses, pussycat bow blouses and shoulder pads!  What shoulder pads?  Well, maybe not shoulder pads...lol!  Although they can give you broader shoulders and make your waist look smaller! Hum, not a bad idea.

My head is spinning of all the great clothing trends inspired by the movie, The Notebook.

Aren't the outfits Rachel McAdams wears in this movie to die for, especially the dresses, so pretty?  I want to own some of those beautiful outfits!

I'm in for the challenge !!!

These girls have inspired me to join in!

The Notebook Sewing Crew:

Freya 

 The Dressmaking Diaries

*

Charlie  
 This Blog Is Not For You

*

Courtney 
Makesphere 

*

Amy 
Sews N Bows 

*

Hannah 
Made with Hugs and Kisses 

*

and me,

 Nina
inchworming

*


March 3:  Part 1 - Introduction
Watch the movie, get your ideas rolling and join in!

April 7th:  Part 2 -
Share your ideas and what you've been doing!

May 5th:  Part 3
The Big Reveal by showing off your inspired creation(s)!

**Remember, you can join in at any time! 

30/30 Sewing Challenge Goals

I'm excited to say I'm entering the Berry  

Barn Designs #30/30 Sewing Challenge!  

I need to get some sewing done 

and what better way then to #challenge 

myself to 30 minutes of sewing 

each day for the month of March for myself!

The first top I will be working on will be the 

red/black checkered fabric.