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Before, During, After, and Next: The Planning Corner
Readers, Before: My sewing library was in this corner, which was darker than it appears here. I made it hard for myself to use these resources. Tuesday Jack finished painting the east end of the sewing...
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Making the Best of It
Readers, A longtime reader of this blog wrote me recently, “Getting Things Sewn is all about making things happen, not just letting things happen.” I let out a big sigh. Oh, I know she meant to be...
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Make or Buy?
Readers, Being a largely from-scratch cook and baker (I have made my own crackers–not worth it–and bagels–worth it) I bring a DIY approach to food preparation. But when is it worth making something and...
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Before and After: The Alcove
Readers, I now present to you my sewing library, properly stored and accessible, befitting the sewing space of a former librarian. The sewing library finally has a proper home. When Daniel installed...
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Button Storage Problems Solved!
Readers, The bags I’d ordered last week in the hopes that they’d solve my button-storage quandaries arrived yesterday from Paper Mart. A case of 1000 recloseable bags arrived yesterday. As I wrote...
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Organizing by Messing Around
Readers, Sometimes the best solution I’ve discovered for a pesky problem turns out to be the easiest, cheapest and laziest. I have to be in the right state of mind though, for that solution to occur...
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Getting Things Thrown: Reading About Decluttering
Readers, Between looking for a house to buy in Columbus, Ohio (where I am writing this), and preparing our house in Minneapolis for sale, organizing is on my mind. I have a lot of decisions to make...
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Editing My Pattern Stash
Readers, I think I’ve come up with a pretty good way to edit my pattern stash. Is this too many coat patterns? Although I’m writing this on the road from Ohio, where Jack’s and my househunting...
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Editing My Pattern Stash: How It Turned Out
Readers, Some of the patterns from the 3-star pile. If you’re short on time (I know I am), I’ll get right to the point: editing my pattern stash turned out surprisingly well. Move ’em on out: difficult...
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Setting Up My New Sewing Room
Readers, My sewing room, occupying the largest bedroom in Jack’s and my new home in Columbus, Ohio, is about 90 percent set up now. It was fairly easy to plan the layout, and fun, as well. With my...
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What Problem Does That Solve?
Readers, Blame my background as a librarian for calling a new form that I’m experimenting with an “Acquisitions Record.” Out of my 22 years working in libraries I spent four and a half in my system’s...
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Book: Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub
Readers, How can I write a tidy little review of a book that, like its author, is seeking–but only occasionally finding–order? I’ve just reread my extensively mind-mapped notes from Year of No Clutter...
View ArticleDe-stashing on a Deadline
Readers, I got back from our New York trip to find an e-mail from my local little independent fabric store. Sew to Speak, in Worthington, Ohio, was announcing an event it was calling “De-stash on the...
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Blinding Glimpses of the Obvious: De-stash Edition
Readers, This past weekend I started slimming down my bloated collections of sewing supplies, taking advantage of a “De-Stash on the Lawn” event at Sew to Speak, a local fabric store, this Saturday....
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Book: Let It Go by Peter Walsh
Readers, I haven’t seen a decluttering book specifically for sewers–yet–but when I came across the phrase “material convoy” to describe “the massive pile of stuff that you collect and carry along your...
View ArticleAll Projects Great and Small: Creating a Task Analysis Tool
Readers, There are few things I love more than having a good project. I love projects with the keenness of Fame(US), the border collie who won the Westminster Kennel Club agility championship recently:...
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The Four Types of Discards
Readers, The Kondo effect has reached me even though I haven’t watched any of the Netflix shows yet: I recently examined everything in my wardrobe. I pulled coats, hats, and gloves from the coat...
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Setting Up My New Sewing Room
Readers, My sewing room, occupying the largest bedroom in Jack’s and my new home in Columbus, Ohio, is about 90 percent set up now. It was fairly easy to plan the layout, and fun, as well. With my...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What Problem Does That Solve?
Readers, Blame my background as a librarian for calling a new form that I’m experimenting with an “Acquisitions Record.” Out of my 22 years working in libraries I spent four and a half in my system’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Book: Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub
Readers, How can I write a tidy little review of a book that, like its author, is seeking–but only occasionally finding–order? I’ve just reread my extensively mind-mapped notes from Year of No Clutter...
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