- Do you dream of a space that looks like this
when yours really looks like this?
Or maybe you cleaned your space last week,
but this week it looks like this?
Today's episode is all about organisation,
making everything have its place and a place for everything
so that your space works for you.
So stick with me, and I'll show you how to do it.
(lively music)
Hi, I'm Karen Brown of Just Get It Done Quilts,
and I give you tips, tricks and strategies
to help you make the quilt that you want to make.
If you like what you see, please hit that subscribe button.
This is part three in a series
on how to organise your sewing space.
In part one, we looked at the foundation,
the sewing triangle, making sure that your sewing machine,
your cutting table, and your ironing station
were in the right place.
In part 2, we talked about decluttering.
That is, taking out all the garbage, all the broken bit,
all the items that don't belong,
that no longer serve you or bring you joy.
So building on the bedrock of your sewing triangle,
and without the distraction of the clutter,
we can now get organised.
So why is it so hard to keep your sewing space pristine?
Because you're creating amazing items in it, that's why.
Sewing is not just what we like to do,
it is good for us,
and it makes threads on the floor and all kinds of scraps.
But if you have a well-organized, efficient room
with a spot for only what you require,
with everything in its proper spot,
it can be cleaned up in a short period of time,
and this is how we do it.
We need 2 lists.
Sit at your sewing machine and spread your arms,
and what can you reach?
This is your Ground Zero.
What can you reach with one movement,
like pulling out a drawer or shifting in your chair?
This is your Zone 1.
What can you reach in two movements,
like opening a drawer and opening a container,
or shifting and opening a drawer?
This is your Zone 2.
What can you see from your chair,
and if you get up and take a couple of steps, you can reach?
This is your Zone 3.
What if you take a couple of steps,
open a drawer, or open a cupboard?
What if you have to get up
and actually walk out of your space?
So you are going to map out these zones
that spread out from your sewing machine,
and the more actions you need to perform
to reach that storage location,
the higher the zone number.
And the second list is...
So if you've organised recently,
more than likely you have gathered
like collections together.
You put all your scissors together,
you put all your threads together,
you put all your rulers together in one spot.
But as an example, all your scissors are not equal.
There are ones that you use more often than others.
And it's likely that you use that $3 pair of snips
more often than you use that $30 pair of pinking shares.
So what are the items that you use every day?
These are your A tools.
What are the items that you use once or twice a week?
These are your B tools.
Once a month, those are your C tools.
Once with every quilt that you make.
What are the specialty items?
They are only used for projects designed for it.
So the trick for you making your space work for you
is to have all your A tools,
those are the items that you use every day,
in your Ground Zero.
That is, the space that you can reach
from your sewing machine.
Your B tools,
those items that you use every other day or once a week,
in your zone one, and you just flow that forward.
So for example, this is my zone one.
I have my sewing machine, I have my light,
I have my timer, I have my iPad,
but most importantly, I have access to my snips
and my stitch ripper, which are right beside.
I have my brush for cleaning my machine,
I have my pins, I have my thread basket,
and I have a stack of leaders and enders.
For zone one, I do one action,
so I can open my drawer,
and I can access my favourite rotary cutter,
and my favourite scissors, and my paper scissors,
which I seem to need a lot.
Over on this side, I have access to my basic threads,
I have access to marking tools,
I have access to sewing needles,
and I have access to some simple tools.
Over here I have access to some marking tools
and some clips.
This wall has my favourite rulers,
and with a shift, I can use my cutting board.
And my zone two, I shift, I open,
I have access to even more threads,
and I have access to more leaders and enders
and scrap material.
I also have access in here to my extra sewing machine feet,
and other accessories.
And across my room,
I have access to lots of zone three storage,
and in the corner of my bedroom, I still have the zone four.
And repeat with your cutting table
and ironing station if necessary.
And why do we go to all this effort?
Because it makes cleaning up a snap.
If you only have to make one motion to put a tool away,
you're more likely to do it.
It's important that the tools that we use all the time
are not crowded by the ones we only use occasionally.
And because everything has a spot,
we also notice when tools are missing,
and can proactively go and find them.
And since it's a quick motion to put tools away
and retrieve them again,
if a tool is just lying around,
it's simple to put it back in its spot.
Within each zone,
we have different shapes and sizes of storage.
Storage is tricky.
You need to find a balance between fitting it all in
and easy access.
As I said before,
if you make the item too hard to get at it,
it'll take you forever to put it back,
or you won't use it at all.
Sometimes we end up putting containers
inside of other containers, inside of other containers,
inside of other containers,
or we end up cramming items into nooks.
Don't do it!
You'll never remember what you tucked away.
So I want you to refer to my video on foam board hacks,
so that you can take advantage of all your space.
By making dividers, trays, and bins
that fit your specific needs,
you can often avoid using containers altogether.
Again, the fewer steps it takes to get at your stuff,
the easier it will be to keep it tidy.
Don't be afraid to take items out of their packaging.
I had this aha moment last week
when I was decluttering my Aurifil Tula Pink collection.
Granted this box is beautiful,
but it just added another step to access the threads within,
and in my mind,
it formed a barrier that they were too precious to use.
So they are now out of the box
and where I can access them easily.
If you do use containers, try for ones that are clear,
because if you can't see it, you won't use it,
and square and stackable to make the best use of your space.
And don't forget the front, the back of your doors,
or your walls.
And for anything that you have beneath or behind,
up high or in another room somewhere,
somewhere that you can't see it,
make sure you have a list that you can refer to occasionally
so that you remember what you have.
Now you might be wondering about fabric storage,
but it's a whole topic unto its own,
and I will have a video about that later this month.
As you go along, you will probably find
that you can make changes to your space
that will make a big difference.
In this bin, on the door beside my sewing machine,
I mean, this is prime zone one storage,
I've had this thread stand,
but it was neither wide enough for large spools
or big enough for all my threads,
so I was keeping a small set of embroidery thread here.
I realised I could take out the thread stand
so that my large neutral threads that I use every day
were within easy reach,
and I moved the embroidery threads
that I use maybe twice a year into a zone three storage.
Some are bigger, like my ironing board project.
Having it on wheels made a huge difference in my space,
as I can now move it to where I need it,
and I can easily pull it out of the way
to access this scrap storage drawer behind it.
And now I have easy access to my works in progress
and my UFOs underneath it.
I'll leave a link to the video I made about this
in the notes below.
Maybe you need to move a power cord,
or remove a cupboard door,
or maybe design your own storage solution
to get items closer to where you need to use them.
Store your items where you need them,
and not with all like items together.
That means collections might not be kept together.
My good Kai scissors are here by my cutting table,
but my matching Kai embroidery scissors
are with my embroidery project.
Or you might need to have a second set.
I have two pairs of snips in my sewing room,
my orange ones by my ironing station
and my blue ones by my sewing machine.
Have an open mind so that solutions can present themselves.
Even while I was making this video,
I found several places that were more suited
for different items.
For example, I used to keep my favourite rulers on this wall,
but I realised that hanging them on the outside
and the inside of this door made them way more accessible
for when I cut fabric.
I like to use earphones to listen to audiobooks while I sew,
so I moved them to this wall for easy access.
It involved moving a power cord
and a couple of nails in the wall,
and I use this cord holder
to keep the cords off the counter.
And now it's done,
I'm just shaking my head that I never did it before.
Try to keep only one to three projects out at a time.
I love to work on lots of projects at once.
It's so easy for them to get out of control
if they're not contained,
but on the flip side of that,
it's very easy for them to get lost in your storage,
so you need to strike a balance
and have a system to keep them cycling forward.
I keep a log in my bullet journal,
but you might have a list on the wall,
or Post-it Notes on the back of a door.
I've saved the most important point to the end.
Always keep your immediate sewing space clear
when you stop for the day.
If you are disciplined on this point,
it will spread to other parts of your sewing space.
Stop 5 minutes before you have to
to ensure that you have the time and energy to get it done.
And lastly, I am showing you examples
of what these categories and zones
look like in my space.
For you, your space, your level of sewing,
your kind of sewing,
your breakout is going to look very different.
The important thing is do what works for you.
I'll leave a link in the notes below to the other videos
in the "Organise Your Space" series.
And if you still need to declutter,
I'll leave a link in the notes to the Declutter Challenge.
We are just finishing off this year's,
but you can still follow the steps
and work at your own pace.
Last week I had Kassia St. Clair on "Karen's Quilt Circle,"
and we talked about the history of colour
and how we interact with them.
I'll leave a link to that in the notes below, too.
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So take care, and I'll see ya next time.