Friday, November 5, 2010

The continued tour of the "quilt cave"...


I was invited by Madame Samm of Stash Manicure to continue explaining the organizational madness that is my quilt cave (the basement).  It looks like I will be posting there once a month for a few months to finish showing how I organize my space.  This month I discuss how I deal with patterns, books, and magazines...all that paper that tends to pile up.   Check it out at the link above!

I am lucky to have stash and books, but my set up is pretty humble...lots of second-hand file cabinets from U of M, table tops from the recycle center, etc. I love to dream about how it would all look if I had an unlimited budget to buy shelves, fixtures, fancy containers, etc., like they do on those organizing shows on the cable channels.  I did have to invest in some sturdier shelves from IKEA for my quilt books after my last shelf collapsed into a pile of pressed oatmeal boards and quilt books gone all helter skelter.  That was a sad, sad day...


I just love sheet pocket protectors, hanging file folders, sticky notes...I have a deep down obsession with office supplies...maybe because I love all the things they can help me organize.  As a musician, I also store my loose sheet music and books in file folders like this, in addition to our family personal and financial records.


This is my favorite little "mad pleasure" - it is my idea book.  I save pictures from magazines (that I don't save the directions to), quilt show photos, and little pictures from greeting cards, catalogs, etc. and I glue them randomly into this bound lab record book with a glue stick.  These little snippets give me inspiration about color, lay-out, drawing appliques, little cute sayings to stitch, etc. 


I do love using the bound books, even though they get too fat to properly close after glueing in all that wonderful encouragement.  (Maybe a binder or spiral notebook would work better for you.)  I like how these fit in my cubby, right behind my sewing machine.  They are my "go-to" resource to get to a happy space if I am feeling blue or uninspired.


I think I need to make a correction from my last post.  I posted blocks I had finished for an online bee I belong to.


I called these Disappearing 9-Patch blocks.  I think they are really Disappearing 4-Patches.  Disppearing 9-Patches look like this (thank you Helen of Quilts and ATC's).


Both the Disppearing 4-Patch and the Disappearing 9-Patch are great blocks to make with pre-cut charm squares...do you have a favorite quilt or block pattern that you like using charm squares for??

In stitches,
Teresa  :o)


10 comments:

  1. I am still in awe of your sewing haven.

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  2. And no doubt the most famous guest blogger Stash has ever had...I cannot wait to see what you will organize our thoughts with next...such a fan...

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  3. Wow I LOVE your idea book concept!! I think I will start doing that, I usually save all the instructions which is dumb since I redraw everything in EQ before I make anything.

    Crispy

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  4. Thank you so much for clarifying the quilt blocks-I stared at that the other day for so long trying to figure it out!
    I'm in awe of your your stash setup & organization

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  5. If we hear there is a big snow storm heading for this part of the country, could I come up and be snowed in with you. I promise I would stay in the basement!!!!!!

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  6. You are in inspiration to us messy studio quilters....

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  7. Love the idea book -- I've got to make one of my own!

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  8. wow is all I can say - I'd love to spend an afternoon browsing around in there!!
    I like the idea book - great.
    I also file in a cabinet. You can take the secretary out of the office, but you can't.....
    thanks for the tour

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  9. I'm speechless at your quilt cave. What I wouldn't do to have one of those!

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  10. You must be the most organized person in the country. Lots of great storage ideas!

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