The Sewing Room Closet Part 1

 The sewing room closet is one of those places that when you close the doors what is inside it becomes hidden. The clutter in there is hidden from my sight but not from my mind. It niggles at me when I am sewing and needing something from that space. 

The closet in my sewing room is large as it was one of the few spaces for the previous owners to store items in. For me, it became the place to store notions and the doll's fabric stash. It became a place where I would get what I needed when doing projects. Instead of the amount of "stuff" was not decreasing in size. It was always full of full tubs. 

Three years ago (I think), I started to declutter along with others using Karen Brown (Just Get it Done Quilts) 21 day process. I was very slowly peeling away the clutter. In actual fact, I was organizing what I had into containers rather than letting them go. I realized that:

• I had less notions than most people did. 

• I was sewing a lot of doll items and needed everything

• I was collecting what others didn't want

• I was hoarding pure and simple

When I looked in that closet this fall the question became "why am I keeping all of this stuff year after year?". I also realized that I was over my stress threshold with what was in the closet. I needed to deal with it. 

I started out with a tub that has been annoying me; the lace trims. I dig through it when looking for trims when sewing outfits for the dolls. I was always using the same lace trims over and over again. I put all the trims on the coffee table and started to sort. I put what I always used back into the tub once it was bagged. What I was always shoving to the side was put into bags and tossed into the donate box. I donated 50% of what was in that tub. Here is what is left. 

I can see everything easily and know I will use it when sewing. I did the same for ribbons, elastic, buttons, and more. I kept what I knew I would use and a few items that get one more chance. I emptied out one tub of embroidery thread my machine hates. 

I went through the rhinestones I have. I don't use them a lot and when I do I use a small amount. I have lots of those small amounts to use. They are well organized and easy to find. 

But..... I have 4 bags of clear crystals. Each bag has 1440 crystals in them. I will never use them as I have enough in the tub to last me forever. I need to find a new home for them.

I have 3 tubs left to go through. One is cross stitch and I am not sure if I will continue doing it or not. When those tubs are done, I will have done the shelf. 

I hauled out a box from the bottom of the closet. I knew it had leather and faux suede in it. What I didn't know was there was 3.5 hides of teal leather in it. Enough to make a simple jacket. I knew of the silver, royal blue, and red leather pieces and thought the teal was small pieces. I am now deciding on how to sell it or donate to someone who sews leather. I will never sew that much leather in my remaining years of sewing. It and the faux suede are on the coffee table as I mull over getting rid of it. What looks dark greyish green is the teal leather. 

I still have more to do in the closet but am pleased with what I have done so far. I am looking at what I will use rather than thinking I will do. I need to focus on the present; doll sewing. When I am done with it I will donate what is left and move on. At the moment it is to sew each doll a wardrobe and a quilt for when I give them away. When that happens, I will be done with that phase of my sewing.

Stay tuned for part 2 of the closet clean out. The hardest is left to do; the tubs of fabric. I need to be strong when I do it as there is a lot of emotional attachment to most of that fabric.