Or why creativity and new ideas flourish when order prevails.
There are days when you really want to get started on a new project or complete some blocks you have been working on. At the same time, your sewing space is also a little dusty, there is fabric on the table you have been meaning to put away and you know you your machine would be very grateful for a quick clean and oil. I know they are annoying, but taking the time to do those sewing room chores before you start really frees up your mojo for some hard-core creativity.
Since the move to Basel, setting up my new sewing room has been bottom of the list of priorities and it is only in the last few days that I have had time to work on it. I had all the furniture in place and had found a home for my books, rulers, cutters, notions and the rest, but I was still undecided about my fabric. In our old place, my fabric was kept in cardboard boxes, sorted only by type (basically quilting fabric or dressmaking fabric). I was forever tipping out all of the boxes of fabric just to find one or two specific pieces. So I decided to put in the extra hours and organize my quilting fabric properly.
Apart from being better organized and having the fabric more easily accessible, I wanted it to be kept out of the sunlight to prevent fading and protected from dust. The solution was to use two Ikea "Pax" cupboards (I got the cheapest white ones with the plain white doors) and have the fabric in plastic "Komplement" boxes with lids. I used a large quilting ruler to fold the fabric and sorted it by colour.
The neutrals
The blues and purples, with a few pinks
The pinks, reds and oranges (this one turned out well)
And last but not least, the greens and the "mixed" colours.
It took a long time to do it, but it was well worth it. Although I was dying to get started on some sewing, I knew I would enjoy it more if I could work in an organized, clutter-free environment. I have made a promise to myself to keep my fabric stash organized and I suppose I will need to order some new fabric soon, just to make sure I keep that promise :-)