Happy 2016! I’m always ready for the New Year…it’s such a great time to reminisce, evaluate, and look forward with fresh plans and ideas! I have lots of ideas for getting my household organized, and that includes plans to stay on top of organization in my sewing room and even plans to use my scraps more effectively! I hope you’ll join with me this year to Quilt Your Stash in 2016!
Along the way I’ll be sharing my plans and goals and tips and hope that you will
also share your ideas so we can all learn from one another as we stay organized and sew with the beautiful fabrics we love!
I’ve always been interested in organization (even when I was a kid), and I’ve spent most of my teen-age and adult years trying to get better at staying on top of things. It’s hard to do when you have a tendency for procrastinating as I do, but I just keep trying. In 2015 I read a couple books that were really almost life-changing in terms of my organization journey. First I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
by Marie Kondo. I reviewed this book on the blog late in December 2014 (read the original post here), and then re-read it just recently. While Ms. Kondo’s methods are foreign to anything I’ve ever heard before, a lot of what she says really resonates with me. She points out excuses I’ve been using for years! This author also has a new book coming out next week that I can’t wait to read (Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up).
In early December of this year I found another amazing book on organization: Decluttering Your Home: Tips, Techniques and Trade Secrets
by Geralin Thomas. I have to say that this book is also one I recommend. Not only is this book full of terrific ideas for every area of the house, but it also has lists and checklists that I will be referring to again and again!
So…for 2016 I’m going to post weekly ideas for organizing in the sewing room, (and I’ll add in ideas I have for the rest of the house, too). Along with that, I’ll be posting ideas for sewing with the stash you have. We’ll have a quarterly focus…my goal is to make one quilt a quarter from my scraps and stash as well as finishing up works in progress and starting new projects I can’t wait to make! These organizing “Sew Your Stash 2016” posts will post every Tuesday beginning next week.
I also have a fun quilt to share today…and it’s not mine, but it is a quilt made with my Shine pattern. My daughter Chelsi finished up her first big quilt top in the week after Christmas, and I’m absolutely in love with it!
I think she did a terrific job with her first quilt! She really did it on her own, too. I received a few phone calls with questions, but she really just followed the pattern and kept going. I did offer to trim her quarter-square triangle blocks one day, and she took me up on the offer!
She used 5 red prints and 4 green prints from the Fig Tree Farmhouse collection, and she used Bright Sun arrows on ivory for her background. She alternated between red and green prints for her sashing posts, too!
Even though she didn’t reach her goal of finishing by Christmas, at least this quilt will be ready to go for next year! I’m going to help her piece the backing and we’ll get it off to be quilted as soon as possible!
Thanks so much for a wonderful 2015…I’m looking forward to an amazing 2016!
PS The Minis and More parade will post on Monday…
gailss says
What a great quilt top Chelsea did for a first and she is going to follow in her Mom's foot steps ……beautiful quilts! Looking forward to 2016 and getting organized too.
Thanks
Hildy says
I love Chelsi's quilt! Perfect fabrics, colors and the pattern is great, too:-)
Your 'Quilt your stash' idea sounds great I have a box full and don't know what to do with them.
Happy 2016 to you!!!
Bobbi D. says
Happy 2016 to you! I love your daughters top! love it!
Thanks for doing all you do!
Grandma says
Beautiful quilt, thanks for sharing.
susiefloozie says
Great job, Chelsea!!! A "finish" is the best feeling in the whole world!
mascanlon says
Such a pretty quilt! I will look forward to your posts on organizing. I am such a clutterer, I need the push!
Tracey Holzer says
Happy New Year, Sherri! Chelsi's quilt is gorgeous and looks like she did a great job on her piecing. I'll take all your tips on organization.
Jane says
Chelsi's quilt is beautiful!! I just love it when our daughters quilt–another generation!! And I was excited about this post! I am all about organization and love the idea about scraps. I have my binder and lists all made of projects for the year with room to add more. Thanks for sharing!
tink's mom says
Looking forward to your posts for the new year. I can use all the fresh ideas I can get to both tidy up and sew from my stash. Love your daughters quilt. She did a great job.
FabricandFlowers says
Yay to a focus on organization! I have the Tidy book. I'm looking forward to applying it to my sewing room.
Beautiful quilt, Chelsi!
Margaret says
I'm looking forward to very inspiring posts about Sew Your Stash! I think it'll be a lot of fun! Happy New Year and congrats to Chelsi on her beautiful quilt!
Kristen King says
So glad to hear I have until Monday to finish my minis and more!!! 😉 I've been working on being more organized this past year, and so far, so good. I can't wait to hear your tips, and will look forward to Tuesdays.
Ramona says
It is beautiful but don't just think Christmas for red/green. I think it would look great at Valentines too!
Jennifer says
Great post. I'm looking forward to your Sew Your Stash posts and organizational tips. Happy New Year and Happy Sewing. Chelsi's quilt is beautiful. WTG Chelsi!!
Anne Heidi says
Happy New Year!
Chelsi's quilt is so pretty! She can be proud of herself finishing the quilt top! One of my goals for 2016 as well is to use from my stash. Not easy when there are always new fabrics arriving and new shop samples to sew…. But I need to make time to do it!
Judy says
It is so Pretty!!! Well done Chelsi. It's a great pattern!
Quilts By Laurel says
Chelsi's quilt is gorgeous! Can't wait to see what you do in 2016! Happy new year! 🙂
OPQuilt says
So many great ideas in this one post. I loved the Kondo book, but it sits on my nightstand. She does have good ideas, though. Fun to see Chelsea's quilt. If I bring over my HSTs will you trim them too? (Kidding). Can't wait to see you in a few weeks!
Karee says
I am so IN on your Quilt Your Stash plan. Need to use what I have. It is that simple, but it isn't that simple for me. Look forward to your Tuesday post.
Helen L says
Tell Chelsi that she did a beautiful job on that quilt! And I really need help in organization, so I'll be looking forward to your posts! Thanks for all you post and inspire us with!! Hugs, H
Monica says
Your daughter did a wonderful job and I know you are proud of her! Looking forward to the upcoming emails on organization or reorganizing 🙂 Happy New Year!
paront1222@comcast.net says
I LOVE Fig Tree and Ohio Star blocks so this quilt is PERFECT in my eyes. Congrats on Chelsi finishing her first quilt all on her own!
Happy New Year from NJ where it's finally starting to feel like winter !
Peggy
KathyinMN says
Love Chelsi's quilt! Looking forward to quilting my stash this year too!
Michele says
Go Chelsi! What a beautiful quilt and what an accomplishment! I consider myself pretty organized and I've been considering reading the books you mentioned, but in almost afraid to……… I'm looking forward to following along with you as you quilt your stash 🙂
Linda Smith says
I am definitely on board to Quilt My Stash in 2016!
I'm thinking that I won't buy anything except backings (which I will buy ONLY after I finish the top). And maybe some white if I use all that I have.
Julie Beard says
What a wonderful quilt that your daughter Chelsea has made. I almost mistook it for your work Sherrie. It is a real stunner and I'm pretty sure her head has been blown apart by all the amazing positive comments. Chelsea does follow in your steps you must be so proud of her ability. Well I hope you both get to do more quilting projects together as she grows. I look forward to receiving you blog letters and hearing what wonderful designs and quilts you are working on in 2016. Who knows I may be even be inspired to do more sewing myself. I'm really stuck at the bottom of a very dry well and can't seem to find my quilting mood back. Who knows what will spring forth in the world of quilting during 2016. I'm hoping it's not lost for too much longer as I have a number of commitments that I really do need to complete. Julie Beard