~Sewing Room Closet~

Well, *sigh* this has been a one different month for me. I was going to organize my whole sewing room, but I just got to the closet and my sewing cabinet. Thankfully there are two categories for Laura's organizing challenge! I'm entering in the small spaces category!

The closet, before:



At first glance, it might look neat, but it was always a disaster waiting to happen. Whenever I needed something from or near the bottom, everything had to come out of that closet!

My plans for it:


I can't tell you how happy I was to sit down and draw up a plan and have it work so well! It made the whole process so much easier, because I knew beforehand where things were going to go!

After:



My sewing drawers (I didn't take before pictures, but I got things corralled in baskets and it is easier to put things away now!):





I spent $38 on this project, which was for the materials needed for added shelving in the closet, and paint for the closet. I chose from my store of baskets and containers. More things fit into the closet than I had in there before, which was exciting to me, because I had several large things out in the room that had no place before this re-do.

To answer some questions Laura posed:

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?
Getting through everything I had squirreled away! I know that my sewing room wouldn't cause stash envy with anyone (!) but I still had too much for *myself*.

2. Tell us what kind of changes/habits you have put into place in order for your area/room to maintain its new order?
I have done a sewing project since organizing my closet and sewing cabinet. It was so nice to pull out a box with lace in it, and know that *all* my lace was in that box, etc. So when I was all through with the project, I made sure to put everything back away, and it made me feel so good to know that next time I want to sew, everything will be in its place!

3. What did you do with the "stuff" you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?
It is waiting in the basement to be taken to the thrift store. I would have taken it sooner, but I expect to find more things to donate, and I only want to take one trip!

4. What was the biggest lesson you learned from this experience?
STACKS of things do not work! Well, I already knew that, but I just kept trying to make it work! However, I think the biggest thing for me was to give myself parameters. Having a box/container, and making myself only keep that which would fit inside it really helped clear out some clutter.

5. Now that you have completed the PROCESS, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?
Most definitely! It is so much easier to sew now that I know where everything is! I will be applying the organizing skills to other rooms of my house too!

Links to previous posts:
First post
Closet plans
Finished Closet
Thoughts on organizing

Visit Laura's blog here for the small spaces category, and here for the whole room category.