30 Day Organizational Challenge

I made it! Barely, but I did make it before the deadline. :o) If you remember in this post my room wasn't looking so good. You have to walk through the center of this room to get from the front room to the dining room and to the Bathroom and basement stairs. So...in a way this room is divided into two because of the "walk" area. On the left I had my sewing and crafting area. Although you can tell from this before picture that not much sewing and crafting was going on. Then on the right I had a chair next to the "fake" fireplace and the piano was a "catch all" area (not to even mention the floor!). But take a look at it now! ;)

Before:

There was no way I could do any sewing or even get to my yarn stash to crochet something!

After:

Now, I have my yarn neatly tucked inside the totes next to the wardrobe and my scrap fabric contained in a clear tub.

Before:

Another gruesome picture of my unusable area.

After:

Now I have my sewing desk cleared off and a spot for my serger (which was sitting on the floor before.) In between my sewing machine and serger I have my rolls of paper for tracing patterns and interfacing. Oh..just to clarify the card table is still in the picture because it is holding a blanket I am crocheting for Big T, my oldest son. It has so many different colors of yarn and so many bobbins that it doesn't get put away while I am not working on it. If I put it away it would take my at least 15 minutes to get it all "set up" to work on again.(The box underneath the card table holds the extra yarn for the blanket.) Oh, and that is a duct tape "dummy" next to my sewing machine. (Finally got it set up after 6 months)

Before:So much stuff on the floor, mantle was a mess, and the piano "held" everything for us.

After:The floor is cleaned up (believe it or not!), the mantle only has the pictures and other decorations it is supposed to, and the children's rockers have been placed under that mantle instead of in the middle of the floor. ;o) I have my flute resting on top of the piano (So I can keep track of where it is) and the TV is on the piano (only one we have) partly because it has no where else to set and we are getting the children a piano curriculum on DVD. It just makes sense for it to be there at this time.

I also wanted to show this picture.

I am so proud of this. We have a tight budget, but I took what I had and put it to use. First of all, I needed to have my fabric organized and easy to see. I had it stashed in all sorts of nooks and crannies. I ruler folded all of my fabric which helped a lot in stacking. I only had one shelving unit so I took the boxes that Little E's diapers come in and turned them on their side. They are perfect for keeping my stacks of fabric from falling over! And you can see my yarn in the clear totes better as well. The yellow board is used to block doilies and since it isn't used a lot I have it resting on top of the white shelving. It works out great! Oh, I didn't take a picture, but I cleaned out the wardrobe too. It holds my stamping supplies, some school supplies, and books.

I should probably answer the questions now. :D

1. What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and were you able to overcome it?

The hardest part of the challenge for me was just taking the time to get it done. With three children I am very busy. Another difficult part of the challenge was just the area. I would prefer my sewing/crafting area to be out of the way of traffic, but it just isn't possible in this home. But I think I did a wonderful job compromising what I needed with the space and circumstances.

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 (my family is also included in this) am making conscience effort to put things back where they are supposed to be. For so long I would get something out and just not put it back. That was the biggest problem before. I have more motivation to keep it cleaned up now because I need to be a good example for my children on how to care for their possessions and how to keep a home looking like a home and not a pigsty. :D

3. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

It went into the trash! :o)

4. Now that you have completed the challenge, do you think having and keeping your space organized will make a difference in your life?

It will make a huge difference in my life. I make 75% of Sweet E's clothing, 50% of my own, and I sew for my boys as well. Not to mention the fact that I am trying to get the children ready for piano lessons. Now we can start since they can actually get to the piano!

6. Why do you think you should win the challenge?

I think I should win the challenge because I worked very hard to make a space that is not only user friendly to myself, but my family as well. My sewing area is easily accessible, we have a place to sit and read together (the children and I), and my family can start learning how to play the piano. There is so much more I would like to do with my sewing area, but as I mentioned before, funds are limited. I think my creativity should win this challenge. I mean....how many other people use diaper boxes to help them organize. ;)