"reduce, reuse, recycle"

I think I've seen one too many episodes of Bob the Builder.  His motto is "reduce, reuse, recycle" and that describes the motivation and drive around here.  Especially the reduce part.  I don't do clutter well.  I don't do clutter in my hobbies at all.  Unless it's yarn.  So in the "reduce, reuse, recycle" mode, my sewing room got attacked, as well as other parts of the house.  But the sewing/scrapbook room was hit the hardest and got the longest effort.  Want to see what resulted:

Two jumpers.  Because school is starting.  And I made the mistake of taking a 6 year old with me to the fabric store to look.  Ah yes.  Look turned into buy which turned into sew.  The bright one is for the 6 year old.  The plaid for the 5 year old.  Plaid?  I hate matching plaids.  But this one went amazingly well.

 Reduce or recycle.  Two nightgowns from fabric that had been laying around for months.  And a 5 year old that had to get rid of her last nightgown I made her because it was too small resulted in reducing the flannel stash to .... nothing.

 Reduce or recycle?  These dresses seriously had me rethinking whether I should hang up my sewing and call it a day.  The fabric had been in my stash for 3 years and I was going to recycle it to Goodwill.  Not fun fabric to sew and ironing?  Don't even try.  But enter a 6 year old, in the fabric store, looking at costume patterns while I take a phone call.  Next thing you know I've bought Rapunzel and fairy costume patterns.  And a week long headache and frustration and tears and poor attitude.  And determination because a 6 year old asked.  There was enough fabric for two.  So a 5 year old is going to be Rapunzel for Halloween.  And then I'm taking the dress back and entering it in the fair!  I need some gratification for these.  Ok, so the bliss on two little girls' faces is really enough gratification.  Isn't it?  Almost.  It will be when I'm a couple of weeks away from these dresses.

 And reduce some more.  More fabric from my stash went into this fairy costume.  Halloween can get messy and there are some plans in the works so the Rapunzel is changing into this when things possibly include cake and hay.  And then it's going in my costume box that they play with all the time.  Because a 6 year old asked.  I will NEVER take her to the fabric store again.  However, this costume only took hours and gave me my sewing drive back.

 But just to make sure I had my confidence in sewing back, I cut out another dress I've been wanting to make for a long time from fabric I've had for a long time that was waiting for the right project.  The pattern is from "Sewing with Whimsey", one of my favorite sewing books.  I made a size 6 thinking I had a few months before it would fit, as in the spring/summer.  But in looking at it I don't know.  I made some mistakes.  I really think I am getting too picky to sew anymore.  But I sew love the results.  We shall see.  I still have two quilts half done that I have to finish.  But I'm taking a break for a bit.

 And I give you the new improved cleaned out sewing room.  See those stacks on the table?  That is all that is left of my fabric stash, other than little bits in a drawer.  Notice anything missing?  That would be the file cabinets, stacks, boxes, etc of scrapbook stuff.  It is no longer a sewing/scrapbook room.  Just sewing.  The scrapbook stuff is GONE!  I have gone totally online with my albums.  What took me days is now taking me hours.  And I enjoy it again.  I was dreading every scrapbook session and not putting as much into it.  So all 8 albums are now online and for the most part caught up.  Two have been online for almost two years.  The other 6 started in July.

Looks good no?  Only quilts left that have to be done so no pressure to be back there.  Let's knit!