DECLUTTER THE CLUTTER

"I might need this for my next project"
"It's so pretty... I will use it somewhere"
"I might be interested in this again"

Sewists and quilters have all said this to ourselves at one time or another.  Over the past two years I have had to move my sewing room three times and each time I realize I have more than I need, use or want.  However, because money doesn't grow on trees and we have invested a lot into our passion we are hesitant to part with items that sit long forgotten and are literally taking up space.

Recently I returned from a daytime sewing retreat to find my room completely destroyed... by me!  I literally took it apart in order to put my travel items together for ONE DAY of sewing fun at a friends house.  Many of the items lying about were things I never use, haven't used in a long time, or have several of the same.  I couldn't face the mess so I put my travel sewing items in the room and shut the door.  The condition of the room, the clutter and the guilt over things that go unused keeps me from sewing and stunts my creativity.  Thinking back on when I am my most creative I realized that I have only the items I am working on around me and my supplies within easy reach.  This got me thinking.  How much of this stuff do I really need?  Do I need 40 spools of ribbon, bins and bins of fabric scraps and doo dads that I never use or have lost interest in?

I find it seriously funny that I needed to google reasons for decluttering.  I actually needed to give myself permission to purge the items in my sewing room that I don't need or use in order to make room for the things I truly love and want to keep in order to continue creating.  Thankfully, I found many articles on decluttering.  Some were about sewing and craft rooms but the ones I found the most helpful were about decluttering the basement, closets and general home environment.  This one in particular really helped me.  A Declutter Formula to Help You Throw Stuff Away Without Regret  I am now going through every bin, nook and cranny of my sewing room and asking myself the same set of questions that Mr. Ho stated in his article:   "Recency, Frequency, Acquisition Cost, Storage Cost, Retrieve Cost."  In my case tt's the best formula I have ever come across as it addresses the issue of storage which is always an issue in small sewing spaces.  

Here is a list of other articles on the subject of decluttering that I found to be the most helpful, including a vlog.

Declutter Your Sewing Space & Supplies to Spark Creativity

10 Things You Can Do In 10 Days to Declutter Your Sewing Space

How to Declutter Without Feeling Guilty

Little House Lovely Home

Just Get it Done Quilts - YouTube Vlogger - This Vlogger has great ideas.  

Hopefully these articles and videos will help you as much as they have helped me.  Let me know in the comments below.