Almost all the shapes for the ’30s Drunkard’s Path blocks are cut now. Doesn’t this look inviting? I love having everything for a quilt so well organized. Now, when I want to stitch some of these little shapes, I just need to pick up the book box and everything I need is there. Well, not the thread – but in this case I’m using one colour, an heirloom cream thread, and it’s in the end table drawer just waiting. I have to stitch a few more of the blocks to make room in the book box for the remaining shapes.

All the shapes for the red and white Texas Star quilt are cut and waiting in this box. In fact, everything’s in the box. The thread is there. The top, in the stage it is now, is in there. And all the pieces necessary to complete it.

The Winding Ways blocks I’d starting making with the  hand-dyed fabrics reappeared. Everything that’s necessary for the rest of them is printed and in a box as well.

A fair bit of time was spent on the weekend trying to organize my stitching. After I excavated – cleaned off – partially cleaned off the table where my sewing machine is, which had become the catchall area, I found a lot of orphan blocks and projects in one stage or another including a few forgotten projects. Then I went through the process of sorting everything into its appropriate box and am now much more organized than I have been for the past few months.

As part of that sorting process, I also made use of a large cardboard box into which went a number of projects and orphan blocks. Some of the projects have enough blocks done to turn into small quilts. Some of the orphan blocks may get turned into stitching books. But I am going to try to make a habit of fishing out one set of blocks once a month and doing something with them.

I’m always surprised at how disorganized my stitching area can get. When I was working at an office, I  never shut my office door at night until my desk was clear. It seems the creative process has brought out a whole different side of me.

I know what happens – a new idea comes into my mind and I have to start it immediately. Part of that means finding fabrics I want to play with, but instead of putting them back I seem to toss them on to the sewing table and forget about them until I either am looking for them again or the stitching table hits critical mass and I have to go through the organizing process again.

Every time I do this I swear I’m going to stay better organized. And every time the same thing happens again. And it will happen again and again. Just seems to be part of the creative process for me. But oh, how I wish I could keep that area better organized and actually be able to use the sewing machine when I want to instead of having to go through the excavation process!

Baxter likes to keep his eye on what’s drying on the clotheshorse when I wash fabric by hand.