More on Fabric Storage

My previous post discussed one way to keep fabrics organized and with the greatest visibility.  Since then I have been forwarded to another blog by my quilting friend, Eileen Green.  The latest post there has one of the most impressive fabric organizational systems I have seen. 

In years past, I have seen slide shows of the sewing studios of some of the country's best quilters--Sue Nickels, Caryl Fallert and others.  But this set up is beyond words.  You must go to the source and check out every picture.  Eileen and I are trying to decide if it is inspired or insane.  You decide for yourself.  It is the posting for October 23, 2010.  Either way, she has more "play" space, "play" money and "play" time than me.

http://stashmanicure.blogspot.com/

Organizing Fabrics

The goal in any fabric organizing system is to have the fabrics available to see without moving them around, to have the fabrics contained so they don’t fall all over the place when securing what you need, and to have the space be reasonably attractive.
It appears that regardless of how you get them, most fabrics will need to be refolded to be organized efficiently. Even fat quarters are folded in a plethora of ways depending on the store that sells them. While you can purchase plastic templates for doing this, I suggest you create templates that are suitable for your particular spaces.

Pieces larger than on yard can effectively be stacked on shelves. Most shelving in closets or bookcases is 10” to 12” deep, making it perfect for one fourth of your fabric width. I would make a template for it 1” less than its depth, about 6”-9”wide for smaller yardage and 12-15”” wide for larger yardage. This width can be adjusted to the width of your shelves so you can maximize the number of stacks in the space. Be sure to allow room for the fabric itself and “breathing” room between stacks. If you buy it on the bolt, you can leave it on that and save a shelf or space just for bolts.

For maximum visibility on the shelf, leave the fabric folded with the selvages together so it is about 20”-22” wide and wrap it around the width of the template. Place the selvage edges on the bottom edge of the template so only the selvage half of the fabric will actually be on the template as you wrap. Using a flat surface makes the process easier as you can keep the fabric straight while you are wrapping.

When the fabric is completely wrapped, fold the half of the fabric not on the template over the fabric that is on the template bringing the edges even. Place the fabric on the shelf with the selvage end against the back or wall. You will have a nice round, folded edge on the front that allows you to identify and see more of the fabric. You can leave the template in place or pull it out and use it for the next fabric.

Similar templates can be made for containers that hold fabric pieces smaller than one yard. Measure the height and width of the container leaving space for the fabric around it. Wrap the fabric so that you have one last fold for the edge you will see. This may take some trial and error at first but allows you to see more of each fabric placed in the container.

No doubt many of you out there have huge fabric “collections” and this strategy may be too time consuming to consider. Depending on your satisfaction level with your system, you may not want to try this, you may want to begin this system with new pieces or you can start with one area and gradually do more. We each have systems and preferences that work best for us.

Great Product: Windex Outdoor Multi-Purpose

It isn't a new product but it is new to me.  Windex Outdoor is a great product for washing the outside of your windows with your garden hose.  You attach the ready to use bottle to your hose, turn on the water and spray.  One setting is for clear water, the other takes the solution from the bottle and sprays it.  For stubborn spots, they recommend scrubbing, but I did not need it.

I am recommending this product even thought I have a newer home with the tilt-in double pane windows that can be cleaned on both sides from inside the house.  I have had 2 problems doing this:  First, some of my windows are blocked with furniture making it cumbersome to get to them.  Second, I do not have screens on my windows so some debris that would be stopped by the screens lands on the window panes or trim.  I have not enjoyed cleaning that stuff before I can clean the window.  (I realize there are pros and cons to screens but I will save that for another posting.)

There were 13 large windows, 2 sliding door sets and a front door panel that I cleaned and there was still some solution left in the container.  I paid about $8 including tax for the quart container.  It took me less than 30 minutes to do all of them.  It would have taken much longer if I had done it from the inside and they were very clean.  Because my windows attract everything from spider webs full of bugs and pollen to oily fumes from vehicles going up and down the street, it always took several cleanings with paper towels when I did it from the inside of the house.  No more.  This product has convinced me that it saves time, money and energy.  In fact, I might even consider cleaning them more than twice a year!

My final recommendation is to clean when the sun is not directly on the windows or in the hottest part of the day.  You want the solution to stay wet and set a few seconds before you rinse it off.  I realize having a 2 story home may make reaching the upper windows with a hose more difficult, but you can't go wrong for the ground floor or if you have a ranch style home.  This product can also be used on patio furniture and siding.

Your Home--A Resort!

If you have toured a Model Home or vacationed at a Time Share or Vacation Home, you understand how simplicity gives a feeling of relaxation, calm and peace. Realtors know buyers want to see open spaces free of clutter because it has an inviting presence. The rule, “less is more” definitely applies to all of these living spaces.
It is possible to make your home that place of tranquility by keeping it simple.

• Remove objects that you no longer use or like.
• Eliminate items that are duplicates, in disrepair or soiled.
• Keep visible loose items in attractive containers.

These can help make your home more attractive and easier to clean and maintain. It can be a place you enjoy with freedom to create, relax, be inspired or energized.

If you are stuck on what to do, ask a family member, friend or even a professional organizer for ideas and strategies to make your home more like a resort. You will be glad you did.

 

 

 

Covers for Wire Shelving

Most new homes and those with closet rennovations have the ventilated wire shelving installed.  I am sure they have advantages over wood shelving but we are very familiar with their disadvantages.  The most frequent complaint I hear (and personally experience) is the inconvenience of no solid surface for placing small or irregular shaped items.  There are solutions which I have summarized below.

1.  Fabric covers.  Not my favorite.  Unless you purchase heavy fabric backed vinyl and cut it to fit, this option is not much better than nothing.
2.  Plexiglass or acrylic sheets.  Depending on the thickness the cost can be prohibitive.  In order to have a good fit, it must be purchased and cut to order at a glass company.  Call for information and estimates before you get your hopes up.
3.  Roll out plastic.  Depending on the thickness, this is not much better than fabric.  I do not recommend the stick on variety as it leaves a residue on the underside of the shelf.
4  Shelfanator covers.  These are thinner than acrylic but very supportive, come in different depths and can be cut with a knife to fit.  I learned about these through another organizer and they can be purchased at some local hardware stores.  If purchased from Ebay, they can be very cost effective. You can check them out at this link.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhFPetAz1LE
5  Wood.  Thin sections of plywood or its equivalent can be cut to fit.  These leave unattractive edges but are usually more affordable than the plexiglass depending on the thickness of each.

The remaining solution is to use flat bottom containers for items you place on the shelves.  To date, that has been my choice but I am leaning towards the Shelfanator.  After the organizer, Terri Stephens, posted her recommendation for them on our organizing chat group, these items on Ebay began to disappear quickly.  If you think you might like them, I would go to Ebay first. 

The Perfect Purse Dilemma

I am not a purse expert but I have had lots of trial and error with them, mostly error. I obviously like having everything organized and convenient in my life including my purse.


First, it must be large enough for everything I may need without everything going to the bottom and becoming lost as in a Bermuda Triangle. It must have pockets for keeping everything contained and easy to find, and it must be lightweight even with all my stuff.

Most of those with lots of built in pockets are made from brightly colored fabrics that become tiring (or out of style God forbid), worn on the handles and not a good fit for a versatile wardrobe. If you should decide to own more than one (and they are not inexpensive) you have to move everything from all those pockets into another set of pockets. Not fun. The non-fabric versions I have tried are just plain ugly. I am no fashionista but I just don’t like ugly.

Enter the purse organizer, an insert with pockets of its own that can be moved from purse to purse (Purseket is the brand I used). It comes in different sizes to fit individual needs. But it adds cost and weight to the purse and is not easily moved from purse to purse when full.

Finally there is the basic purse with some pockets that has changeable covers. These are upscale (meaning expensive) versions of the button bags of the early 1980’s that made a brief resurgence in the last year or so. The larger version can hold the insert organizer which will be necessary as everything you own would otherwise fall into the abyss at the bottom. And of course, it is heavy. The smaller version just won’t hold everything.

Alas, I am still experimenting. When I find the perfect purse, I will let you know.

Which Stuff is Important?

One way to answer this is to consider what you would take with you in an emergency. After a natural disaster or devastating loss of homes, we have all heard the voices repeat that all that matters is that the family was safe. But as we see images of them sifting through ruined belongings, we know their loss is great.


Things are important to us; however, we should be able to prioritize our things and make choices when spaces become cluttered.

I challenge you to look around and make a list of what you should absolutely grab if you only had 15 minutes to get your belongings out of the house (furniture would not be listed). Of course, you should already have the emergency box with important papers ready to go.


Some stuff is just stuff and living without it makes cleaning easier and accentuates the importance of the items that are left.

Motivation to Organize

In education we were told if we kept doing the same old things, we would get the same old results. In other words, we needed to try something new to get different results. I think the same thing applies in organizing.

To get yourself motivated, begin stimulating your brain with new activities in other areas first. Instead of watching the same television shows, watch something different. Even if you don’t like it, your mind will be stimulated in critical thinking.

You can try a new food product or recipe, go to a different grocery store or in reverse down the isles of your favorite store and drive a new route to work. Then start thinking about what needs organizing in your home. You may have some fresh ideas that will get you moving.

You may be surprised at the motivation you have once your brain is engaged in new patterns of thinking. Carol Miller, a quilter, gave me the inspiration for this and I must say it works. Give it a try for at least a week and let me know what happens.

Daily Organizing Tips

There are some things you can do everyday to get or stay organized. 
• Get up and dressed before you leave the bedroom.

• Make your bed when you get out of it.

• Avoid the temporary put down. Return everything to its home. If items do not have a specific, permanent home, make one for everything you own.

• Remove one item from you home each day. Worn out clothing or linens, utensils you do not use, outgrown toys, etc. Make a game with your children to find something in their rooms that can be removed. Donate or recycle those appropriately.

• Use a one in one out rule. If something new comes into the house, something similar must go.

• Keep a written daily, weekly and lifetime “to do” list and check off items as you do them.

• Have a clean-up time for the family members before bedtime.

• Clean the kitchen before you go to bed.

• Put out clothing, pack lunches, prepare backpacks and anything else you can do for the next morning. It will help prevent morning “emergencies”.

By establishing routines, you and your family can have a more a more organized, peaceful and secure environment.

How Much Stuff is Clutter?

Those attending my presentations often want to know how much stuff they can have and when does it become clutter.  And my politically correct answer is always, “That depends”. In fact it depends on lots of variables such as:   how much space do you have, are you happy with the way it looks, can you use what you have efficiently, can you move around safely in your spaces, can you find anything in one minute? 

It is obvious that someone with a 3000 sq. ft. house can have more stuff than someone living in a 1000 sq. ft. But all of us want to make the space that we have attractive,  functional and safe.

I suggest you take pictures of all of your spaces as they are now. You will be very surprised at what you see. We often cannot look at our things objectively because they have become common place or normal to us. Clutter can be disguised that way.  Pictures are a much more objective way to see things as they really appear.

Print the pictures if you can so you can spend time evaluating them. Then circle the areas in the prints that do not look good to you and make a plan to change them. You will be surprised at the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction you will have when it is done.

Organizing vs. Cleaning

It is true that organized and decluttered spaces that are not really clean appear to be cleaner and more attractive than spaces that are sanitized but cluttered.

This doesn’t imply that you should not keep up the cleaning schedule but rather that to have your spaces looking clean, they should be organized.
When clutter is removed from spaces, it allows you to make cleaning easier and quicker. Think about it. Do you have to move stacks of books, magazines, toys, dishes or papers around before you dust, polish, vacuum floors or wipe down counters?  Doing those extra activities makes it more difficult to get the cleaning jobs done.

Both are important. But if you keep your spaces organized, you will save time and energy cleaning them.

To Shred or Not to Shred, That is the Question.

If you have been working on organizing your papers, you are faced with the decision of what should be shredded or what can simply be recycled or thrown away.  Plainly put, not everything with your name on it must be shredded in order to protect your identity.
Why is it not necessary?  If your name, address or phone number is listed in a local phone book or on the Internet, it is already out there for the world to see and access whenever they want it.  Otherwise, how could you get so many unsolicited pieces of mail or phone calls?  Check it out for yourself on Google. Put in your name or phone number and everything else will appear.  One former student even found the names of my children on Google.  It is apparent evidence that their Wii or phone was dead and they were really bored..

Assuming you are protecting your identity by shredding every document, sales flyer, catalogue, etc. with your name or address on it is a waste of time and will eventually burn up your shredder.  It is much more profitable to shred financial documents and those that contain account numbers, birth dates or other highly sensitive information.

Don't let the shredding task become overwhelming and cause you to give up on your organizing project.  You really can get and keep control of your papers with the suggestions we have made here in the last few weeks.

Organizing Your Filing Cabinet

After collecting your documents for filing your taxes, you have a great opportunity to organize your reference files. These are papers usually found in your filing cabinet or boxes that you need to keep for a certain length of time but not forever. Receipts, paid bill statements, payroll stubs and financial statements are examples of these papers.

One good rule of thumb is to permanently save the end-of-the-year statement from financial institutions and employers. But the verified monthly statements or updates for the previous year can be bundled together and kept out of the current filing system somewhere else in the house. Every year those can be replaced with the updated papers from the more recent year and then shredded. Any verification or reconciliation requiring them would normally be passed in that length of time.

In addition, computer and/or online records are now kept by almost all institutions making it possible to track down information you may need in the future. Keeping every statement or purchase record indefinitely is not necessary and can create clutter and confusion in your paper filing system. This makes it harder to find what you really do need.

An inexpensive and simple reference filing system that anyone can use is found in the chapter on paperwork in my book, complete with sample pictures. It does not require any special supplies and can be adapted to any categories or filing preferences.  And I am always available by phone or email.

Organizing a Message Center

A great paper organizing strategy is to create an area in your home where frequently used and current information is stored.  This area can be as small as the corner of a kitchen counter or as large as a desk with drawers and wall shelving or cabinets.  Most importantly, it should be in the most convenient area of the house.

This is the grand central location for the family calendar, a phone, the incoming paper box and the household notebook that were described in the previous blog posts.  In it is kept the schedules, current mail, phone messages, and important contact information. Other inportant documents that are used often or needed in case of emergency should be included.  Once established, everyone will know where the information they need is kept.

Organizing with Household Notebooks

In addition to having an incoming paper box for sorting as described in the last post, having a household notebook for frequently used information is a good idea.  A 3 ring binder with subject tabs and clear protector pages is a great tool for keeping papers that need to be close at hand because of vital or frequently used information.

Some items that can be placed in it are frequently used addresses and phone numbers, school menus, sports calendars and schedules, field trip information, favorite recipes, birthday information, etc.  Each notebook would be filled with items specifc to each family.

Ideally this notebook should be located in a central message area but because it is portable, it can be taken anywhere it is needed.

Organizing Incoming Papers

In our last posting, I stressed the importance of reducing the amount of paper you currently have in your home. 

The papers that you must or want to keep should be sorted as soon as you come into the home with it.  If it is mail, papers from a conference, notes from your child's school, the weekly church bulletin or notes you took from a phone conversation, you should give it a home where it can be located again quickly.

My favorite sorting tool for incoming papers is a hanging folder box with folders labeled with the categories that describe the papers that you normally keep.  Most homes can have folders for bills, receipts, permanent items to be filed (such as insurance policies), items that need you to respond or do (invitations, reminders)  coupons if you save them, items you want to read later such as newsletters. You may also need a folder for school, church, garden club, soccer team, etc.   A sample picture of one is found in my book with more details on using it.

There are many very attractive boxes in several sizes available now that can be used for these folders.  Of all the organizing strategies I have taught or used with my clients, this incoming box for sorting papers vertically is the one from which I get the most positive feedback.  It can be a life changing tool.

Organizing Paperwork--Reduce, Recycle

 Today and in the following weeks I will explain the paper management strategies I think are good because they can be adapted to any organizing style and do not require specific systems to be purchased. 

At once recycle or discard anything that does not have your name on it.  If it is addressed to Occupant, Neighbor, Resident, etc. then don't bother to open it.  Remove any catalogues you did not order.  Remove any items that have been replaced with a more up to date issue such as magazines, insurance policies, membership information and cards, and anything not related to legal or financial accounts.

Check with the IRS at http://www.irs.gov/ for tax related documents that you may need to keep.  Usually legal documents should be kept forever, and only keep end of the year financial and payroll statements unless there are errors that need to be documented.

If you have concerns or questions about any particular document, contact your accountant or financial advisor for specific advice.  More detailed information on retention guidelines and other paper management are in my book, Orderly Places, which is available from my website and Amazon.com.