Somewhere. But not here. I’ve worked a little each day. Iqbal, ever the optimist, said I’ll be done by the end of the week. I’d like to think so, but experience says otherwise. But it is better than yesterday.

I didn’t think to take “Before” photos and it’d take me too long to find old photos, but it was definitely overcrowded.

I got the art room furniture moved out last week. On Sunday I moved the sewing counter 90°. ↓

Yesterday I moved small cabinets and some boxes, and put the sewing machines back. ↓

I had forgotten all the thread drawers that were on the shelf. I’m not happy with them all stacked in the corner, but until I get the rest done, it’s the best solution. Maybe even after. (You can also see the colorful clips I use to hang my design cloth, hanging on the lower part of the ceiling.) ↓

Today I simply got more stuff put away. A couple of bins (4 actually) into the storage room through the double doors at the left, and some onto the shelves in the art room.

This is a composite of three photos so there are some obvious lighting and angle variances. There’s also obvious patching. Altogether, however, it shows the whole sewing room except the south wall (counter, sink, laundry room doorway) as it looked when I finished today. ↓

It’s still a mess, but I can see the floor! And it really does feel so much roomier. A minimalist would probably still feel uncomfortable, but I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not a minimalist. (Closer, but not really close yet.) What’s left on the floor will be easy to get put away or tossed. The table is another matter, I think. It will require decisions and more detailed sorting. It’s what left from when I last worked there, things Iqbal didn’t know what to do with and possibly some mending he wanted done, books, computer stuff to go to the art room and a lot of miscellaneous things I’ve put there as I’ve been working and I don’t know what else.

The best part of all this is that it seems to be working. I’m feeling the urge to get back to all my projects. The blanket chest (painted by my mom) on the floor in the bottom left of the photo holds my fabric scraps. Now that I can get to it again, I can hear it’s contents calling to me, “Make something! Use me!” “Use me!” “Use me!” “Use me!”

I’m ready to answer the call now, but unless I find a genie’s lamp, or a magic wand, I really need to get the cleanup done before I start anything new. Wouldn’t hurt to finish a few things first, either.