Craft-a-lanche

Well guess what boys and girls, I have been it IKEA.   It is always a fun day going to IKEA.     They have things you will not find anywhere else.

I walked their maze of a showroom and found tow or three contenders.  After weighing all the pros and cons,  I decided on two Syvde bookcases.   And then the fun began.   I got halfway through assembling and needed to recruit Mr. W.  because another set of hands was needed.

Funny thing is, I took photos and emailed them to my daughter asking her opinion for which one I should buy.   Everything in our house that is troublesome becomes an 'alanche".   Tupperware-alanche, pan-alanche, and so on.   I emailed her with the subject line - "Ikea-alanche"    Well that darned spell check turned it into some kind of crazy combination of letters which she thought was just the Ikea name for what I sent her.

 

To back up a day, and before I started with assembling the new cabinets, Mr. W. cut down an old ladder that had been laying under the house since we moved it.    Once power washed, we suspended it from the ceiling  and I have stored all my "started" and "yet to be started" quilts.    I just got an adorable baby quilt with mink as the backing at the quilt show that I am anxious to start.   I won't have any problem finding it when I am ready!

Quite simply, my workbench becomes a dumping ground for all things that need to be put somewhere.  I don't care for what they say about creative people not being tidy.   OMGosh, just the opposite for me.   I tend to get overwhelmed when things are not in their place.    I hate looking for things.   Like-things should be together.   Right?   First stop being IKEA for the bookcases, and the second, third, fourth and fifth steps were to have a grand sort out.    End result, I feel like I can tackle anything in this room now and with the quick stash of scissors from little hands, I can accommodate Mr. William visits.

As with any organization project, it gets worst before it gets better.  Ribbons and trims and fat quarters everywhere.

More IKEA purchases to put together.

It took the better part of two days but I got everything sorted and stowed in an orderly fashion.   I when through all my cross stitch patterns with a critical eye and was honest about whether I would ever really stitch them.   I have a nice pile ready to box up and send off for eBay sales.    I even entered all my patterns by name and designer into the X-Stitch ap.  That took the bulk of the second day's work but worth it since more than once I have bought a pattern I already have.   Must mean I really liked it.  

My workbench is actually a kitchen island i got from IKEA many years ago.   I love it.   (And the same one can be seen in Frank Reagan's kitchen on Blue Bloods!)

Tablets and post-its and pens and pencils are ready to be grabbed when needed.

All my trims for finishing are now in one place....not here, there and everywhere.

 I sorted my fat quarters by color and each color was folded and stored in a different plastic (Ikea) container.

The rest of the house may be upside down in the midst of bathroom renos but I'm a happy camper.  Let's hope I can keep the top of my craft island from collecting stuff.

Tomorrow's assignment for my stay-cation, since we are expecting a cooler day that today,  is  stowing the summer furniture, bringing in the hanging plants for the winter, and turning over the vegetable garden then out to dinner with the girls!