The Craft Clutter Crisis

It was only a matter of time before I wrote a blog about clutter. As a longtime sewist and lover of all textiles, understanding my carbon footprint (and clutter) at the height of Amazon overnight deliveries is challenging. I have not been immune to near immediate gratification without having to step foot past my porch. The speed at which I can grow my sewing stash and supplies are daunting. Luckily for me, millinery supplies are not that quick to land here in Austin coupled by the cost of quality merchandise limits what I store. This is actually a very good thing. So where does someone who craft start to trim back?

Crafters are a unique species. I love working with my hands and exploring texture. I find satisfaction in dreaming up ideas or being taught new ones by others in my community. So much of what I enjoy rests in my work that it is difficult to cull my collections without feeling some sort of physical wounding. Lets step back into my timeline a bit for some self analyzing. I began sewing full time, meaning I practiced almost daily when my kids were young. I took a 16-year hiatus from sewing because outside work and a divorce monopolized all my time and energy. By the time I started to sew again, my personal stash and notions all but disappeared into the hands of friends and their relatives. Fearful of falling into the stash abyss, I began sewing using a project-based concept. It was simple: buy what I need for the current project, then finish project before buying more. This is the concept I use mostly for my millinery work now, but I bought all kinds of unnecessary things early on because I thought I needed them. I don’t regret making those mistakes during my exploratory period. I had to learn what I liked and the difference between quality. I think this is the same for all people who craft or even cook (which I consider another form of crafting).

My project-based practice ended when I started shopping at fabric stores for non-project specific purposes. Like using Amazon, easy access has been my demise. Those fabric store visits are even easier now with the internet. So what is a crafting woman to do? I am going back to my project-based practice except I will either pick from my existing stash or build a project idea from it. This is essentially what I do with millinery. I create an idea, and evaluate how much I have available within my storage before I begin. I often find my creativity pushed with limited resources. I have successfully to date used this concept with my yarn supply. My less-than perfect knitting ability have me only knitting using specific patterns and charts. Although I have a couple of knitted UFOs, and one I am still working on after seven years of trying. I don’t give up easily on some things.

Another way I plan to stop wasting my resources is to have less with better storage and organization. I will never remember where everything is without sorting and labeling. The number of times I have bought things twice because I forgot where I stored something. I also do not think expanding my storage space will solve my problems. Improving the space is key, then make everything fit. If it does not fit, then start gifting those items. For example, I have a smallish collection of stretch knit fabric that is all polyester. I do not remember why I thought having those pieces were a good idea. I detest wearing them as much as I hate sewing them. Out they go. Then there is the “someday” stash. Unless my someday is part of a solid project-based event and I have calendared that work, it might have been an impulse buy. That someday has rarely manifested into a project. The dreaded impulse buys has to stop. You know, the ill-fitting but beautiful shoes, dress, and expensive jeans. I feel this way about fabric too. The number of times I cannot find the right fabric for a particular sewing pattern. It is like having a full closet with nothing to wear.

I have stopped buying fabric on sale unless it is in my project. Inevitably when it comes time to use that fabric, the color and design will eventually feel dated. I did not think that fabric could become outdated, but it does. With the exception of solids, certain prints and colors can really age us, why would I spend effort making the clothes, when it dates me? This is the same for hats, but if I can dye it, then maybe it’s worth saving. This is why collecting fabric unless they are museum worthy should be avoided. Fabric like clothes also go out of fashion. Hoarding wonderful double knit polyester with fantastic vintage prints might feel secretly cool. But made into a dress might be nothing but an itchy hot mess. I have been there. If I exclusively bought what I could use AND love, I would not have been in my current stash pickle.

Can I circle back around about organization? Sometimes having more organization isn’t going to be enough. Truth be told, there is going to be a time when de-stashing does not mean recycling, but a good tossing into the bin. I am going to have stuff that is literally junk for others. It hurts my pride a little when I think about it. I like to believe that I have good taste, and nothing I buy is actually junk. But some things do age, and become tired and useless. Especially cheap things. Less is really more, and more expensive means less. It’s like a palindrome for shopping. But really, it’s a good mindset to have. (I know it’s easier said than done.)

I have had to convert my whole front room into a display and storage space while I have been preparing for my exhibitions this year. Couches and tables were removed, and nothing resembling a lounge for guests to relax. I think it shocks people when they first step inside my house. It takes space to have 20 or more hats on constant display. I just cannot throw them in a box for storage until the show. They have to be sat on a mannequin head until ready. The stress of looking at my front room pushed me to the brink of desperation, and I wanted to rent a commercial space. I dreamed of something spacious and my own. I started a search and realized quickly that the cost would maybe bankrupt me. Austin prices were shocking. Anything affordable would also need costly renovations. I decided to take some money, and create better efficiency at my home studio. I gave myself some elbow room by converting my IKEA Kallax shelf into an under table storage. This freed up an entire wall for built in shelving later.

I had someone help me cut the shelf in half, add wheels and attach it to the underside of my cutting table (also from IKEA).

I then decided to use a small alcove space in my dining room, and build out a floor to ceiling cabinet. The inside shelving were designed to fit my storage containers exactly. The base pulls out so I do not have to worry about bending over. I also added a “sorting table” which pulls out from the center so I can find my supplies and put everything back. This prevents me from walking away with things and creating clutter somewhere else.

I wanted a very clean canvas since this storage unit is in my dining room. It is not a perfect make, but it is the best I could afford.

Here is the inside with the “sorting table” pulled out.

The bottom shelf can also be pulled out so I don’t have to reach down to find my things.

Even with all that storage, I still have one shelf filled with things I don’t have room for. I plan on keeping everything on this shelf except for a couple of bags of things. So I need to find space in my new unit to accommodate. This is where culling my existing space becomes necessary.

I plan on adding stronger butcher block tables in my workroom to hold my sewing machines. I also need deeper shelving so I could reduce the floor footprint. The more floor I see, the less claustrophobic it feels to me. The work room project has to come a little later as I am wrapping up my first exhibition. Then I plan on moving out into the front room to work, while the studio gets retrofitted. I also decided that I need a space inside there for a single overnight guest if necessary. It is a tall order for sure, but I think I can do it.