Sewing did not happen.
Life did.
That's how it goes sometimes.
I am, however, determined to continue my monthly change-a-little-habit-and-improve-my-life promise. The report on my previous months' results continues to be very positive - I snip my threads, my scissors nearly always can be found where they belong, and my current patterns and pieces are now neatly stored in their box. (Previous months' posts about habit shifts can be found here)
The secret remains: make a teeny tiny little habit shift (something easy, not something overwhelming), do it consciously for a month, and a lifetime of a new habit has been formed. :)
This month's habit is thread. Thread storage. Bobbin storage. I've been letting myself think that keeping the 3 bobbin types that I use matched with their corresponding spool of thread is just too complex and overwhelming and I just can't POSSIBLY keep them all organized. As a result, I don't put anything away, and end up with this:
Now really. How hard can it be? Just put the spool away, already! And if it has a matching bobbin, I have options to keep the bobbin near the spool. Attitude change time - it's EASY! I have drawers and boxes and racks and trays, all designated for thread - plenty of room, really! It may not be the most elegant thread storage system I've seen, but anything is better than loose spools rolling around the desk, with hanging tails that wreak havoc whenever they get caught on something.
Oh, right...there is one other little aspect to this goal, and that is to wrap up the thread and secure it on the spool before putting it away. Not hard, really. Takes seconds. Mere seconds, I tell you. (or rather, I tell myself....)
I can do this, and it will be easy :)
And you? Are you making any little habit shifts? And how are you doing? Isn't it wonderful when you pick something small, something that only takes a minute a day, and it changes your life?
Huzzah to those who are doing this with me, and if you haven't started yet, there's no time like right now! (even if it is already the 8th of the month.....)
28 comments:
Okay, you have inspired me. I have a horrible mess in my sewing area and it never seems to stay clean. I can totally relate with the thread issues. Why can't I just put it away? It is so easy. Alas, I struggle. I am going to make small habit shifts from now on. Hmmm, what to start with...
Yes, the spools and bobbins can quickly get out of hand if not put away promptly. However, I find it okay (in my own sewing area) to always keep out a spool of common use colors, sometimes with the matching bobbin, usually those are black, gray, off white, and other such commonly used ( for me) colors. As long as its just a few, I find them manageable in the grand scheme of things. But I have learned that all else must be put away after use, or it just becomes an overwhelming mess. I've found the toy car carrier cases to be a wonderful thread storage solution.
This is an excellent series! I always rewind the bobbin back onto the reel, except for black and white. I keep a bobbin of each of those in the little drawer on my sewing machine, permanently wound up ready to go :)
I truly believe that we are here blogging our little hearts away in order to inspire each other :) I support you!
I agree that black, white, & other uber-common colors deserve to be kept handy. One of my sewing cabinets has a pop-up thread holder that's perfect for that, and I think I should designate for just that purpose :)
Yup, I have a designated bowl on my desk for all keys...I could be a bit more conscious about it though. I think I could add the keys-in-the-bowl- conscious shift to my goal for this month; thanks for the inspiration!
Rewinding the bobbin thread! What a concept!!! Good heavens, I could get rid of all those excess bobbins!
I need to wrap my brain around this concept....even if I don't do it every single time, I can certainly see how useful it could be, especially for the lesser-used colors.
Thank You! :D
Glad to have you back!
I am too busy trying to habit shift my 5 and 8 year old into putting their dirty clothes into the laundry basket, to think about my own self improvement, lol!
I always feel better in myself and am more productive when things are ` kind` of organised - I mean there is still some clutter but I know where most things are.
My mother also taught me to finish one thing at a time so I rarely have more than one project going - less UFOs I suppose.
I think I'm much better at organizing than sewing- I swear I'll look at the clock and realize I've moved everything a foot to the left and sewn nothing all day!
Great inspiration Jilly. Small efforts can make huge results.
I don't have that many bobbins. What I do is have one of those round, donut shaped, bobbin holders by my sewing machine. I keep my full and empty bobbins there. When I need to baste, or do tailor tacks, I use my bobbins. I empty them pretty quickly that way. I have a big plastic bin where I keep my thread. Not the most organized, but it works well for me.
As for the habits... Yes, I am making changes, but not sewing related. I'm working on health related changes, which is where I have my biggest consistency problems. I am now on day 9 of green smoothies and am also working on exercise and stretching.
Like shams, I see this helpful post as a boost to my health goals. Great idea - one tiny change at a time. Today I will stretch more. Thanks!
If I start thinking that shifting a habit is hard, all I need do is think of you trying to herd a 5 and 8 yr-old ;D I'm sure you're doing the best job possible :)
I so agree about how much easier life can flow when everything is organized. I'm in the process of re-organizing my home (and my life), so I'm trying to be gentle on myself. I think both of my parents were multi-taskers, and I've accepted that I will never be the sort of person who only has one project going.
Movement is a good thing, I say ;)
Thanks Rhonda :)
I sometimes use bobbin thread for basting & tailor tacking, but I think that changing that "sometimes" to "always" is a very good idea, thanks!
And here's a big "YAHOO!" for the health related shifts - I'm so with you on that! :)
Yahoo to you too Martha! I usually do a bit of morning stretching in bed (I mimic my cats) - I think that doing it CONSCIOUSLY, every morning, for one minute, could be an excellent way of making a permanent shift :)
Great jacket. I love the way the jumbo hook and eyes are both trim and closure. Fitting was definitely a long learning process for me. It is so helpful to have someone knowledgeable to help. Lucky you!
House of Pinheiro said...
You doing so great. I recently started procrastinating myself into tiding t.. Not a good move.. I like a bit of creative mess
Jilly I make no effort to keep my bobbins near their spools. I keep bobbins by type (I have type 15 and type 66) in two little trays - I probably have two dozen of each type, and it's easy to scan and pick out the one I want, or an empty one. I keep spools of thread in plastic bags sorted by colour families - black grey & white; reds, pinks, & purples; blues & greeens; browns & yellows. Then I have a little rack that holds "current project" colours and basting thread (I don't think that sewing thread is good for basting or tailor's tacks, JMHO). Unless there's a real need, I am not very particular about bobbin thread matching exactly, in fact I often find it convenient to use navy and black, for example, because it's easier to pick out if needed. Plus sometimes you want different colours - like topstitching jeans, for example, when you want like a navy on the bottom and a white or orange thread on top. What's the point of storing bobbins with spools in that kind of situation?
I applaud organisation and habit-shifts, but is this one just time-consuming without effect? Is that why it has remained undone?
E I think you pretty much nailed the reason I haven't been putting my spools away. As I was putting them all away last night, I realized that for me, the only thing that was really going to work was to do exactly what I've always done before - keep my bobbins in their little containers, by type (I realized I actually have 4 types - 66, 15, Featherweight, & Janome, but the 15 doesn't get used that often). I do like exact matches, unless I'm working with a print or a color that works well with a blend, and I think the exact match thing is what got me sidetracked in thinking that I needed to keep those matches together. Truth is, it's much easier to either find the mate, or reel off a new bobbin, than it is to keep them all stored together.
Jilly well done for keeping to your promise to change one habit a month - I normally do well for a little while and then all goes to pot.
A useful tip that I read somewhere (can't remember where, was to use those tiny little elasticated hair ties that you use to put children's hair into bunches (has to be the small ones not the larger ones used for adult hair) - these just slip over the thread keeping all the loose threads out of the way and tidy........I am thinking I should buy some when I am out shopping later.
I whole-heartedly support and admire your efforts to change. Habits are so hard to break!! I have a few machines and none use the same bobbins. Each machine has a little tackle box sitting by it to hold all accessories - so when a bobbin is removed from the machine it just gets tossed into the box.
Like others I would really like to make changes in health habits.
I have such a small space to sew, that I need to put my thread in a see-through bin, to be able to see them right away. I like your goals :) m.
It happens! I think you needed a break after completing the fabulous jacket. Life intervened a couple of times last year during my sewing madness and you just have to go with it. I love your habit shift philosophy :)
I have a dozen boxes of notions- I try and put everything back where it belongs. It DOES save time and cursing. Much cursing.
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