nesting: craft room

I have been dying to get my craft room in an organized state for awhile now. My projects and leftovers and stash have been piling up into an unmanageable pig pen and it has been getting so hard to find anything I need when I need it, much less to clear a space to work in! I was feeling particularly frustrated and nesty the other night after work, so after gorging on some mac & cheese, I dug in.



Honestly, it didn't take long to get under control once I got going, thank God. I still have lots of what I suppose is clutter lining my desk, but it's all stuff I either grab regularly or like looking at. I tried to put away things that were just in the way, and make sure things I need regular access to had a good spot. I also excavated my project basket there on the left side of the table where I keep current or unfinished projects - or used to keep them, before it became an ant hill of fabric and junk that needed a home. Finally, it's back to its original purpose.



I also got a sweet deal on these used wire organizer cubes (read: free) and put them to much-needed use under the desk for sorting things that have been piling up in the wrong places. Finally, my batting, stabilizers/fusibles/interfacings, patterns, shop stuff and some other random supplies have their own homes, rather than engaging in communal living down there in a big nasty mess. I can grab what I need when I need it without spending 20 minutes on the floor digging my way through it all!



And my favorite part of all, a shelf that I've had since I was little is now home to a deliciously organized stash of fat quarter and small yardage fabric. It is so lovely. I am under no impressions that I will actually *keep* it this way, but at least all of this now has a place to live, too. (Imagine all of this fabric either unfolded or haphazardly folded and sprinkled in piles around my desk. Disaster.) Off-camera in a less-appealing corner of the room are neatly organized bins of wool felt, decorator fabric and bigger yardage of quilting or apparel fabric. Le sigh. Does this make you squeal as it does me? No? Okay then.



And speaking of fabric, now that I feel like I can tackle some new projects, I finally prewashed and dried a gorgeous stack of yardage that I've been collecting for making some sweet things for baby Georgia. The top two yellow fabrics are a cotton and a flannel that I plan on making a little receiving blanket for her nursery out of; and the rest are prints I've fallen deeply in love with and have patterns set aside for. More on those later, though. For now, I'm just patting myself on the back for having gotten this far.



I passed 8 months pregnant this week and my phone says there are 7 weeks, 2 days left to go til my due date. This picture isn't the best for showing off the bump, since my blouse was really baggy, but you can definitely tell how big I'm getting. Suffice it to say that life is quite uncomfortable these days. Bless my sweet husband and his patience.



I had a maternity photoshoot last week with my photographer friend and colleague Jennifer Tarkington of Jennifer & Company Photography. They have posted a few shots from the session on their blog, so check them out if you need more belly in your life. : ) She took so many pictures that I am having a hard time deciding on which of my proofs I want to order (how many pictures of yourself pregnant do you really need to hang around the house?) but I love them all...especially the ones where sweet Jenny has lovingly photoshopped away my zebra-like stretch marks. Thanks, friend!