Stashbusting to Organize!

For my final June Containment post I'd thought I'd share my ongoing organizing project: Denim Buckets.

I read two great tutorials that you can see here (my original inspiration) and another that is no longer working, then did my own thing. Haha, that's always the way right? So what did I do? Bullet points to the rescue!

• I used both legs of each pair of my jeans since I wanted the biggest baskets I could make. 
• I cut the bottoms square instead of trying to get my fabric stand in a perfect circle. To do this you

1. Fold your bucket tube in half and clip corners, align clips and clip the other corners. Your bucket bottom should now be divided into four sections.
2. Measure one section. This is the space between two clips.
3. Cut your square bucket bottom 1/2 inch LARGER than that measurement. This way you will have the correct size bottom for each bucket. 
4. Sew it up blah, blah all that jazz!

• The wide end was the top of my bucket which allowed easy fold over at the top. This also makes a handy handle to pick them up and move them around.
• I didn't use any interfacing since I was using upholstery weight fabric for the inside and heavy denim on the outside. They keep their shape nicely with stuff in them.

They came out all different sizes and shapes and as soon as I got them finished my Mother whisked them away to organize my brother's and my yarn stash. She even helped sew some of the straight side seams. My mother is a budding seamstress. I'm so proud of her.

I still have a few more to make but this put a huge dent in my jeans stash. Now I just need to figure out what to do with all the left over bottoms...

But wait! That's not all I stashbusted this month... guess what else I found on Pinterest....

Link to Blog Post and Pattern

Isn't this lovely! You need to check her tutorial out for the directions to do the bottom alone! Fabulous idea! I stashbusted four skeins of "Twisted Polypropylene Maxi-Cord" and made a large version of her bag/bucket. I think it will outlast me!

You can see my Mother absconded with this too.

Closeup of bottom/side transition detail.

If you want to learn to crochet this would be a very easy project. I used the pattern until I got the bottom the size I wanted then I skipped to her directions for the sides and started up. It's easy to change sizes without changing the pattern by simply using different materials. I was using two strands of that heavy yarn and it worked up very quickly. You could also cut fabric strips and crochet them into a pretty basket. I've found yardage I don't like very much can look pretty cute crocheted into something else be it a rug or basket.

So that's as far as I got with this month's theme. How about you? What have you been stashbusting this month? Bags? Dresses? Cushions?

June Stashbusting Pinterest Style

Hi Stashbusters,
 How's the organizing going? I decided to take June's theme and use it as an excuse to try several online tutorials I'd seen floating around.

1st: Cation's Collapsible Tote Bag

Boo Hoo for me I forgot to take a photo of it small.

I made this up for my Aunt out of a favorite piece of home decor fabric I'd been hoarding for years.  I think this is a fabulous idea and only made a few changes to her directions.

Attaching the handles after the fact instead of measuring and cutting the nubs on her pattern.
I finished the top of the bag then stitched my handles on.

I had no back and front piece so I sewed the triangles for the collapsible part
 together and centered them on the bag bottom. 

Verdict: This was easy and fun to make. I'm just kicking myself I didn't get a photo of it all stuffed inside itself and tiny. Since I had to send it off as a gift I didn't get to try it out for myself but hopefully it is happy in it's new home in California where plastic bags are a crime and only reusable shopping bags are allowed.

2nd: Japanese Granny Bag

 This was a fabulous, easy to follow translated tutorial. It was a three page PDF that was easy to print out and tape together. I'll bullet point my thoughts for a quick coherent review.

• This would be a great beginner's project for practicing darts since you sew eight of them. 
• Speaking of the darts I love the deep bottom they give to this bag. When you set it down it sits instead of tipping over and spilling your stuff all over the floor, table, etc. 
• For those of us not used to sewing with Burda, remember to ADD YOUR SEAM ALLOWANCE. 
• I'm not sure what cotton fabric tape is, I used some stuff I had laying around for the handles. It looks really nice together but it doesn't feel very heavy friendly. This isn't a bag I want to carry three books and a bottle of lotion around in but I think it will be perfect for a knitting project or gathering up all those little odds and ends. I do really like how these handles are attached though and if I make it again will do the handles in a heaver weight fabric.
• I also measured the handles to fit me not according to the measurements she gave in the directions.
• Buttons. This is what she meant. Took my a bit to figure out...

One on the outside and one on the inside to keep it strong.
The green button is a handmade ceramic button I picked up several years
 ago while visiting friends. I'm so glad to finally have a use for it and have it out and about.

• This was smaller than I expected but I guess I don't need to carry everything but the kitchen sink around with me all the time. It is still very roomy.
• No pockets. You could probably add some or just make my third project...

3rd: That Bow Pouch Everyone's Been Pinning

Front and Back

First off, if you haven't made pouches before you probably shouldn't start with this one cause all there is are tantalizingly cute pictures that suck you in and leave you figuring out the nitty gritty details on your own. (it's really not that hard though, don't let me scare you away)

Those are the pattern pieces they have you cut and you can see I cut mine
bigger. I wasn't sure what I was going to put in it and didn't want to limit
myself.  Maybe there's a mathmatical answer to these ratios but I can't even
spell mathmatical much less figure out the math...

Top Left: Reminder to topstitch before sewing up side seams. You can't make it into the corners
 and may break a needle. You have to topstitch otherwise the lining gets caught in the zipper.
Top Right: How I sewed on the "bow". Any other ideas on how to do this invisibly?
Bottom: Pretty insides...

Fill it up and the bow gets more bowy and cute! Part of me wants an excuse to make a jillion of these then my sanity returns and I realize I would get sick of making a jillion, maybe I'll settle for two or three. 

Fun Fact: this tweedy outer fabric came from the leftovers of the very first jacket I ever made when I was 16. I loved that jacket and wore it until I became too... womanly?.. and it wouldn't button up any more... I'm so glad to have a little piece of this fabric back in my life.

Well, that's all I've got for ya now, Friday we'll discuss my bigger organizing adventures so until then I'll leave you staring off into the sunrise with my fun new creations.

Right Brain Organizes

In 2012 I got a book that has helped me tremendously! Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl & Dolores Cotter Lamping. The subtitle summarizes it nicely, "Right-brain styles for conquering clutter, mastering time, and reaching your goals".
I've been giving myself a refresher and want to talk about how it has helped me with organizing my stuff. One thing they mentioned was that some people (right-brain dominant) need to see things to use them. This is why I leave my clothes on the chair and prefer them hanging in the closet instead of in drawers. Growing up I was taught to make a place for everything and everything in its' place. With the help of this book I realized if I want to use "everything" I need to SEE it.
So I sorted my fabric and stacked it on shelves so I can see it. I took all my beautiful ribbons and laces that I wanted to use and wasn't and wound them on a frame, and around cards instead of having them all tossed into a drawer. Easy access and ease of use.

Another thing the book talked about was breaking down tasks, especially distasteful ones, into chunks of time and only working on that project for so long. It keeps you focused and prevents burnout. This revolutionized the way I clean. It's amazing what you can get done in 15 to 30 minutes!

My mailing office and card making pile?
Notice the new hanging basket so I can SEE

Thrift store finds for me and inventory for my Etsy shop

15 minutes into it, fabric is on the couch, papers
are piled and you can begin to see the floor.

30 minutes later the job is done!

I can walk to the desk now!

I'd been dreading this job for weeks, walking over stuff and shuffling through the pile to get what I needed. But with only thirty minutes of my time I was able to clean it up and make it a more comfortable and sane working space.
How about you? Do you have any tips or tricks for cleaning or organizing spaces? I've started a Pinterest board full of Right Brain Organizing ideas! I'd love to see yours!