If You Go Down to the Basement Today...

During the week, my routine each evening is to think about what I shall make whilst at the shop the following day. Once I've decided, I choose suitable fabrics from my workroom, as well as the lace, buttons or trims that I shall need.

In the morning I can then just grab the carefully chosen items and concentrate on getting myself to work on time.

I have to be fairly disciplined in order to achieve this every day, but it means I can use the time at the shop to create more stock, and it also means I am never bored, even on quieter days.

I'm happy to work hard all day, but sometimes when I get home again, I am tired...which means I slip into lazy habits and don't put the fabrics that I've been using that day, away properly. It then spirals, so when I buy new fabrics etc. I have nowhere clear to put them...

So, after a year of this sort of thing going on...My workroom at home now looks like this. (Not pretty - I'm sorry if I'm shattering any illusions! ;-))

So, what did I do about it? I picked the sunniest day of the year so far(!) to start on the tidy-up...I pulled all of the fabrics off the shelves and folded and sorted them all...and they now look like this.

I even managed to find space for all my recently purchased fabrics too. I filled up two carrier bags with scrappy scraps - Too precious to throw away, but limited by size - I have some ideas from these, which I shall reveal if they come to fruition!

The rest of the workroom is almost there, but I've run out of daylight hours today to take any more photos, so will show the other areas of my workroom another time (for anyone remotely interested! - I always wonder when Blogging about mundane stuff, if anyone really is interested!?!)

I discovered a few hidden treasures that I had forgotten I had bought and consequently not taken to the shop...so that was a nice surprise.

There was quite a bit of linen and lace...

As well as Victorian nightgowns.

Vintage hand towels.

Even china!

I love this set of Edwardian tea plates. (These sold today - thank you!)

A matching trio.

And a pretty red and white set, which I arranged in a basket today.

I bought several of these little Deco frames at the weekend. To one I added this sweet vintage print. The others have fragments of pretty antique fabrics in them, which I shall take with me to the fairs I shall be attending soon. (Read Linda's blog post about the beautiful Abbey Barn that will be used for the T for T event, here.)

So here I am making a promise to myself to try harder to keep my workroom tidy, and so more usable. Its already helped to inspire me, after I found things I'd forgotten I had, so fingers crossed. :)

Have a lovely evening,

Niki x