My sewing room is my sanctuary, my creative HQ, my center of all good therapeutic things. I can stay in there for hours and not notice the time passing at all. It is really where my soul is happy, content, at ease and challenged, all at the same time.

EXCEPT when it is so cluttered that I can’t see the floor or any horizontal surfaces or even where anything is anymore!!!!

And that is exactly what happened to my precious sewing room – it got too full! It was like sewing in New York City, where the piles of stuff were the skyscrapers and I was down on the street trying to sew in the shadows and congestion.

I was miserable and I didn’t want to even enter the room anymore. Heck, I couldn’t enter the room for all the stuff on the floor!

A major intervention was needed but that was totally overwhelming. I decided to start with one bookcase. I could purge one bookcase.

And so I did. I ended up with six kitchen garbage bags of books and magazines to give away. That felt so good and the bookcase looked fabulous!

So I decided to do one more bookcase. Another six bags of fabric and stuff were collected. I was on a roll! This was going to be easy.

Day three and bookcase number three began with lower back pain and thigh pain. Five more bags were filled after several breaks and Tylenol. Maybe it wasn’t going to be quite so easy but still doable.

Day four began with Tylenol for the back pain, hip pain and thigh pain. After numerous breaks, a nap and more Tylenol, eight bags full sat in the hallway.

Day five was much like day four – painful but productive. Seven bags added to the pile from previous days.

My sewing room now was reorganized and sparkling again. A place for everything and everything in its place. I had a floor and a cutting surface again. All the fabric was folded on the shelves in groups by color or type. Projects were in boxes. Books and magazines nicely stacked. Room to sew, piece and iron.

I could see and enjoy everything. I could get into my room and use it as it was meant to be used. I could be creative and productive again. What a joy! What a blessing! I felt like I had lost at least twenty pounds!!!

And the final count of the bags taken to Goodwill? Wait for it . . . . . . . . . . . . 32!!!!!!!!!!!!