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Yesterday  I decided to clean my workroom to make way for the new year.  I continued right through most of today.  While cleaning, I found myself getting nostalgic while reminiscing about this or that.  I’m often amazed at how much time has gone by when I discover things in the back of various cabinets.  I found an embroidered name tag I used when attending Embroiderer’s Guild of America meetings.  I was a teenager, and it had my maiden name on it.

I’ve also had bunches of ribbons in various piles, and several pinned on different walls. I decided to put them all into boxes lined with acid-free tissue paper.  I started counting them but stopped after hitting 200.  The exact count isn’t important.   Looking at them now makes me feel sort of sad.  I remember years ago my husband’s aunt had many things precious to her — various cards, awards, and other things — lovingly wrapped and stored.  I also remember how everything was heaved into the trash after she died.  Witnessing the nonchalant way it was deemed garbage made a lasting impression on me.   Right then I realized that someday my important things would have the same fate.  But, nothing lasts forever!

I also found myself looking at the awards and remembering how happy I was after winning this one or that one.  I looked at a Best of Show from the NJ State Fair and remembered how my father-in-law actually cried when he saw I won the ribbon.  I think that’s the first and only time something I did ever moved him to tears!  I looked at a series of ribbons from a NJ State fair.  I won so much that year – two best of shows (one for quilting and one for embroidery) and several trophies ( best design,   best color,  best original design, and for grand prize).  I was young, maybe 21 or 22, and those wins had me drunk with pride.  I looked at my first blue ribbon from the American International Quilting Association show.  It was 1994, years before the organization changed its name to the International Quilting Association.  I remember someone calling me to tell me the news, and how I nearly jumped through the phone to call my husband and my then best friend (who has since moved and we totally fell out of touch).   I was fortunate to win a couple firsts from the Schweinfurth Quilts=Art=Quilts show.  I went with Rich to one of the awards ceremonies.  That was the first time I went to such an event.  Memory after memory.

But, I packed them into very large, deep boxes.  I will add that I have some a handful of ribbons in my office that are staying up!  They include  the 2007 Master Award for Innovative Artistry from IQA, the 2008 Best Wall award from AQS, a 2008 first from the Lancaster Quilters Heritage show (that’s a show my old best friend and I went to for years!), and the 2008 IQA shows first in the digital division.  Those I want them hanging around.

I continued cleaning, filling two extra large Priority Mail boxes with fabric that I know I won’t use.  It included a lot of commercial fabrics and stuff I’ve painted or dyed that I decided to pass on.  I’ll be shipping the boxes to my sister-in-law in California.  It will be a surprise to her unless she happens to read about it here.  I also decided to send her some books, too.  She’s an excellent quilter, but more traditional than I.  I then refolded everything.  On the back wall are all fabrics that I either painted, dyed, or airbrushed.  The larger bookcase is filled with commercial fabrics, lots of the hand-dyed Hoffmans.

The wire baskets and other storage things under part of the sewing table aren’t visible in this picture, but it’s now all organized too.

I’ll be installing (with the help of dh) a proper design wall, hopefully this week, across the one of the entire walls (partially showing above).  But, even if that doesn’t happen until the new year, I have large insulation boards that I’ll put up against that wall to work on in the interim. Right now I’ve a short insulation board with things pinned into it.  I don’t want to make things look too workable or dh will never get around to helping me with the proper wall.  I also have a large board behind the door to hold things in various stages.

Last week I cleaned up my paints and dyes are organized.

Okay, the stuff in this draw isn’t organized at all.  But it’s one of those toss it in there and find it when needed type of draws.

This is a series that I’m working on relating to time.  Each piece will be small.  They are digitally printed and I’ve painted over each.  I did a couple prints of the same image painting them in different ways to see which I like best.  I’ve had this on my table since last week; it’s time (no pun intended) to get them finished!

So … a new year is coming.  Let the next creative mess begin!