2019 Maker Finish Along ~ Organizing the Maker Stashes

It’s time for the next challenge in the 2019 Maker Finish-Along! In May we worked on learning new maker skills. Learning new things is important to keeping the maker mojo flowing! As usual, we picked another UFO to focus on to help move them on out of our space. For June, we’re going to focus on organizing the stashes. I know we had a big clean up of our maker spaces in January, but we are at the half way point of the year – believe it or not! It’s time to reassess & really take stock of what’s in those maker stashes.

By the way, a UFO is an “UnFinished Object”, in case y’all didn’t know. It’s usually used by quilters or crocheters or knitters, but it applies to projects of all kinds. Since this is a Maker Finish-Along, it’s open to makers of all kinds. No matter what fuels your maker mojo, you can join in the fun!

Here are links to the previous challenges >

• January
• February
• March
• April
• May

You’ll also find a printable schedule & UFO list in the Facebook group.

Maker Stashes

This past couple of weeks I really needed to clean up my maker space. There was stuff everywhere & it was interfering with my maker mojo! I’ve found that I need to reassess things at least twice a year, sometimes 3 times, to keep things organized.

At the beginning of the year, I started making logs of all my maker stashes. The yarn and fabric stashes tend to take up most of the room in my space. This is the image that came to mind when I first though about “maker stashes”….tee hee! : D

I started making a log of all my yarn earlier in the year. This past week I started doing the same for my fabric, which is quite the task! I like open storage for the most part because I can see what I have. That doesn’t mean that things don’t still get “lost in the stash”!

Having a written log really helps me out when I’m starting a project. I can go to my log & see if I have enough of the material I need to start. It’s much easier than pulling things off the shelf until I find something that works!

Here’s a look at what I’ve started doing with my fabric stash…

I got some of those comic book boards to put {most} of my fabric on. I’m also cutting a little snippet & stapling it to an index card. This card will hold information about the fabric & the sample allows me to feel the fabric. That’s important since I not only sew quilts, but clothing & bags as well.

I’m going to do a detailed post this Friday about the logs I’m keeping for my fabric & yarn. Hopefully y’all will find it helpful when reassessing your maker stashes!

June’s Maker Challenge

So, I think y’all probably know what June’s maker challenge is by now! Does it feel a bit like homework? I know this is not something everyone is interested in, but it really does help out in the long run!

Making a log can be time consuming depending on the size of your maker stashes. It can seem like a very overwhelming task, but it will be worth it in the end! Here are some things having a log will help with…

• Over buying ~ How many times have y’all bought things that it turned out you already had? I know I’m certainly guilty of that! Having a log allows you to quickly check what’s in your stash before buying a repeat.
• Faster project starting ~ Whenever I get ready to start a new crochet/knit project, I always check the yarn stash to see what I already have on hand. Before I made my yarn log, I would have to go dig around in all the yarn to figure out what I could use. This not only can be distracting & lead you down a rabbit hole, it can also deter the starting of your new project.
• A record of your makes ~ I’ve been sewing & crocheting for a very long time y’all! There are some things that I’ve made that I have no picture of at all, but I remember making them. I want to be better at keeping up with what I make, so I can have a scrapbook of sorts to look back on. It’s a great way to fuel your maker mojo when it’s on the fritz!

As you can see, having maker stash logs can be very beneficial! It can seem like a real chore in the beginning, but it’s so worth it once it’s done.

Where to Start

The best way to get started is to start! I know that sounds like some self help mumbo-jumbo, but it’s the truth! Sometimes starting is the hardest part because we make it harder in our head than it will actually be. You just have to get out of your head & get busy, haha! : D

Now, here are some helpful links to ways to create those logs for your maker stashes. These are all links to Pinterest searches, which is a great place to look for ideas!

• Fabric swatch book ideas
• Yarn swatch book ideas
• Logging drawing & writing utensils – This would work for paints too!
• Craft supply inventory

These are just some things to get you started. You really have to decide what will work the best for you! As I said before, I’ll be doing a blog post this Friday about the logs & systems I use to keep up with the maker stashes.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone’s makes in the Facebook group! It’s so awesome & inspiring to see what everyone’s making. I do see everything even if it takes a while for me to comment. Just wanted y’all to know that! : )

You can also use #tmfal2019 on Instagram if you prefer sharing there. Hope y’all have a great week filled with making!