My Studio had become unmanageable.I did not want go in the room. The stair were filling with more stuff. It was time for action. Katharine at Blue Ribbon Services came to guide me in the process. Making decisions to get rib of things is never easy, at least for me. i might need that someday. Well, it was tme to move things along. We have a wonderful organization here that has a thrift store. the proceeds help fund the food panty. a Win-Win.
My workspace became cluttered with an excessive amount of fabric, yarn, unfinished projects and ironing. Materials were accumulating faster than I could organize or use, leading to a chaotic environment that became imposible to work in.
The best path forward was to call my Professional Organizer, Katharine at Blue Ribbon Services. Exhausting as it was to make so many decisions, Katharine made the process manageable.
The first step was to take a few items out of the room to give us a space to work.
Then on to the supply wall. Many of the supplies were already sorted and labeled but needed to be reviewed and culled.
The next step was to locate items that would be used and moved out within the next couple of months. They were set aside.
Next the crates were put back on the shelves with the heaviest on the floor, the most often needed at eye level, and the items that were only used once or twice a year on the top shelf.
What a difference!
The Storage Shelves
Before
After
Now comes the hard part -
How much fabric to keep and what to send to our wonderful thrift store, Second Glance, that supports the food pantry. The fabrics were nearly all sorted by color in bins altho' there were some that had been put in a pile across the room. There were also piles under the work desk that needed to be addressed. If you are a sewer or crafter and have a stash of fabric you can understand how difficult this step is. How much white fabric does a body need??? The first day I could not begin to look at those so the lid went back on. Eventually we went through all the fabrics and, with Katharine's help, bags and bags of fabric were added to the donate pile.
Next was the yarn - Again, much of the yarn was sorted in bins by color but there was far too much. I would not live long enough to use it all! All the acrylic was bagged and put aside for a local crafter who is always looking for yarn. Along the way little bits were culled and colors I would never use added to the bag for Second Glance and was labeled Crafts.
The projects on the work table that needed finishing were gathered up and put in a bin. Garments that needed to be hemmed of repaired were put in another on. With all the space that had been cleared below the work table there was now a place for these projects plus the storage box with pins, needles and tools. A promise to myself to finish there projects before starting another has been made.
Katharine, Blue Ribbon Services, is going to check in with me to see how I am doing with that.
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Each Season has it function here at the Annisquam Herb Farm, home of Annisquam Creations. In the Spring it is all about the gardens that are the source of raspberries, Concord grapes and figs for the preservers that are made in the Summer and Fall. Summer is for family and friends gathering and celebrating the warm weather and sunshine and tending the gardens. Fall the interests turn to Unfinished Projects - knitting, sewing and the ever present required maintenance. Winter is for reading, trying new recipes, more knitting and planning the gardens. The offerings at the Annisquam Arts & Crafts Show reflect all of these.
I have participated in this Show many years and have made friends with a few of the vendors that show up year after year with wonderful items to tempt one. Each year my items vary but include the preserves that fly off my table. this year there with over fifty new blank note cards to chose from plus hats from A Bee in Your Bonnet Collection.
What will next year bring?
PS: From Spring to October you will find some of the items at the Annisquam Exchange!
Putting up delicious Raspberry Preserves for home, gifts and craft fairs
Every spring I begin to think about the Annisquam Sewing Circle Christmas Fair. Each member is asked to donate items for the Gourmet Foods Table. Preserves are always some of the first items to sell out. This year I am hoping for a bumper crop of raspberries from our ever bearing variety. Ever Bearing Raspberries can have two crops each year. I have chosen to only have the late season crop by pruning the plants in the spring. By pruning then there will be more raspberries in late summer. Our plants came from Corliss Brothers in Ipswich, Massachusetts, a wonderful nursery nearby. My suggestion is to plant the first year about half the number you think you would like. They will spread every year which will give you plenty of plants as the years go by.
I found the best recipe in America's Test Kitchen's Foolproof Preserving: A Guide to Small Batch Jams, Jellies, Pickles, Condiments & More. The recipe is well laid out, easy to follow including beautiful photographs. The results - fabulous. A must have on your cookbook shelf! I have never made the raspberry preserve from frozen berries. Others have tried with good results. Of course there are many other recipes in this book. I will add a post on DIY Orange Marmalade soon.
You may have some of these items or be able to purchase them locally. If not here are some links to those items on Amazon.
Other items I have found super helpful:
Small digital scales - I have the OXO Good Grips 5-lb Food Scale. Easy to read. It is very helpful to have the tear option on the scale. I was able to buy one locally a number of years ago.
Preserving kit - There are a number on the market. I have had the Norpro Canning Tools for years & am very happy with it. The pieces I find indispensable are: the jar lifter, the magnetic lid lifter and the extra wide mouth funnel which fits the opening in the preserving jars perfectly.
Eight ounce Preserving Jars - I prefer the plain jars that are easier to add a label to but are not always available. Also ask your family and friends to save the jars for you. Then you will only need to buy the lids and perhaps the bands next time! Lids only.
Ladle - You may have a favorite ladle on hand. This one with the pouring spouts for right and left-handed cooks would be handy.
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