Blessing in Disguise

My good friend, K, is pregnant. Her husband has the flu. K moved in last night, and in her honor (and so she could actually walk into the room), I cleaned up my craft room.

I'll give you a moment to catch your breath.

Okay. Ready?

I kind of wish I’d taken a “before” shot to convey just how terrifying a state it had reached. I had semi-permanently relocated my sewing machine to the kitchen for the past month for all my Renaissance Faire, Christmas, and general housekeeping sewing projects.

One could not walk normally or in a straight line once inside the room. I would open the door, shimmy sideways between the bookshelf and the guest cot, step over the bags and wiggle between the cot and the sewing desk, take two steps diagonal left and one diagonal right, step over the picture frames, wiggle behind the suitcases, and stand on tip-toe to reach a book on the bottom shelf of the wall shelves hung five paces from and directly opposite of the door.

Most of the clutter wasn’t mine (honest! I swear it!). Julia’s two giant suitcases will go into the attic. The four IKEA shelves should be hung in Burgundy’s room. The unused camping cot should be stored in the garage. The guest cot, while it belongs in my room, does not belong in the middle of the floor blocking the doorway. The picture frames should host photos and hang on the walls.

So I took care of the miscellany, put away my baskets and boxes of yarn and piles of quilting fabric, and voila! I once again have a craft room. Feels shiny. I can find, show off, and store my ridiculous number of bags, and I know where to find my jewelry making supplies now:

I once again have my yarn and fabric quickly to hand in my closet:

And now I can find the old sewing machine that only sews straight lines. That's very useful. And that old ice cream maker motor. And the baskets of ribbon. Because I really use those and need access to them:

But the best part is that I can once again walk in, sit down, and spin for a few minutes:

Good stuff. Not to be insensitive (me? Never!), but thanks for getting booted out of your flu-ridden sick-house K! I needed the kick in the pants. And if you ever need the motor for an ice cream maker, you know where to find it.