Spring is here!
And it’s time for spring cleaning. 😉
If you are like me and enjoy costume making, it’s super easy to accumulate fabric, scrap fabric, trims, beads, old jewelries that can be recycled, old dresses that can be recycled, old bras that can be used as bases for next costume bras, old or inexpensive costumes that can be spiced up, costume projects to be finished… and the list goes on and on.
Last year, I decided to tackle this hoarding habit of mine. Ever since, I’ve been quite happy about how I’ve kept up, so I want to share with you how I did it.
Step 1: Read “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”
This book changed me: “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”(affiliate) by Marie Kondo. Marie Kondo is a Japanese cleaning consultant, and she teaches people how to tidy up and organize their homes, which she calls the Konmari Method.
What I loved about this book is that it’s NOT a book with cleaning tips and ordinary organization hacks. It’s not exactly about telling you to throw away stuff either.
It’s more about the mindset in which you actively select what you want to keep. The focus is on keeping things, but only things that bring you joy. And as a result, you will part with things that don’t give you joy anymore.
What’s amazing is that her tidying method helps you work on skills that help you in other areas of your life – whether it’s career, relationship or life in general.
I actually listened to this book using Audible (affiliate). If you haven’t tried Audible, I highly recommend you try!
Audible is owned by Amazon, so you can use your Amazon account to sign up. All you do is sign up, and simply browse for the books you want, and purchase. Or, you can sign up for their monthly plan ($14.95/mo as of April 1, 2016) and you get 1 book every month – Cheaper than most books these days!
You can get 2 free books by signing up for Audible from this link (affiliate).
You can download the Audible app to your phone, and you can have your books on your phone and listen to them while you drive, or do chores. I love listening to my books when I sew. 🙂 I’ve been able to read so many more books than before since I signed up for Audible.
Step 2: Apply the Konmari Method
After my fiance Navid and I read or listened to “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, we immediately started uncluttering our place.
We had 3 dressers and 1 small closet full of clothes and other stuff, and we had additional piles going on top of the dressers.
After using Marie Kondo’s method, we managed to reduce our stuff down to 1 neatly organized dresser and the closet is only half full. And that night, we felt that the air is much lighter and calmer in our bedroom.
3 full dressers + 1 full closet + piles → 1 organized dresser + half full closet.
We were impressed! 😀
So I tackled my sewing table too. Marie Kondo says to do hobby type stuff after you’ve done all other parts of the house, since this area can be more challenging. So I did.
I had LOTS of fabrics and unfinished projects, trims, bits and pieces of scrap fabric, beads, buttons, silk flowers, the list just goes on and on.
Here’s what my sewing table looked like before the Konmari Method.
Embarrassing! 😛 Not a very inspiring sewing table.
Then I followed the Method, I took out everything in the boxes, containers and shelves, and placed them on the floor.
And I held each piece one by one.
Does this still spark joy in me?
If yes, I kept it. If no, I thanked it for fulfilling its purpose and placed it for trash or donation depending on whether there was any use left in it.
In the end, I was able to give away a couple of bags of fabric, trims and costumes to other dancers, and throw away a big garbage bag full of scrap fabric and projects that were untouched for more than a year. And I was left with just the right amount of things that I love and would like to use soon.
Step 3: Enjoy the new, airy & organized sewing table
I simply folded all the fabrics, and placed what I had left in nicer boxes from IKEA, and everything else just found its own places.
Here’s the After picture:
I can breathe now!
I know exactly where things are, and I know what project I’m working on right now. I love my sewing table now.
Not only that, I am now trying to apply the Konmari Method to my life.
Does this food spark joy?
Does this work spark joy?
Does this person spark joy?
If I say yes, I keep. If I say no, thank you, but no thank you. This makes decision making easier.
Does Sparkly Belly spark joy?
YES!! 😀
This book teaches you to let go of things and fear, and surround yourself with things you love.
It’s an amazing experience. Take a look at this book before spring cleaning this year 🙂
Next week, I’ll show you how you can use those fabrics you love, according to how much of them you have. This way, you can clean your sewing station, keep only fabrics you love, make use of them and surround yourself with your creations you love. 🙂
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Now go ahead, try out Audible and have a read at “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. For your convenience, here are my affiliate links to these resources again:
Sign up for Audible with 2 free books
Purchase “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” in paperback, kindle, audible etc.
Thanks for reading, and keep sparkling! 🙂
Want to make costuming bits yourself?
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