Three months ago I had my knee replaced with a new one.  For a few weeks I couldn't go anywhere, and I really didn't feel like doing much.  Before my surgery I prepared by having basted a quilt top I’d finished ages ago and pulling out two other tops that were in the midst of being hand quilted.  I just knew I was going to get the ones started finished and I could make quite a dent in the third.  I never picked up a needle.  My stitch group came to visit one day and I think I might have gotten an inch quilted.

But there was something I did get accomplished – with a little help from a new friend.  My husband happened upon a woman whose business is to help people who need help to stay in their homes whether for health reasons or age.  She doesn't do medical chores like changing dressings or giving injections, but she helps with household chores such as laundry, dishes and vacuuming and she helps with bathing if needed, meal preparation and such.  My husband thought she was exactly what HE needed while I convalesced.

At first she helped my husband with some housekeeping chores.  Eventually her being there let him get out of the house so he could go grocery shopping or just an hour or so with his buddies over a cigar.  He was afraid to leave me alone as I was having some hallucinations with my medication and he was afraid I might fall.  Eventually he had a great idea.  Why not have her help me clean up my disaster of a sewing room?

So, eventually we headed down to my studio where I sat in my BERNINA sewing chair (I call it my   throne) and Cindy got to work.  We went through everything.  UFO’s were scrutinized.  Would I really finish it?  If not, all the supplies were put together for the project, packaged and put in a special tote for distribution to the “share” table at my guild along with fabric I would probably never use again.  Other notions or patterns and fabric were placed in another tote for distribution whenever I needed a door prize.  A lot more was just simply discarded.

Eventually my room took on organization and space.  And now, to begin a new year, I have a clean and well organized sewing studio!  I wonder how long it will last…