Part 2... Previously on our move, we had just started.... We had gotten our first 3 shelves into place and a few empty bookcases that had previously held coupons moved out of place.. (For those who don't know, I own TheCouponClippers.com and am co-owner with Becky Tillman Petersen, of QuiltedTwins.com.)

Sunday, Dec. 10, was church and all that goes with it, which does not include fabric moving.

Monday, Dec. 11, we finished our coupon orders fully by 1 p.m., and were ready to begin moving fabrics. By now I had one young and energetic 27 year old, Abby Felber, pulling fabrics off the shelves in one building, me putting them in the van, and driving them the 105 feet forward, and unloading them from my van and taking them over to the Margaret and Cheryl, where they were using team effort to get them onto the shelves in the proper order.

The beginning

Our first cart of fabrics was ready to shelve..

Within a couple of hours we had emptied two 8 foot shelving units in the smaller office, which mostly filled the three new units in the larger office. So, we stopped. We had gotten the 1.1.17-1.45.17’s into position.

We were exhausted. Throwing these fabrics around, tubbing them pulling out of tubs, working above your head… or down on the floor, all of it is very laborious work.

**My first really cool view of just how long this wall was. I had never seen it look so empty in this room except for a few minutes after we bought the unit several years ago.**

It was truly odd looking up and seeing fabrics on the wall where coupon bookcases had stood for years.

Here you can also see the coupons and the fabrics living side by side.

But, now we were stuck.

Now we needed the guys to move the now emptied fabric units from 2 doors down into place, so we could fill them again. But wait… it’s not that simple. First, they had to re-configure them, because 8 foot long fabric shelving units that are 7 feet tall don’t fit through doorways. So, they were going to have to unscrew them and rebuild them again in the larger building.

But alas, they were off painting a house for my husband. So, I sent the ladies home and worked on clearing the next shelving unit that I knew would be needed. Over the next two days, I would be continuously trying to stay 1 to 2 units ahead of them. My body was already not too thrilled with me for how I was treating it.

I crawled into bed at 11:30 p.m., aching. I writhed in pain as muscles I had not used in years, climbing up and down ladders, screamed at me.

Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, it started all over again.

By the time I remembered to take a picture, the ladies had the next units filled. I directed them to leave empty spaces as I have more fabrics to put into those spots! It's great to have space to put everything on a shelf PLUS anticipate for the fut… — By the time I remembered to take a picture, the ladies had the next units filled. I directed them to leave empty spaces as I have more fabrics to put into those spots! It's great to have space to put everything on a shelf PLUS anticipate for the future!

The guys were able to take apart the two shelving units we had emptied on Monday and put them into position on Tuesday morning, while the ladies were working on coupon orders. However, when those were done, the ladies helped me shelve the 2.1-5.15.17 categories before we caught up to their shelf rebuilding. My husband was in the smaller unit helping to pull fabrics off the top shelves and tubbing it up, handing it to me, so I could put in my van. That helped a lot. I didn’t have to climb up the ladder! (My backside thanks him still!)

By 12:30, after a couple of hours of lugging heavy fabrics, and putting them up on top shelves in units, once again, we had filled all available units, and the guys were working to disassemble the units we had in the smaller building to make them work in the new larger building. We caught up with the guys, so I told the ladies they could leave, and I took the mail in to the post office.

The guys finished the long wall of shelving units by 4 p.m., and before they left, they set a small 4 foot unit in the spot to begin the next long row of shelves. This did require moving the first coupon station apart. Thankfully, those ladies were gone, so they didn’t have to watch us mess up their work stations, and try to reassemble them before they were to come in on Wed. morning to fill more coupon orders! (Remember, we have to keep both businesses 100% workable while doing this move.)

Finally,

they got the last 24 feet of shelving into place. It seemed like an eternity, but it was just an hour or so... but I was antsy.

While the guys were putting up the small 4 ft. additional unit, my husband and I loaded those shelves until about 5:30 p.m. I came back after a brief supper break and worked on finishing up through 7.18.17’s and the long wall and a pretty impressive row of shelved fabrics was born! (Our numbers went from 1.1.17 to 11.12.17 (dates)..

Here's the long wall, from the back to the front. I believe Ken says it's 48 feet, filled with shelving units, each having 7 or 8 shelves of bolts!

The whites were still homeless at this point, choosing to be moved around the room, trying to keep them out of the way.

Starting the next row, required us moving Margaret's whole entire half of her work area out of the way. Oh well. She did find her table of coupons..

Here it is!! We still had to keep the coupon business going, even though we're trying to move the fabrics in!...

Stay tuned for Part 3, for whenever Becky chooses to post it!

--Rachael

The Big Move, Part 2