Friday, August 7, 2015

Sewing Space Goes Full Circle

I've been working in my new sewing space for just short of a month now and I love it. Here is a series of post about how my space has moved and evolved since I started quilting in December of 2012.

First try-Guest Room.
Second try-Bonus Room
Giving up the Dining Room, sort of.

I spent the longest stretch in my dining room and I'm going to run down the list of negative attributes it possessed for housing a quilting studio. Be warned, I'm going to sound like a spoiled brat because almost every one of my gripes would fit nicely on a dream dining room wish list.

It has four large windows:
Eats up wall space
They are shaded by an expansive wraparound porch

Large doorway open to foyer and living room:
Eats up wall space
My machine noise disrupts conversation and TV viewing
Clutter on view for all to see

Deep green walls that get tons of compliments:
Light suckers

It's a dedicated dining room:
But only for one week a year when we rent our home for the Master's Golf Tournament and I have to keep a large table, 6 chairs, hutch and sideboard in the room itself or spread all over the house in goofy places.
Huge dining room table facilitates collecting clutter
I can't hang anything on the walls to facilitate quilting.

Isn't that a petty list of peeves!

So, when my son moved his bedroom furniture to his new home with his wife (Love that!) we moved the guest room to his old room and I moved my sewing back to square one, the guest room.

Check this out, I actually have sewing things hanging on the walls!

These Ikea ledges are working great for my go-to ruler collection.

My little thread collection.

Temporary design wall.

The design wall will be replaced with two sheets of flannel covered Homasote but we have to special order it. Homasote used to be a regularly stocked item but it has been replaced with styrofoam sheathing. 

My main sewing station.

The room size is perfect for working efficiently but small enough that I don't let it get cluttered. That was an issue when I could spread out on my dining room table in my old space. Plus, my new storage is easier to use than pulling out and opening storage boxes. 

My cutting station.

My cutting table is a new/old addition to my space. My husband made this drafting table just after we moved into the first home we built in 1987. He has used it through the years to draw up plans for four more homes and it has had several stints as Son #1's desk. I thought the pencil ledge would bother me but after seeing Quilting Jetgirl's cut layout just before I made the move I was put at ease. It hasn't been a problem.

I also moved in that nifty bar stool. The three guys in the house hate that thing for some reason. The negative feelings are so strong that it was in storage until I could utilize it in a space that I don't share with them. I love it. It has become my thinking/planning chair at the drafting table.

Lois under my Juki's cover.

Lois, my other 301 is kitty-corner from my main sewing station. She sits next to my fabulous new fabric storage!

Fabric storage in new Ikea Billy.

I no longer have to keep my fabric hidden in easy to move storage boxes! It is all protected from the floating dog hair that liberally sheds off Son #2's White German Shepherd Dog by the doors. She rarely stays in my space now since she gets distracted by her cozy space in Son #2's room and feels close enough just having me upstairs with her. I love being able to see my little growing stash.

Large cuts and yardage.

I keep my yardage, some extra tools, batting scraps and other non-quilting fabrics in this vintage dresser. Hub's grandmother gave it to him when he was a bachelor and it is the only piece we own with family history. It was covered in darkened shellac and not very attractive so I painted it in the 1980's. It looked awful but stayed that way for years until I stripped in about five years ago. Now I love its adorable fresh look.

Ironing station.

I use it as my ironing station. My two-foot by four-foot pad fits nicely on it. Beside it sits a cast-off Ikea nightstand from my new DIL.

Viking station.

I think this little setup is a bit nautical. My two Viking/Husqvarna machines live between my door and closet on my little tanker table. I'd like to get an aluminum Navy chair or stool to complete this.

The Bose has moved to the Expedit/Kallax shelf now. When I turned it on the first time in my new space it was on WBBQ. Not my favorite station but they changed their format to "All 80s with a little of the current stuff thrown in." Since I was born in 1960 and spent my 20s in the 80s I couldn't resist it for a few weeks. I was dancing around and I had this strong urge to gel my hair, cut off my t-shirt sleeves and watch Mollie Ringwald movies. It was getting a bit distracting so I changed it to my favorite channel, Air1

I love my new space. It has great natural light with its three large windows. I put three new 60 watt daylight bulbs in the ceiling fixture and light bounces off my lighter walls. Plenty of wall space to hang tools and I am so excited that I will be able to hang minis in my space. I have joined my first swap! I also have a free wall for a giant design wall.

The size of the room is perfect for holding everything but my Grace frame and Juki. We gave Son #1 and DIL some of the bonus room furniture so it is more spacious up there for our workout equipment and the quilting frame. I have a pretty sweet setup in the bonus room and I like to have TV in the background when I use the Grace so I am happy with this setup. I'll piggyback some photos in another quilting post.

The downside list is very short. 
I have carpet now. 
It is more isolated and removed from family. Hubs does come visit. He likes the black chair at the Lois station.
Since the room is directly above the master bedroom I can't quilt into the night because the floor squeaks. 

Now, about Master's Week rental. It still needs to be used as a bedroom. I will move a few things out, fold up the sewing cabinets and put a twin bed in the room. It will not be as critical for the room to look like a true bedroom as it was for the dining room to look like a true dining room. We may have to drop our rental fee but I'm thinking its about time for a raise anyway.

Here's a peek at my design wall today:


This is the first quilt I have made specifically to be entered in a quilt show.


Thanks for visiting my new space!

Linky Parties:

Updated 8/19/15 Amy's Free Motion Adventure





5 comments:

  1. I enjoyed reading about and seeing your space. It kind of reminds me of my space but my space is way messier and only has one window. It's my daughters old bedroom. My hubby squishes his office space into a little desk in the guest bedroom which has two beds in it.

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  2. This looks great. I love posts about quilty sewing rooms. It inspires me to work on mine' or to at least clean it up. Very nice!

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  3. How very exciting! Enjoy!!! :)

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  4. It's a beautiful sewing space! I sew at our kitchen table (where we also eat all our meals, do homework and art, play games, etc, etc) so I dream about having a dedicated space where I don't have to put everything away all the time. On the other hand, I worry that if I had a sewing space I would never see my family anymore!

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  5. Wait, how did I miss this post??? Oh my goodness I love your new space. Love the IKEA ledges, I had to look up Homasote - is it lightweight?, love the crown molding on your windows (omg!), love the kind of funky retro wood things in your room (so much character) AND the bar stool - yes! Love the new fabric storage with glass as well as Grandma's vintage dresser, I hope you can find a Navy stool for your Viking/Husqvarna station, and I'm looking forward to seeing your Grace frame's new home. Yes carpet can be a bit of a bummer. I lose needles/pins in mine and have to get a magnet to go searching for them,. And I had my husband buy peel & stick parquet tiles on a piece of plywood to put under my rolling sewing chair. The problem is that my guests sometimes stub their toes on the edge of it. :( My best setup was in our last house where we had Pergo throughout.
    So happy for your new digs - enjoy! And don't tease us too long before details on the quilt-show quilt.

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