The Perfect Sewing Room

It's finally here....The Perfect Sewing room post! I know you all have been waiting with baited breath! (what does that even mean?) I will keep you in suspense no longer! First though, I must show you the 2 photos I have of the perfect sewing room taken 12 years ago. It will give you an idea of what I was going for. You will be amazed at how simple it all really is....very uncluttered and just "nice" and "clean" feeling. This is the view when you are walking in the door.

 And this is the view from the windows. It doesn't show, but the sewing machine is in the center of the table.

I was able to accomplish much the same feel, however, I do believe, with the fresh paint, and new carpet, it is much improved! Here is the current view as you come in the door.

Are you swooning?? I am!!! Can it BE any prettier??? Yes it can!! Let's move on. A view from the closet wall.

 And a view from the window wall.

Remember how I told you this room has 5 walls? Well, I guess that was an exaggeration...it has 4 walls, and this semi wall where you will find the door. It gives it the 5 wall feel when the door is closed. (Notice the switch plate cover....it is a quilt design and was in this room 12 years ago. It's those little things that make the difference!)

A piece of furniture new to the room, is this cupboard my mom gave me. I keep larger pieces of fabrics here.

 Here is a view of the only other corner I haven't shown you.

Some of my favorite parts of this room include.....

This AWESOME macrame plant hanger, given to me by my Weight Watcher girlfriend, Melody. She made it herself! This little plant was starving for an environment just like this one. I could almost hear it sigh with pleasure as I hung it near the window! I want to hang another one in here too....with a Spider plant.

My curtains!! I made these valances when I got this room 12 years ago. They are darling, and since they were only used 3 months, they are like brand new...they incorporate my favorite things....quilting and Bible verses!

This little basket of quilts, with the handmade sign, Sweetheart made me more than 15 years ago.

I have lots of empty wall space, so some of these will get hung eventually. I am enjoying the clutter-free feeling for now. 

I love how this new piece of furniture fit right in....and it hides my television (which I didn't have back then).

 Let's not forget the closet....it is a sewing room's best friend! I was able to hang my stencils, and rulers and keep it semi- organized looking. My design wall is just propped up against the back wall so it can become portable if need be.

 And my favorite wall in the room. This is pretty close to looking like it did all those years ago. Added, are pictures of grandchildren that were not here back then. My grandmother's sewing basket sits under the old cabinet machine, reminding me of how someday, Emerson may have a sewing room of her own, with some of her Grandmother's treasures scattered around.

So there it is. My idea of The Perfect Sewing Room. I can not tell you how thankful I am for an amazing husband, who, when he sees my desire, does whatever he can to make it happen! Thank you Sweetheart!! I love you!!!

 

Not The Perfect Sewing Room

 Anyone who has read my blog for more than a couple of months, knows my battle of the sewing room. I started out in this house with "The Perfect Sewing Room"....I choose not to dwell on that, because I only had it for 3 months. Mind you, I felt more than blessed to give the room up....it made "The Perfect Sewing Room", but it was also the perfect "little girl's room", and so it was. From that day on, I searched and searched for a space in this house that "fit". From "The Perfect Sewing Room", I went to the "spare bedroom"....sure I shared the space with a double bed, and dresser, but it was functional. Then we were blessed with a baby boy! He took over our hearts, AND the spare bedroom/sewing room. I was totally out of rooms! I think I set up in a corner of my own bedroom from there. Of course, that was a disaster, so I was moved to the unfinished basement. Cement floors, and walls, no ceiling, only wooden rafters and SPIDERS....lots of spiders. I spent almost no time there, instead, I would drag my machine upstairs and sew at the kitchen table. (As you can tell by the pic of Sassy, I have done this many times over the years)

One day, Kyle decided he wanted his own "apartment", so we finished a room in the basement for him. This freed up a huge room...not "The Perfect Sewing Room", but it had a window, and finished walls! To make it more functional, I had to share it....with the family computer.

At one point in time, this was also the school room. It was a beautiful room, and I never complained....though it wasn't "The Perfect Sewing Room". I moved all over this room, trying to make it "fit", and many quilts were created in the few years I actually stayed put.

While in this room, Sweetheart finished another large room in the basement. Real walls, and a ceiling, and carpet. It was to be the "Man Room" where he could go play his guitar and make his music, and just get away. It wasn't long before we decided to move Kyle back to his room, as he was spending too much time in his "apartment" which isolated him from the family. It was a GOOD move. So Sweetheart said, let's just put your sewing room in an area of the Man Room....I was NOT thrilled, but it was a beautiful space.....Still, NO lighting, nor a window in sight.

But, it was a space, and the spiders seemed to not like it as much as they did in the past. Again, I spent only what time I had to here. It was "The Man Room", and always would be. I even set up a little card table in a hidden corner of the formal living room when I needed to really sew.

The lighting was always such a huge obstacle down there. I did not want to seem ungrateful, as Sweetheart was sharing his space with me. He noticed, though, and one day said, "Just take the formal living room for your sewing room." Really? How would that look? We gave it a try.

I HATED IT! It looked awful, and only lasted 2 days. Sweetheart came up with the idea to put the dining room in the living room and give me the dining room. 

It was better, but still wasn't ideal....I missed my pretty dining room and felt guilty taking over a major room belonging to the family. It lasted less than 6 months. Where could I go??? The Man Room seemed the only logical place. 

I decided I would make the best of it and thanked God for such an awesome space to create! 

Then, 12 years later, it happened. Could it really be true????? Charlotte wanted to move downstairs. It all came out of nowhere. She wanted a room where the morning light did not stream in at 5 am. A place where she could dance and sing into a flashlight, and no one would tell her to keep it down. A place where she would not have to worry about brothers bugging her while she was in the middle of a good book. THE MAN ROOM! And so, she moved. "The Perfect Sewing Room" could be again! Sure, it would take paint, and wood scratch cover....LOTS of wood scratch cover....and new carpet, but the curtains I made for the room are still packed away in the hope chest, and the switch plate cover bought for "The Perfect Sewing Room", is still in the drawer downstairs. I dug out the pictures of that room as it was over 12 years ago. I could do it! I could recreate that room!!!! And so I did. 

Next time, I'll show you "The Perfect Sewing Room"!

Room Remakes

 Charlotte's room is emptied out, and is now a work in progress. I stripped the wallpaper border and got right to work!  I had plenty of help!

Please note, that my camera has a shadow, so all my pictures have this blob in them! It takes on different characteristics every so often, but is always there :( 

I picked 2 colors, and started in. The top part of the wall is called Cottage Linen. I love it. It didn't take long to realize, this would take at least 3 coats!

It was a long night getting the first 2 coats on. Yesterday morning, I started bright and early, and finished up the whole thing around 6 last evening. Once I was done, I decided the ceiling needed a coat of paint too, so I am doing that this morning.....I already have the major part of the ceiling done, and just have to do the edges with a brush. The bottom color is called Smoky Slate. It is a green-blue-grey color, depending on the light. I LOVE it's crisp clean look. 

Next, that nasty carpet gets pulled out and a new remnant put in. Hopefully, that will happen on Sunday morning, and I can get my room put together by evening.

Charlotte is all moved in to her Teen Palace. These pics have a terrible glare from the lighting down there, but it can not be helped...you get the idea.

This is her "living area".

She has been begging for that picture above the bench forever! Now she is able to enjoy it! She has no television hooked up, but her DVD player is connected. All the kids have enjoyed watching movies down there over the last few days. I pray she keeps it nice.

Her "bedroom" is set up in the back of the room behind the couch.

On that wall to the left, outside the pic, is her vanity and the shelves that hold all her books. She is a HUGE lover of books! I think she will be happy with this set up!

That is all for now. I will be back next week when it's all done! Right now, I am going to juice my breakfast, and get back to work!

It will be good to take tomorrow off and just relax!!!

Summer Plans

The heat wave seems to be letting up a bit. The grandbabies were here much of the week. They stayed cool in the little pool out on the deck. Big enough to be fun, but small enough that I didn't have to worry! (I am a big worry wart where water is concerned.)

I spent my time in front of that window, in the A/C stitching away. I finished the applique on block 3 of Henrietta Whiskers. Still some embroidery to go, and there is a sign that needs to be added in that top strip of red.

Such cute blocks. I had the background for block 4 all ready to go....

 Note the seam ripper....yes, I had to redo it. There are crows in this block, and that dark background would not work. This is much better.....

All the pieces were prepped quickly, as I had already traced them onto freezer paper.

They were basted up one evening during a family movie, and those hot afternoons were spent dreaming of pumpkins, and cooler weather!

It's almost done!!!

The girls have stayed cool too. They live in the lap of luxury!

Now that triple digits are a memory, I am thankful it allowed me to find my desire for my needle again.

Big changes happening here in the next couple of weeks. We bought this house 12 years ago, and my favorite part was the little room that faced east. It has 2 large windows and the morning sun beams in beautifully. It does not get heated up in the afternoon, like the back rooms on the house. It has 5 walls, not 4, and is the PERFECT sewing room. It was the reason I wanted this house. (Did I mention that already?) Well, when Charlotte came, it was given to her with the knowledge that "someday" I would get it back. I figured it would still be several years, but she has her own desire....like any 15 year old girl, she wants her own "space", not to mention that morning sun that I love and covet, is detested by her on those mornings she wants to sleep in! We decided she has done so well this past few months, we would go ahead and let her have the big room in the basement, otherwise known as "The Man Room". LOL She'll have it turned into a teen palace in no time! In the meantime, I have wallpaper border to strip (I have become a wallpaper, stripping expert recently), painting, and new carpet to shop for. This is IT. All the moves, and seeking out the perfect space in this house....you know I've planted myself all over this house, looking for just the right spot, never quite feeling I had found it. Feels like I am moving home! Stay tuned for pictures!

A Quilty Update

 Happy 4th of July!!! Our day has been HOT!! We did go see Brave, and  the kids spent the rest of the afternoon in the little pool. Now everyone is just "moping", as Sweetheart calls it. 

I thought I would pop in and give you all a quilting update. I will be honest....I lost my quilting mojo several months ago, and am just getting it back, so maybe being back on the blog will help with that. I started working on Emerson's "Star Quilt" last spring.....so far I have 5 out of 12 blocks done. She can't pick her favorite, because she "loves them all"!

It is too hot to hand quilt on that big UGRR Sampler, so I have put it away for now. Hand applique seems the answer. I am working on block 3 of Henrietta Whiskers....still. I bought this neat lap desk at Target yesterday. I LOVE it!!!!

It makes my time with the block in my lap much easier and more enjoyable. I duct taped that pincushion to the desk for easy use. It is the best $12 I've spent in a loooong time! I also have a new case to keep my applique supplies in. 

It is a cosmetics bag from "31 Bags". Actually, it is the double one, and has a whole other zipper section. It will be nice when I have 2 applique projects going at once.....which I plan to......

This quilt is my next big applique project....Folk Art Blooms, by Buggy Barn. I won't start it til I finish the Henrietta Whiskers quilt top, BUT.....see that bottom right hand corner block? That one is getting done for a wall hanging. Each block measures 20x20, so they are big. I will start it as soon as block number 3 (or maybe number 4 since it is all prepped) is finished....it will be a nice break and get something in the hoop small enough to tolerate in this heat. I have the fabrics pulled already.

Those colors are much nicer in person. :( 

So that is my quilty update. Hopefully there will be more to share before another 3 months goes by without touching a needle!!

The grandkids are here til Friday. Sweetheart goes back to work tomorrow after 4 days off. It will be a quiet day here....I may even stay in my jammies!!! The temps are suppose to be triple digits again, so we will lay low, which means lots of applique time!

Hope your 4th was as blessed as mine!

Bren