My Rennovated Craft Room: An Adventure

Hi.

Craft Show Season has thrown me for a loop. But, I've been chomping at the bit to share with you my beautiful new crafting space. My darling Louis, who is a wonderful photographer (seriously, his pictures make my heart warm, just go look.), brought his camera with him on his last visit and stunningly captured my new space.

Some high points:

• The $1 yard sale find ironing table. That would be the picture with shoe organizer filled with fabric and trinkets. The lady that sold it to me didn't even know what it was! I built a table frame to the perfect ironing height. 
• My sewing table (the top came from menards, the base I built myself.) has room for a cutting mat and two sewing machines.
• Above the sewing table, there's some organizing tools that came from ikea. Plus my cool as hell thread holder that I've blogged about before.
• My mustard colored crushed velvet vintage chair that I snagged at a thrift store. It perfectly hugs the shoulders and is so comfortable for long nights of sewing. 

Some things you can't see in the pictures:

• There's a HUGE chair in the corner that is perfect for cat naps and sitting and hand sewing.  (it was a hand-me-down from a family friend)
• There's a big box store 5-shelf unit that has fabric stacked to it's gills. 
• On the floor under the sewing table is a heavy duty power strip with a on/off push button on the front. When you touch it with your toe the radio, the light, the sewing machine all come on at once. It is brilliant. (I kind of stole the idea from Louis's darkroom set up.)
• Under the ironing table, there are totes for storage that is covered up by skirt that I made from a vintage sheet. 
• My clothes closet is in this room as well. It's a walk-through to my bedroom. (My house is 110 years old. there's some odd architecture going on.) However, because I don't really care about clothes storage, I emptied half of it out to put up an industrial shelf that holds all my other miscellaneous craft supplies. Like stamps and paper and styrofoam and beads and glass melting equipment and shells. 
• I have one large window that faces north. There isn't much window light in the room, however, I do have a view of a bird feeder and I can open it and listen to the rain.

So, yeah. that's my new craft room. I love being in it. It's a haven.

Today.

 

 

 

listening: lots of motown.

 

eating: greek salad.

drinking:  grape juice and lemon water. 

wearing:  my favorite blue cardigan.

feeling: ambitious.

outside: Sunny, warm and breezy. hello, spring!

wanting: to go for a swim.

needing:  some money in the bank.

thinking: how lucky I am.

enjoying: making patterns.

wondering: about craft show applications.

Craft Room!

Remodeling Post: #2 This is my new ironing table!
I built it all by myself.


During a pretty great little yard sale trip last summer, I came across this enormous idea board at a church yard sale. The lady who sold it to me didn't even know what it was. When I told her, she looked at me funny and said, "why do you want it?" but want it I did! Two dollars later, I had in the back of the car, laughing all the way home. Because of it's cushion and wide flat space, I thought it would make the BEST ironing table in all the world. I made the frame from some left over wood and confidence in myself that I could use a circular saw without cutting off any extremities (I am positively the klutziest person in the entire world!). It turned out beautifully! It's a little taller than a normal table to make it easier to iron. I'm going to make a skirt for the bottom to store completed merchandise underneath. All in all, I couldn't be happier!

Craft Room!

Holy Moses, Chief!

The past week has been exhausting. I have sorted, scraped, scrubbed, sanded and painted the room that used to be storage into a room just for sewing. I cannot wait to get everything in place and show you what I've been up to. But, until then, here's a picture of the perfect colors I didn't even chose. The green was left over from an ill conceived living room paint choice. White was just a perfect blank palette choice. I absolutely cannot wait to get everything put together.

Until then!

A-Frame Thread Holder

When I was growing up, I had a best friend who lived across the street. Her name was Carly. We spent a TON of time together. We'd make up elaborate schemes, play dress up, and make silly games out of nothing. Carly had the coolest mom (who was best friends with my mom). She left npr on for her house plants. Her house smelled like coffee. She always had snacks. She smoked, which was a big deal only because my parents didn't. I thought she was awesome. As Carly and I grew older, we kind of grew apart, but there was always this tender spot for both her and her mother, Ruth. However, recently, my mother and Ruth have rekindled their friendship, and much to my enjoyment, so have Ruth and I. There is something rather special about being able to be friends with someone you looked up to as a child. 

This past week, Ruth came to pick me up and we went thrifting together. I had spotted a massive pile of old quilt tops I knew she'd be interested in, and so off we went to our local junk store. It was on this trip that I spotted a lovely a-frame shadow box that was in need of some attention. (the love of my life wants to live in an a-frame house, which would make me happy as well.) 

So, I brought it home, cleaned it up, gave it a coat of shiny, bright red paint. I also removed the back to replace the terrible red velvet fabric. And now, I have a pretty holder for thread and bobbins. Though, I could never find a house big enough to hold my entire collection! The best part? I bought this house for less than a dollar and used only what I hand on hand supply wise. So much goodness from a little trip with a dear friend. 

A peek into my creative space. Part 1.

I have this small obsession with seeing other creator's workspaces. So, I thought I'd start a short series on what mine looks like. The first is the table by the couch. I do most of my finishing late night under a bright overhead light while watching whatever syrupy sweet romance that makes it into my dvd player. I keep most everything in big heavy bowls that I pick up at thrift stores and yard sales.

1. This bowl holds thread, rickrack, my hot glue gun, ribbons, findings, pin backs and the like. Pretty much everything you'd ever need to embellish or finish.
2. The best typewriter, ever. Did you know that if you heat set printer ink, it will stay permanently? I use this for labels and embellishing. Five dollars at a yard sale, even better!
3. Bowl of vintage buttons for embellishing. Sometimes, I like the cards that hold them more than the buttons. I'm a design geek, what can I say?
4. A pin cushion made by the lady who taught me paper piecing. I think I will love her forever.
5. Bowl of embroidery thread.
6. Big hole punch and the DVD remote. both vitally important.
7. This is a tic tac toe board my great grampa made. you twist the bottom and it opens to two long holes that hold the marbles that you play with. It's such a neat little design and it makes me insanely happy.
8. Jar of in the shell peanuts for a healthy snack. plus breaking the shells calms the nerves.
9. Scissors. I have a million pairs of scissors.
10. Lockable picnic basket to keep finished product away from the cats.
11. Fabric idea board for laying out patchwork. ONE DOLLAR AT A YARD SALE!
12. Dissected pillows. I buy pillows because they are cheaper than a bag of polyfill! I have found the quality is just about the same as well. smart, huh?
13. I love this little round table. I found it at a thrift store for five bucks. It is the perfect height for work at the couch. and it is pretty. What else could you ask for?