Craft Room Makeover

Seems like since I started sewing I have been working my way toward figuring out what I would want my craft room to look like and how I could best utilize the space.  We rent our place, so that does limit what we can do with the space, but the more I research, the more I see I can get what I want.  We have painted our entire duplex as the walls were three shades of different white when we moved in (with our landlord's permission of course!!).   There will be immediate updates and then a few updates that could take a couple more weeks before the room is complete.

Here is what I started with when I first started sewing in 2007:

Not what I really wanted, but the desk got me started. I put contact paper over the desk to help cover up a bad stain job and to add some punch.

I added accessories to make the place a little closer to what I wanted and added a desk:

The room has been a progress and finally after several months of working out how to use my space most effectively, the last phase will begin.

I have a wonderful husband who seems to be able to do anything.  I found a desk through a website called ana-white.  I have always wanted a craft desk from pottery barn or something similar from Crate and Barrel, but did not want to spend $1000 to get it.  Plus, think of all the fabric buying that would take away from!!!  So here is the desk that my husband is building for me this weekend:

Plan found here

Details found here

I am actually following the building design for the craft desk not painted shown above.  I like the bigger top and having another set of cubes on the both sides.  More storage!!! 

I will have room now for my friends or mom to sew on one side while I sit on the other.  One end will be used as a cutting zone and the other end as the pressing/ironing zone.  I will be able to bring my fabric out of the closet and onto shelves nicely organized.  My husband is going to attempt to place two drawers in the middle area I can pull out to store my rotary blades, scissors, etc!!  I can't wait.

I also plan to paint the room the same color as the rest of the house, move my quilt wall and better organize my wall items.  I will be able to keep my dress form in the corner instead of the closet.  I have some accessories I am going to be sewing to add to my desk and room as the process continues.  I have no doubt when this is finished, that it will be hard to go to work and not stay and play in my craft room. I will post pictures as the process starts, continues and when complete! I hope to have the room done and finished as I see it no longer than a month.  Keep checking back!!



Itote Completed

Have you been on Craftsy yet?  I have and I am loving the workshops and classes that are being offered.  I signed up for a workshop to make an "Itote" made by the crafty StitcheryDickoryDock.  Here is what the project looks like:

What makes the workshop so nice is you can ask questions anytime.  It was like taking a class locally, except I could stay in my pajamas and the cost of the class was WAY AFFORDABLE.  I had some problems with my pockets (I was trying to hurry and finish so I could take my tote with me over Christmas - when will I learn not to hurry projects??).  My pockets are slightly crooked, but really at the end of the day - I am the only one who notices the not perfectly lined pockets.  Here is my Itote:

I used outfoxed and AMH as my main fabrics for the tote. I love how the purples turned out.  You could do any type of quilting on the back of the tote. I decided to do a simpler form of the star bursts that are found on the AMH fabric on the flaps of my pockets.  It may not be 100% perfect, but I love this tote.  I put my Nook in the zipper section, my Iphone in one pocket and my camera fits perfectly in the other pocket.  I can carry everything when travelling so much easier. 

You have lifetime access to the class and can make the tote at your own pace.  Check out Craftsy and see what you like!



Christmas Quilt Bust

I had hoped to make a quilt for my mother-in -law and it was a bust.  I still have a few blocks remaining from the attempt.  I will probably make them into mini quilts.  My free motion quilting is still lacking.   I read some other blogs that said to keep practicing and relax.  I am improving, but I think the bulk of a quilt is intimidating the first few times. I stepped away from the frustration and will keep practicing. I am start a new quilt for my MIL and will pay someone to FMQ the quilt. I figure the top is made by me and I will bind it, so the quilt is still mostly put together by me!

Here are the blocks leftover from the quilt that I started with:

I think they will make some cute mini quilts.  Maybe I can at least give one of them to my MIL.  The new quilt I think will be a bit more traditional and a different color scheme. I don't want to say to much so the quilt is a surprise to my MIL.  I should have the new quilt posted in a couple weeks!

Tree Skirt Finished

The tree skirt turned out exactly how I wanted.  I am so pleased!!  The little Sawtooth Stars I wanted around the skirt became a bit to tedious, so I decided to do just trees. I was not disappointed with the skirt like I feared I might be getting rid of the stars.  I haven't incorporated pink into my tree yet, but the greens and reds match perfectly. I hope to add some pink to the tree this year to finally tie in what I have around the rest of the house.  Here are the results:

Forgive the wrinkles... I hadn't pressed it yet.  I was too excited to get pictures of the skirt taken. I used linen for the top and I used a heavy denim for the back.  There is a thin layer of batting between both.  I used jelly rolls for the border and cut them every 8 to 10 inches or so.  I am still trying to understand how to do binding and didn't want to ruin my skirt. So I attached the jelly rolls to the linen and then sewed the end of the jelly rolls to the jean layer.  I then did the magical sew all the way around and leave an opening trick.  Then pulled through the whole skirt and pressed.  Once I get this binding thing down, my crafts should really pick up!!  I covered two big buttons and used some cute bias tape that I had to make the loops.  I scored with the trees. I found a scrap of fabric with the trees all over it that I think I bought about 3 years ago.  I just cut the trees out and then used a decorative stitch to attach the trees to the linen.

Overall, this is the second tree skirt I have made.  The other skirt was for a friend. I eyeballed everything - no pattern, so I am pretty proud of myself.