My favourite room in the new house - The Sewing Room

I've kind of been waiting to write this post for a little while until the Sewing room was 'finished'. But the more I look around the room and play around with things the more I am realising it will be a constant work in progress. Given this, and that the boxes are unpacked  and most things have found a home so as to make it workably finished please indulge me and take a little tour around 'my room'.

Warning: This post is long, and indulgent. And possibly a little show-off-y. I'm sorry, I am just so excited about this room.

I have mentioned before how jealous I was of other people's sewing rooms. Mostly because I really wanted the storage spaces they afforded but also because I really, really hate mess and didn't like to leave things out on the dining room table but by the same token I hated having to drag everything out of the (not so accessible) cupboard every time I wanted to sew.

So my two favourite features of the new house are the door to the sewing room and the dishwasher (so I can stack all the dirty dishes in there and don't need to wash every night)

The room is the smallest bedroom in the house, and is a strange shape, which is part of the reasons that the room wasn't able to be used for the study and I was able to claim it for myself. It is long, about 3.5m and really narrow (1.8 plus the robe).  There is a window to the floor at one end but, as it is at the side of the house and looks out to the fence and the neighbours house it doens't afford much light, good thing there is lots of globes in the overhead light.

Before:

There is a built in robe in the room as well as another cupboard with shelves behind the door in the corner, but this has been claimed by my partner for his 'special' and 'crafty' things. The frustration I have had in devising storage solutions has been the height of the shelves in the robe, they don't quite fit any of the common sized storage boxes, I think as they have been there awhile.

The good points
1. Lots of powerpoints, so many in fact that I wasn't so worried about covering one up with the back of the bookcases. Unusual in a bedroom, and a house of this age.
2. The wooden floor. Not only does it look good but makes sweeping up the copious amounts of dust and loose thread ever present in a sewing space so much easier.
3. The really bright light, great for a sewing room although an unusual choice for what is meant to be a bedroom.

I have been really lucky to furnish and outfit the room with many of the things I already had, although I have gone a little crazy at IKEA sorting out some matching storage features.

I started with what I had. Lots of Billy bookcases and a table that had held my computer and printer, a Vika Amon/Vika Curry. I wasn't keen on using the table for a couple of reasons
1. I didn't want this room to be a study/sewing room and thought I would need it for the printer in the study area and
2. It wobbles a lot when the printer is pronting and I can only imagine what a walking foot at full speed would do it it.
I also had an office chair, on wheels. This would not do.

So I made a list of what I wanted.
1. Shelves, for books and cute little perfectly fitting storage boxes.  
2. A big table area - space for cutting, pressing and to have the machine set up permanently.
3. A chair
4. Lots and lots of modular storage so everthing was away but still easy to access.

While we were waiting for everything to be delivered I sent days planning and hours at IKEA planning. Because I already had the shelves I put these in the plan first and struck my first hurdle. I had two 60cm sets of shelves (no longer sold) and an 80cm shelf; both in beech, a colour that is no longer sold. I wanted them to sit in the corner so I needed a 40cm set with the corner attachment. I would need to have a different colour. This troubled me, I like things to match. In the end I chose the birch. It was the closest. I wish I had chosen the white, there is a longer term plan at play where the furniture the sewing room is all white. I decided on that too late.

But I built the extra, installed it in the corner while I waited for the truck and moved my attention to the tables.

The tables were the biggest (and most important purchase). As I said I have, until recently sewed at the dining table. Although it was a little small for what I wanted it was the right height and looked good. I thought about moving it to the sewing room but decided it was needed to eat dinner off.  What I wanted in a sewing room table was space enough for a semi-permananet cutting area and and spearate sweing table area with room to spread out a quilt while quilting it.

So I spent hours in second hand shops and IKEA looking at desks, dining tables and any other flat surface I clapped eyes on. I needed something sturdy that wouldn't shake, would fit in the area I had left  (2m along one wall and 180cm along the other), would fit together i.e.be the same height and not cost a fortune.

I had almost given up hope when I spied the Melltorp Dining Table out of the corner of my eye, so I got one in 175x75 and one 125x75 and got assembling and it fits, just.

So by the time the existing shelves and the rest of our things arrived the room was already taking shape.

When everything was arrnged the craft books went back in the shelf,

The sewing machine was put in pride of place under the window,

And I started unpacking all the little bits and pieces.

Books and boxes went back on the shelves.  Better Homes and Gardens and homemaker magazines on the bottom shelves.

Batting scraps, toy filler and interfacting went in the big orange Kassett boxes that just fit in between the top shelf and the ceiling in the cupboard.

I bought some extra CD and DVD storages boxes that fit perfectly in the Billy shelves and some magazine racks to store my sewing magazines. I worked on the philosophy, empty space? Does a box fit there? Good, put it there, I'll find something to store in it. With that thinking I got some of these paper boxes for the bottom shelf. They just squeeze in with some extra DVD boxes.

For the ackwardly dimensioned shelves I added to the existing Samla with some smaller ones to fill in the space.

I added a few fininishing touches with the table top ironing board, pen cups and a bin (see the black and white theme developing?) and a new iron. I keep a glass jar on the table to store all the cards from the online stores.

I also scored and picked up a great chair, and a little stool for under the cutting table in the As Is section. At the moment they have covers in the chepest price I could find on them. These will be used as a pattern to cover them in this.   

The fabric is still stored in the hanging tidy in the cupboard, the patterns in the boxes on the floor. Finished projects waiting for a new home in the tubs right up the top. 

Along the middle shelf are 8 tubs for projects on the go, I thought if all 8 were full that would be my cue to finish some before I started more. That has not worked.  :)

Thread, perle cotton and embroidery floss are in purpose built boxes on the top shelf of Billy.

I still have to paint the frames of the pin boards black and hang them above the table. I need to cover the chair and the stool and finish labelling all the boxes after I have sorted things into them. But I found out today I can watch TV over the network on the computer!

But for now it looks like this (when I keep it tidy)

and sometimes I just open the door and look, and smile. Feel free to be jealous or hate me. I'd completely understand.


Update:



I hung the pinboards above the tables and moved a few things around in the bookshelves. The biggest change through from when we moved in last year is that I have added some shelves into the built in cupboard. I was having increasing difficulty finding the fabric I wanted in the draws so I wound them around some fluteboard and stood them on the shelves like mini bolts. Much easier to find now. The bundles are sets put aside for specific projects and the tubs on the bottom shelves are scraps but these are being reorganized into a more user friendly format at the moment. 

Bee Seam Piecing Downunder- October Blocks for Rose

The whole time I was sewing these blocks I had a little tune in by head, sung to the tune of the Farmer in the Dell. It went a little something like this

'A quilting we will go, a quilting we will go, hey ho the dairy-o, a quilting we will go'

Obviously a ran out of inspiration a little when I go to the dairy part but you get the picture. It was only the one verse though and it did get a little repetitive after not very long. The singing was warranted, however, because these blocks were the first sewing I had done with my machine in the new house. I sewed these during last week, on the 20th I think, which makes it 29 days between machine sewn projects and I was glad to get back at it.

Rose requested quilt-as-you-go log cabins using the technique from Sewtakeahike that I am also using for my Blue and White Quilt.

I love the collection of fabric she has sent and the inclusion of the final white strips for the sashing.

The second block was a little wonkier that I had intended, but luckily Rose likes it anyway!

The first one is a little straighter, and I love the grey fabric that is also the centre of the second block.

I can't wait to see it all sewn together!

do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee} - October Pinwheel blocks

The two blocks for this month was the second started and completed project in the new sewing room.

These blocks are going towards a quilt to be made for a young boy who has a serious medical condition.

Alicia from Beauty in the Deatils requested blocks in teal/lime-kiwi and orange and yellow combinations.

It was a request I was more than happy to fulfil and seemed a great challenge for my novelty stash and as the blocks were reasonably easy to construct I was happy enough to start them about 10:30pm.

Aside: I seem to spend a heap of time and money shopping for novelty fabric, particularly fabric that would appeal to boys. I know that there is the pervasive opinion that most fabric and craft projects are girl target but I seem to end up buying and completing in an opposite trend. I'm a fan of the underdog so perhaps it is my unconscious way of evening the playing field.  

The first block was the hardest in terms of fabric choices, the colours are so varied when described that way, and even although Alicia had given some direction and examples in terms of what she meant I am still a little nervous and hope I have chosen the right colours. This black makes use of some Kona Solid and Amy Bultler from the Love range.

The second is my favourite, I think. Again it uses a Kona Solid but I was so excited to be able to use the Linework Rockets in orange from the Robots collection by David Walker.

They are winging their way to Alicia now.

Packing up the Sewing Room

I had hoped to have a post ready now about my new sewing space in my new house in my new city. But as with all stages of this move things have not gone according to the time plan that I had in my head.

But late on Sunday night, as I was trying to get the new house in some sort of order before I hopped on a plane back to the old city early on Monday morning for my last week of work here I pondered a lot about the process of packing up the sewing room.

We were lucky enough to have our move paid for, thanks to my partners new employers, and as part of that arrangement we were not allowed to pack anything other than our clothing or it would not be insured. I have been involved in several such moves before, thanks to my work, and my feelings about strangers going packing all my things has always been a little mixed.On the one hand I am thankful I do not have to personally stand over boxes for days on end and get everything in their temporary cardboard homes, instead sit on a chair and watch it all done in a few hours but on the other I hate the invasion of my privacy and I can never help but shake the feeling that the movers and packers are not as careful with my things as they would be with their own.

These old thoughts first came to mind during this move with the completion of The Inventory. This has capital letters for good reason. It is the first, last and only list of your goods provided to the movers and the basis for the insurance. It is not a time for undervaluation. For this move I actually developed several databases, the one for the books took all weekend even with the assistance of a barcode scanner and the great program Collectorz Book Collector.

But how do you value a metre of fabric, sure it's easy enough to say that it was $24 a meter when you bought it two years ago but now it is out of print and hard to get. And that scrap over there? That is actually a Prints Charming panel that is not produced anymore and I'm saving it to make a baby quilt for my child, should I ever have the chance. The Elna machine, it's probably $50 on eBay, if you can find one, but you can't replace the one that my mum chose for me. All the buttons, so many little packets and varied origins. It's not like you can replace them, so what is the point of putting a money value on it? Just pack carefully please, so nothing gets lost.

And then there is the moment that packers walk into the sewing room/study and let out a low whistle of shock/awe/dread. And the mutterings from the room about the amount, range and 'what is this for?' comments as they take almost as long packing everything in that room as they do in the rest of the house. Should I try to explain, no, I don't think they would understand.

But I have got most of it unpacked, and somewhat less of it all organized in the new sewing room.

And because a post is not a post without a picture, here is a 'before' picture. Hopefully it will be finished this weekend and I can show you the 'after' pictures, 'cause I want to sew!

What I'm supposed to be doing...and what I am doing.

I'm supposed to be tidying, culling even (if I am brave) starting with the fabric cupboard.

Tidying the craft supplies strewn all over the house and hoping, wishing and praying that the new house has a dedicated sewing space (caution to the wind: that there in fact, is, a new house).

But instead I went to get a few fat quarters for my do. Good Stitches {a Charity Bee} blocks and came home with this.

The next day I went back to the fabric store with my partner  to get the backing for the blue and white quilt and came back with that and also this

But don't you just love the selvedges?

I'll really miss my LQS.

In my defence I also weeded the garden, planted out all the plants that we had in pots and washed the pots out for the movers, filed a years worth of filing in the study and did my tax.

I also started quilting the Happy Camper picnic rug, one of the three six unquilted tops I found. I am trying to get some of them quilted, basted or at least the batting cut to size for them in the hope these can be packed in the WIP boxes and I won't have to try to have the batting roll packed and sealed for transport.

But a pledge - no more fabric until after I have moved! I have some recommendations for Melbourne stores (let me know if you have any too) and want to be able to go shopping when I get there. I'll stand fast....except maybe on the 23rd when the sale starts...

My first machine

My parents gave me this machine for my 13th of 14th birthday. And it was my only machine until last year.

Mum was determined to find me a second hand Elna, this one came from The Sewing Machine Man in Mt Lawley. She is a Contessa 710.

She is a great, robust machine but I wouldn't call her quiet.

She requires some unusualy bobbins, if you know where I can get any I'd be grateful for the information!

She might not be new and slick and fancy (and have only one foot and no accessories) but I love her!

I sew...here

I don't have a sewing/craft room.

I read a lot of blogs from a lot of talented and creative people. And often they mention the sewing room or the craft room and occasionally show pictures of these wonderful spaces. And I get, I'm not too proud to mention, really jealous.

In my house I have half a cupboard in the study (which is really a spare bedroom) and my sewing machine is more or less permanently set up on one end of the dining table.
While this is OK in theory the cutting mat almost always ends up gracing the other end and we eat sitting on the couch in front of the TV, which drives my partner crazy. And pulling everything in and out of the cupboard all the time really cuts into my limited sewing/crafting time.

So over the last few months I have been trying to make thing more organized and accessible and keep my bits and pieces a little more contained, for everyone sake. I like a clean and tidy house as much as the next person (my mum thinks maybe more so... if she could see it now).

The first thing I did was take out some huge tubs I had in the hanging section of the robe and get these little hanging shelves with drawers from IKEA to make my (ever growing) fabric collection a little more organized and easy to access.


I have drawers for garment fabric, upholstery fabric, scraps of batting and interfacing, scraps, pre-cuts and yardage.

The tubs underneath hold patterns, separated into craft and garment and form an essential purpose to provide some stability to the handing drawers.

Then last weekend I took the scrap drawer out,


pressed everything that I had just shoved in there over the last little while,


and cut them into 10, 5, 3 or 2.5 inch squares.


There are still quite a few scraps left I can't bear to part with but I have some ideas of how they might be used.

I have stored the smallest two squares in these little boxes, again from IKEA.



Why all this effort? Well, recently my partner got a new job which will mean a move for us from Sydney to Melbourne in the next few months. And I am hoping against hope with without much foundation that we can move somewhere with a sewing room. I have wonderful ideas about how I could organize it and work in it and how I could shut the door on all the little bits and pieces that, however well organized, make a craft area look messy at the end of the day.