My New Sewing Table

Last March my husband and I went on a Vintage Shop Hop. It included shops that sell vintage, antique, repurposed, and flea market items. The shops were located throughout Wisconsin and Illinois so there was no way to visit them all so we chose to head north. We picked up so many cool finds and one of them was an old Singer pedal operated sewing machine base. It is made from iron and extremely sturdy. 

For my birthday, my husband cleaned the base up and added a wood top. The top is beautiful. It now sits in my sewing studio with my new embroidery machine on top of it. 

It's a perfect addition to the room and when the machine is running, it's so sturdy that it is a perfect place for the machine. I appreciate my husband's handy work more than he knows.

What's on the design board?

My design board doesn't have any new quilt projects on it except to say that the leftovers from the recently finished One Direction quilt are present. I want to make pillow covers with the orphan blocks and I'm just trying to figure out how to arrange them in a way to use them all up and make them look cute.

I also have some orphan blocks that I'm hoping inspire me to make more Lori Holt-Farm Girl-like quilts. They are a bit putzy so we shall see.

This last week was spent cleaning out my studio and it's amazing how inspired I was to start new things once that was done. I cut 2 new kits to take with me to the senior center sew days. Before cleaning things out, I just couldn't get inspired. I think it was the giant stacks of leftover scraps from other projects that were staring at me - clogging my brain. Ha!

This time of year is when I spend a lot of time gardening. The produce I get is never taken for granted. Gardening is hard work and I love the rewards Mother Nature brings. I used up the last of the snow peas that I picked in some garlic chicken. It's one of my husband's favorite recipes so there was none left when that dinner was done.

Oliso Iron

It's a snowy day today and a good day to spend at home. After the polar vortex, I've had a bout of cabin fever and couldn't wait to get out of the house. So I went out on a shopping spree and purchased a few pairs of skinny jeans in pretty colors. I bought a few matching tops as well. It was fun and really helped my mental health. My mood has been a lot better since the shopping spree.

I think the view out my sewing room window is wonderful. Right now it's snowing and the wildlife is very active. It's a cozy place to be in on a day like today.

At the senior center last week I mentioned that I got an Oliso iron as a Christmas gift and I hadn't opened the box yet. The ladies at the center gave me tons of grief over keeping such a nice piece of equipment in the box instead of using it. That was enough to guilt me into actually opening the box.

Isn't it pretty? I got the pink one instead of the classic yellow. It is time I replace my old iron. The old one is a Rowenta and it's a nice iron that worked great for a very long time. I've had it for more than 10 years. But the last few years every time I filled it with water, it leaked out. The water that stayed in the iron created steam that contained little black specks. I don't know if the specks were deposits that built up inside the iron over the years but whatever they were, they messed up anything I tried to iron. So I didn't use steam ever since that started to happen.


I guess when I think about it, I was waaay overdue for a new one.

A Clean Sewing Room

I cleaned out my sewing room. To most people it probably still looks cluttered, but trust me, this is cleaned out!

Since I got my longarmer, I just kept piling stuff around the room just anywhere. I stuffed new fabric purchases in cubbies and bins. I had no idea what I had!

Then yesterday my husband left for up north and I decided to take everything out and start fresh. Since hubby won't be back for 3 days I knew this was a good time. I could leave things strewn all over the place until I was ready to put it away.

I sure wish I would have taken a "before" photo. I had stacks and stacks of fabrics piled all over. I sorted, stacked, resorted and restacked until I had collections and colors and everything neatly put away. Surprisingly it took me just half of a day to complete all that.

Then I dusted and vacuumed and got all the other things laying around in order. I haven't felt this organized in a very long time. It also helped that over the last few weeks I finished quilting a whole bunch of quilts and got them out of the way too.

Once I finished putting everything in its place I started a new project. I could pull fabrics knowing exactly where I put them! I also found a few unfinished projects that I now feel inspired to complete. It sure feels good to be organized.

The Longarm is Here!

My machine was delivered today. It made for a stressful day as it took more than 5 hours for the job to be completed. The floor was pretty uneven so leveling the frame took the longest. Once that was accomplished, the rest went pretty easy. The other problem was that I didn't leave enough room for the frame. I followed the specs that were given to me however it did not take into consideration that there would be handles on the back for pantographs. That changed everything. So once we moved my sewing table, it was all good.

I left the ladies to do the entire set up without interruption. So I didn't take any photos of the process. So here's the only photo I took today. It's after fabric was loaded to practice on. I changed the pantograph a few times to try some out and that was enough for today.

Amara!

I did it! I bought a longarmer today. I still can't believe it. It's a dream come true.

The shop that I purchased it from is called The Quilting Connection and it is located in Elkhorn, WI. It's a 45 minute drive from my house and because they do many quilt shows and spend time setting up machines, their shop is by appointment only.

I called first thing this morning hoping to get in early in the day but they were out setting up a machine. They called and stated that they would be back in the shop by 3:30 and I could come then. At the time of their return call I was babysitting my granddaughter and we were swimming. I still said yes I would come today even though I felt covered in chlorine-laden pool water. The hair just frizzes up under those conditions.

I got to the shop at 3:50 and left with a signed contract at 5:05. Wow! What an afternoon. So now I await confirmation that the machine is being built and sent to the shop for setup. Then they will contact me to pick a delivery date to my house. My sewing room is ready and I can't wait!

Sewing Room Update

I spent this weekend cleaning out my sewing room. After our last meeting with our financial advisor, it seems there's room in our budget to make one of my dreams come true.

I will have a longarmer in this space very soon!

I can't believe I am saying it.

Ikea Visit

I live in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, the newest home to an Ikea store. In fact, the new Ikea store is so close to me, I can literally walk there from my house. Although why would I want to? I wouldn't be able to purchase much if I did that. Ha!

On Saturday I had to opportunity to attend a by invitation only shopping event at our new Ikea store even though it doesn't officially open until May 16th. My family and I were pretty excited to go and check it out. We are familiar with the 3-story Schaumburg store and the 2-story Minneapolis store but this one is one level. It was a maze of a store where the aisles zigged and zagged in a way that we weren't sure which direction we were going. Thank goodness for the little guide arrows to tell us which direction to go. After 3 hours in the store, we took home a few good purchases.

I got this 79-cent trash can for my sewing room.

I also purchased 3 of these toy boxes with wheels. I thought they would make perfect fabric storage bins. Since they have wheels, I could easily move them around if they got heavy from too much fabric. They also have a slot in the cover so the fabrics can breathe since it's not a good idea to keep fabrics in sealed containers. I like that I can see what's inside too. And in the end if they don't work out, I can actually use them to store my granddaughters' toys too.

New Fabric Baskets - Just the Right Size!

I think I've found the size of fabric baskets that will work for me (right now). I cut each of the sides 19" x 11" and boxed in the corners so the baskets end up being 6" wide.

The finished baskets measure 12" x 6" x 7" tall. They are perfect for all my scraps. I put my leftover little scraps in one, medium size scraps in another, and everything else that is too small to fold up in the third one.

For me, I never really know how something will work until I actually use it so I'm not 100% sure that my scraps will stay in these.

I do love the fabric. It's a twill-weight, just a bit lighter than canvas that I bought a few years back at Ikea. I used Pellon 809 Decor Bond interfacing fused to the lining. They stand up nicely and look great with the gray/black/white color scheme of my sewing room.

What's on the design board?

The first day of each month I try to update my progress on this blog. I am happy to look back and see that each month the projects on the design board do change although not always as quickly as I would like. Sometime my motivation just doesn't keep up with my desire.

Today I am definitely motivated and have the desire but since it is the first of the new year, I am much more motivated to start fresh. To that end I've spent the day cleaning up my sewing room. I really let things go over the past few months to the point where I don't remember where I set things down. I hate that. And I have to walk over piles of fabrics that I haven't put away. This clean-up is very long overdue.

So today I took all the piles of all the stuff that is laying around and not put away and I piled it up on my sewing table. It was a horrible mess!

I took my time and organized and rearranged a few things. I dusted and vacuumed and cleaned everything. I even used a lint roller on my design board to get all the schnibbles off. Yes, the design board hangs empty right now! It took all day. But that's OK. I am all caught up on my client projects and have nothing pending that needs completion (except for my fall quilt but that's a big, big project). I can now think about what I want to do next.

Truthfully, I have been thinking about what's next for a while and my goals for this year include projects from Lori Holt's books, from Judy Gauthier's book and a Missouri Star magazine project or two. I also want to complete some smaller projects besides quilts that have been on my to-do list for a long time.

And just look, my sewing table contains nothing but the quilt projects I want to work on! It feels good to start fresh.

Custom Sewing Table

Ever since I got my new sewing machine, my custom sewing table has been a little difficult to use. My old machine was recessed into the table. My new machine is much bigger than the old one so it doesn't quite fit in the opening.

My husband has the next two weeks off for Christmas break so he plans on completing some fun (fun for him anyways) projects. Today he decided to tackle getting my new machine to fit into the old space. I am so happy he has decided not to waste a single minute of his precious time off.

He took some measurements and started cutting away. Now I know it's pretty impossible to get it exact when working with a pre-existing hole in the table top, but he was bound and determined to make it work as best as possible.

He is definitely more of a perfectionist than me, I just want a workable space...don't really care what it looks like. He can do whatever is necessary to recess the machine into the table.

After hearing a lot of cutting, drilling and vacuuming, it was done. Jeff says I should use it for a few days and then let him know if he should do any adjusting. So far, I love it. I have to admit that I had a little trouble adjusting to it at first. I was reaching for the controls without looking at them and now that everything is lower, I was reaching too high.

I am so very lucky.

A Fall Quilt - WIP

I'm finally getting some quality time in my sewing room. I've been enjoying our wonderfully warm fall weather and spend as much time doing outdoor projects as possible. But it's raining today so I'm not going to waste a minute doing anything but sewing.

The project on the table is a fall quilt and I can't wait to complete all the blocks. There are 4 different block patterns and I've finished 2 so far.

My little helper has always loved spending time with me in here. He has become very comfortable on this table. I think the vibration from the machine sometimes puts him to sleep. Or it's just that he is a cat and sleeps all the time anyway.

Metal Thread Holder from Massdrop

I found this really awesome thread holder on massdrop.com. It was my first time using the website. It's a unique buying experience because you have to commit to purchase an item when it hits a certain low price. As more people commit to buying an item, the lower the price will go. So I pulled the trigger on this really cool thread holder.

Once the item hits the price you're willing to pay, they take the money from whatever purchase method you use. I used my Visa card to make the purchase. The thing is that even though massdrop takes the money, you still have to wait for the order to be placed. That doesn't happen immediately. It's a long process from committal-to payment-to delivery. I paid for the item in early September and it was just delivered yesterday. That's a long time.

Anyhow it was worth the wait. This is a hand-crafted thread holder made by a welder from heavy metals. It is so solid that I can guarantee it won't tip or move while in use. And it is so very pretty! It is definitely a great addition to my sewing room.

I am not sure I will use massdrop again any time soon but I am very happy with the results of this first purchase.

Ikea Kuggis Organization

We went on our bi-annual trip to Ikea today. I just love to see what's new in the store that I don't get to see in the catalog. There are always many new additions. I really went this time with the intention of buying new window coverings for my kitchen patio door. When we got there we discovered that they were discontinuing their current window covering system with something new and improved. So the "old" version was discounted. The dilemma was whether to buy the cheaper discontinued system or wait until the new one came out. We decided to wait for the new version...I was really thinking I now had an excuse to come back sooner than in another 6 months!

I did settle on some new storage bins called Kuggis. I like how sturdy these boxes are however, I hope I don't lose track of what I put inside them since they are not see-through. I haven't filled them yet, so we shall see how it goes. I do think there will be more of these in my future. Especially since I won't have to drive down to Schaumburg all the time to visit an Ikea. We are getting one practically in my back yard!

My Kitty

When I'm not using my ironing station, I put a table topper on it. Today I threw some floor pillows up there that I made from old blue jeans. They were taking up too much space on the sewing room floor.

It seems that my kitty, Ruxin decided to hang out there while I was sewing. I love that he stays with me in my sewing room. Usually he is "helping" me by sitting on the cutting table while I'm trying to measure and cut fabric. Or he sits on the quilts when I am free motion quilting. I do shut the door to keep him out when I'm working on client projects and he sits outside the door and verbally lets me know how unhappy he is that he cannot come in.

He's our little 4-year old rescue kitty that we got in October and it seems he is getting used to being with us. I sure hope he likes it here because this is his forever home whether he likes it or not.

Meet Ruxin

This is our new kitty, Ruxin. We rescued him from the shelter just today. So far he seems to be adjusting very well to his new home. He is four years old, which apparently makes him less desirable as an adoptee. Personally, I prefer them past the kitten stage so he's perfectly fine for me. I am so glad he picked me out to be part of his life today.

He doesn't know it yet, but he will be spending a lot of time in this room. 

My Ironing Station

The end of summer is a perfect time to get painting projects. It's when the weather is perfect for the paint to dry. So it is time to get some projects done!

I've had an old entertainment center from the 80's stored away for a very long time. It held a large-screen television which meant it was a bulky piece of furniture with a fat opening for those big, heavy televisions that were so popular back in the day. That entertainment center is made from oak and the craftmanship is beautiful. It is a quality piece which is why we could not part with it. Unfortunately, we could not use it anymore either. Those flat-panel tvs we have today just don't fit.

We were going to turn the piece into a wine rack. My husband would custom-fit some bottle racks where the tv was and we would use the shelves for storing wine glasses. So I put the piece in the kitchen until I could decide what color to paint it and I absolutely hated it there. So it was on to plan B....an ironing station for my sewing studio.

I measured the space available in my sewing area where I thought it should go and it was a perfect fit. And as for color, that was easy - I have leftover paint from the shelves I painted so I used that. I then had my husband cut a piece of wood a half-inch smaller than the top of the unit and covered it with layers of batting and insul-bright. I topped it off with a white duck cloth cover and there you have it - an ironing station.

Even though painting is cutting into my sewing time, I am having tons of fun re-purposing our old furniture. I even did some stenciling on the inside for a little charm. Then I added a curtain rod and made a curtain with some fabric I bought at Ikea and changed the door and drawer hardware to something a little more modern. I absolutely love it.

My Little Helper

This is my daughter-in-law's cat, Nomad. He is temporarily living with me; I've had him here with me for 9 months now. He is a very social boy and since I am home all day, he spends the majority of his time with me. Lately in the morning he even beats me to the sewing studio.

There have been many days where I want to check my email before I start sewing but I cannot. I don't want to disturb my little sleeping friend. My desk chair has become his favorite early day sleeping spot. The chair faces west so it makes sense that he would sleep on it, there's no morning sun to overheat him during these summer months.

In the winter he always slept on the blanket chest in my bedroom with the eastern morning sun covering him. His routine is so linked to mine that if I sleep late, he lets me know he is not happy about it. We are so in sync, I just adore him.

Soon he will be moving out and I will miss him dearly.

Happiness is...

View from the Sewing Room Window

...watching it snow from the sewing room window knowing I have no place to go and nothing to do but sew.

Sewing Table Progress

The weather here in Wisconsin is unusually cold for June. Normally I would spend all my spare time outdoors this time of year.  But since it isn't all that warm, I thought I would take the opportunity to finally urethane my sewing table. It's been without knobs or all the extra doo-dads I want to incorporate on the massive table because I have not put the finish on it.  So I took the doors and drawers out to the garage and set up a covered workspace that looks a little like Dexter's workroom (the plastic sheets cover the floor as well as the table and sawhorses because I am lazy with a drippy paintbrush). It took me an entire week to put on 3 coats of urethane with the standard sanding and wiping down between each coat. 

After the doors and drawers were completed I headed up to the sewing room where we used chunks of 4x4 posts to lift that giant sucker off the ground.  I laid out my painting tarps and proceeded to get three coats of urethane on that as well.  It may not have been warm enough to stay outdoors, but it was warm enough (in the 60s) to open all the windows for both ventilation and help with drying. 

So now that it's all nice and protected with a satiny shine,  we got all the handles and bars screwed on.  The only thing left to do is stain/finish the top.  And the only reason that isn't done is because I haven't decided whether I want to stain it, paint it, or stencil a fancy border on it.  Funny how when the sky is the limit, it's almost too much to comprehend.  The other hang-up on not getting it done is that we need to figure out how to raise/lower the machine into the top.  I think we will get some ideas from the International Quilt Show next week in Chicago. 

I am thrilled that I can finally fill the cabinets and the drawers now.