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Getting There

January 13th, 2016

In our house here in Maine we have much more space than we had in Ohio, probably about triple the square footage if not more. For a while, we had two of the bedrooms set up as guest rooms and I had my sewing machine in a corner of the upstairs landing. It wasn’t great, not only are there no windows anywhere close, there was only one light, and old fluorescent fixture that was super dim.
sewing room 1
After we painted one of the rooms (both floor and walls), I decided it would make a lovely sewing room. I started moving all my stuff in there a few weeks ago. There’s still moulding that needs to go up, around the windows, by the ceiling, and baseboards as well. But that’s OK with me, because it’s a much better space than I had. In fact, in the few weeks I’ve had my machine in there I’ve managed to get a ton of sewing done. Probably having light is what does it, it is rather hard to sew without that.
sewing room 5
sewing room 2
I need to rework the furniture a bit as it consists of things that have been cast off from other areas. A counter height cutting area is going to be put in eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later. I also need a beefier table to put my machine on, as the one I’m using is warped and my sewing machine rocks as I use it.  I got a new thread rack to organize thread/bobbins and I plan on hanging a bulletin board and a few metal magnet boards as well. I will also need to get a few other bits to organize things in places they’ll be handy. I figured that using the space for a while would be a good idea before I invest in any furniture or organization items. Once I get a feel for the space, I’ll have a better idea of how I will work best in it.
sewing room 3
At the moment, I’m enjoying working on my vintage sheet quilt. It’s made with old pillowcases and sheets that I’ve been collecting. Most of them have been given to me or I have purchased them for a few dollars at the thrift store. This makes for a very inexpensive way to make a quilt, I will probably only have about $25 worth of materials in this kind size quilt by the time I’m finished. I like using sheets for the backing and flannel sheets on the inside instead of batting (I like a think quilt).

Are you working on any creative project at the moment? What creative pursuits do you do when gardening isn’t an option?

5 Comments to “Getting There”
  1. karl on January 13, 2016 at 9:38 am

    I usually try to move into a space and use it as-is for a while. Things always reveal themselves that I would never expect. I have re-done or wanted to re-do too many things to not take it slowly and try to get it right the first time.

    My wife has a “sewing room” and it can save tons time setting-up and tearing-down. The object of simply sitting down and quickly sewing a few things is much more easily accomplished. The problem we now have is the mostly uninhabited sewing room becomes the receiving depot for those times when you quickly need to pick up an area of the house and stow it “temporarily.” It can become like the first dish in the sink syndrome. Once a mess starts it snowballs into a huge mess that can take a long time to clean up.

    Reply to karl's comment

    • Susy on January 13, 2016 at 10:49 am

      I completely understand that! You are so true about being to sit down and do a few minutes of work on a project. I’m finally getting this quilt finished by working for 15-20 minutes a day on in and not having to set up & tear down every time I want to work.

      Reply to Susy's comment

  2. Nebraska Dave on January 13, 2016 at 10:25 am

    Susy, this is the time of the year when I do the deep cleaning and reclaiming of areas of the house. I’ve started the deep cleaning on the kitchen. Bathrooms will quickly follow, then living room and dining room. In between areas the basement storage area will begin to be a play area for my grandson and need to be cleaned and scrubbed. Yeah, plenty to do in the Winter with preparation of gardening year for 2016.

    Have a great sewing room rejuvenation day.

    Reply to Nebraska Dave's comment

  3. Jill on January 13, 2016 at 12:03 pm

    Really pretty quilt, Susy! I like old vintage material/sheets too and am acquiring quite a collection but have no good spot to store things. I’m hoping to come across an old cabinet/wardrobe that I can store canning and fabric in. I love to use thrift store flannel sheets on back of my baby quilts, they are so cozy. I hadn’t thought to use a flannel sheet as the batting–that is a great thrifty idea. Your sewing room looks nice and bright I look forward to seeing it once you’ve finished decorating and tinkering with the space :)

    Reply to Jill's comment

    • Susy on January 13, 2016 at 7:31 pm

      I have a quilt my great grandmother made and a few quilts gifted to me when I was very young (8 or 9 yrs old) and they all have flannel sheets as the batting. I love the thinness of them but the weight of them as well. For my tastes, it’s the perfect batting!

      Reply to Susy's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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