Sewing Room Tour

I've been settled into my new house for a few months now, and I just realized that I haven't shared any pictures of my fabulous new sewing room! It's still a bit of a work in progress, but I thought it was time that I had a tour!

My new sewing room is about 4 times as big as my last one--yes, the last one was quite "cozy!" In my new room I actually have room to lay out a queen-sized quilt on the floor (at least when the pups aren't trying to lounge around right in the middle of the room!). 

This room is a combined sewing studio/office space, so I have set up my desk and computer in one corner:

The desk top is from an old (very heavy) finished board I found in the throwaway pile at work. I attached some Ikea legs and it was good to go! On the desk I keep my patterns in binders and cardboard magazine holders. The wooden case on top of the desk is a divided office mail box (on its side) that I found at our university surplus store. Only $10!

The big monitor is perfect for catching up on my TV shows on Hulu. . . . it's positioned perfectly so I can watch it from my sewing machine but also look out the window at life passing by:

The sewing table is a great find from a local rummage sale . . . Karen transformed it from the laminate top with some fabulous red paint. On the ledge behind the sewing machine are my first machine (a 1970 Singer) and a great vintage Underwood typewriter.

I posted a while ago about these great old bookcases I found at a yard sale over the summer. I knew right away that they'd be just perfect for my fabric and such! These cabinets are about 100 years old, and came from a local vintage furniture store where they were built-ins. They're five feet tall and five feet wide. 

Aren't these fabulous?! I was a little shocked, however, at how quickly I filled them up! I have yardage stored in the right cabinet, wrapped around acid-free, fabric friendly boards I got online (they're originally intended as supportive inserts in comic books for collectors, go figure!). In the left cabinet I have my fat quarters, all stacked by color (of course!).



And here are the goodies that I have stored inside:

I've fallen in love with Mason jars, and I use them for storing spools of ribbon, zippers, selvedges, and fabric scraps. I found the fabulous vintage blue ones (on the left) with a zinc top I found in an antique store near Yellowstone. I still can't bring myself to put anything in the vintage blue ones yet! Sigh. 

I found the rest at a local thrift stores (only $1 each people!) or (the two on the right) at my local Walmart (under $10). I have found that I'm so much more likely to use my scraps and selvedges in my regular sewing when they are accessible like this. Plus, they look pretty!

I also took all the pretty shells I've collected over the years, and I put them in a jar too--a great way to display them without adding too much clutter!

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In my last sewing room I had a small (12x17 inch) cutting mat that shared space on my desk. As a result, when I'd sit down to do work on my computer I was always pushing aside scraps of fabric. Such a pain! One of the things I'm excited about in my new sewing room is my cutting table and extra large cutting mat! 

The cutting mat, which fits the table perfectly, is 45x36 inches. So awesomely huge! I have a small ironing surface I made from a piece of wood, batting, and old fabric, which I keep handy to press my work as I cut. 

As full disclosure, before I took these pictures I removed all the clutter that was stashed under the table!! Karen is going to build me storage shelves which will fit beneath the table and hold all my extra things: batting, my scrap basket, knitting, etc. I can't wait! 

And last, but not least, I have my favorite chair and ottoman, which is perfect for knitting, finishing quilt bindings, reading, playing guitar, and napping! 

Thanks for taking a tour of my space! 

Sleepless Stitchin'

Everyone once in a while, no matter how tired I may be, I just can't sleep. Last night was one of those nights! So rather than toss and turn uselessly, I gave up and decided to go sew instead. I apparently was on a tear, because when I headed over to my sewing machine it was 2:30, and next thing I knew it was 8 a.m. and I had finished a quilt top that I had barely begun the day before!

It is definitely bright and bold, but that's what Lilly Pulitzer fabric calls for! I tempered it (somewhat!) by using the purple and pink and solids. Thanks Karen for the consultation! The purple Kona matched perfectly with the purple in the purple and green tiger print! In addition to the tiger print I took from the border of one of my mother's skirts and made a center tile in the quilt:

I also put the green and purple daisies from that same skirt throughout the quilt to tie it together. I also cut out a few peeking tiger faces in charm square blocks that I hid in 2-3 places throughout the quilt as well.

In addition to the tiger, I also have a few other favorite animals. Lilly Puliter, in addition to her bright colors, is also known for her use of animals in her prints. I've selected a few of my most favorites that I included in the quilt as examples. First, the elephant legs:

I think there may also be an upside-down kangaroo there? I'm not entirely sure . . . 

Next, my most favorite . .  . the snails!!

I love the totally '70s styling on this print, plus the blend of pink and green. Yes, I'm a total preppie at heart!

When I began this project, I was completely concerned about how all these totally different fabrics would go together, but I'm so so psyched by the finished top! I guess I really shouldn't have worried. It's ironic, actually. One of the two skirts I chopped up to make this quilt was a Lilly Pulitzer patchwork skirt, meaning that it was already an eclectic mix of her fabrics. I essentially took apart her patchwork skirt and then put it back together in a quilt (plus adding in one extra Lilly Pulitzer skirt into the mix!)

Now "all" I have to do is to figure out what on earth to do for a backing. Gah!!

On other news, my cross-the-street neighbor, Lindsey, is prepping for a move and is downsizing, so was having a fabulous yardsale. Not your run of the mill yard mower, tupperware, granny afghan kind of sale either! She's an art student/photographer and has amassed tons of cool things, including furniture. Look at what I scored:

I haven't put the other two doors back in yet, nor put the shelves back in yet, but aren't they just divine! I bought two of them. They are 51x51 and just PERFECT for my sewing room! Just picture piles of fabric in there, alongside my yummy blue mason jars filled with buttons and zippers and selvages and such! Now, for those who know my current sewing room, no, there's no way on this here green Earth that these beauties would fit in my sewing room, but . . . as it turns out, we have found a great little house a few blocks over and will be moving in a few weeks! And these shelves will fit just perfectly in my new, bigger (!) sewing room/office! The blog tour will happen soon, I promise!