Gearing up for sewing in 2016

It seems like I am continually looking for "a better way"  a "neater way" to have all of my gizmos and still be "neat".  Crafting in any form is sometimes "messy" so the key is to have places to stash your stuff.... In that being said I have too much "stuff" so I just did a major revamp of my studio and replaced my "cube island" and my "scrapbook cube storage" with 2 Hemne 8 Drawer Dressers from Ikea.. I love Ikea how about you?  In case you are wondering the glass cabinets are also from IKEA they are the Billy System... Love them!  I have also been asked the size of this room, it is 12X14 and that does not include the closets.  For those who have asked the dressers with the board on top is 38 inches tall.

So I have been destashing and keeping what I am currently using....

Oh and all of the bright light coming through the windows is the reflection of snow!  Where was it last week???

I went to Lowes and had them cut a board (it was Birchwood in 3/4 in thick)  the correct size to fit onto the top of both of the dressers (my hubby put a 3/4 inch strip around the outside so it would not shift) and then covered it with batting.  The whole thing can be used for an ironing board when I remove my cutting board.

I also always get asked about the sign above my sewing area "God Is Good all the Time" it came from Hobby Lobby a year ago.

I also get asked about the irons, the black and white is a Euro Steam which I LOVE it is the best iron I have ever had.... the purple and white one is an Olisio I purchased recently on Black Friday at Joann's, I got it for times I did not have a lot of ironing to do.  (The Euro Steam has to be emptied EVERY time you use it!)

In the above picture you can see my sewing closet with my Juki TL2010q, now that machine will sew through about anything!  I love it!

I do not think I properly introduced you to my new friend "Bernie"  I think we will be best of buds!  (I have an embroidery attachment also for her)...  Bernie is a 770QE

Pretty much my wall of shame..... (Because I have way too much yarn,...)

Just to keep this post real this is under my sewing area.... It will soon disappear too!  It is loads of scrapbook paper!

Hope you have a great day today!

Nancy

Revised Craft Room....

I am finally getting around posting the pictures of what I changed in my Craft Room after Thanksgiving!  We went to Menards and bought some countertop and two base cabinets.... added some shelves and Voila' I have 2 new sewing spots....

I also shrunk my island down, I now have room to leave an ironing board set up if I need too!

(the island was bigger, I had the two cube book cases spread apart big enough to have a stool in the middle and it just wasn't working!)  This size is more doable we just shoved the two cases together and came up with a size for the top!

 So for those who were wondering what we did differently the BEFORE shots are in the top of my menu bar.... I will leave them for a while..

Happy Wednesday to all of you!  It is a cold day here in Northwestern Illinois!

Nancy

Craft/Sewing Room Update...

The room is finally organized and put back together.... I still have stuff to get rid of!  Finally it looks better than a week ago!

Here is a sneak peek...

Mark built the desk in and added the shelves, I laid fabric down, and on top of it put a piece of plexi glass, I added cork board to the wall and covered it in fabric.  I also added a light to the bottom side of the shelf.

My second sewing machine will go in this spot!

I found these cool mini bolt folders to help organize my stash!  I love them they came from www.polarnotions.com

 I still have a couple of things to deal with (the two drawer cubes next to my new little sewing spot and then see that green basket on the bar chair?  yeah well it needs put away!)  But at least it is functional again!   I am still thinking of a Juki TL 2010 Q  any thoughts?  Better pictures to follow.....

Nancy

Stuff.... too much stuff!!!!!

I should show you what my craft room looks like at this very moment.... it looks like a CRAP Room....When we moved last fall and I chose which extra bedroom on the main level I wanted for my Craft Room, I chose the one with two closets.... you know so I could hide stuff in there..... I sold Stampin Up! for 12 years and honestly I quit selling it four years ago, and my heart just isn't in it anymore.  I do like to make cards but I have enough stuff to make cards for the next umpteen years.  I have gotten rid of tons of stuff and some of it is just hard to part with.  I have so many great memories from it and met some of the most awesome people while selling it.  I wouldn't even belong to our current church if it were not for Stampin Up...   In saying that, I do not want to get rid of everything but really, I don't even send cards....

So I have emptied one closet completely and have made a trip to Lowe's to purchase shelving to turn it into a well organized closet that I can find anything in a second or two, ok I will still have to hunt for it, but hopefully it will be easier to find!  I am hoping in reorganizing that I can significantly pair down on my extra stuff!

My plan is to make the second closet into an "extra" sewing machine closet!  I recently purchased a nice machine and it sews great!  The problem is I don't want to tear it up on some of the heavy stuff I have been making..   I already broke my accufeed foot and have had to replace that.... So I think I am going to get a straight stitch Juki..... I have heard rave reviews on it!

We will see how this pans out, you know one thing always leads to another!!!

So here is the mess I am looking at.... Mark is going to help me get the boards cut.......

Stay tuned I hope to have this cleaned up later today!!!  Now who wants this stuff??? Come get it!

Nancy

A little Spring Cleaning in the Craft Room…...

Sometimes, tidying up can be messy business!  That is exactly what I am doing this week…. I decided enough was enough and I just had to do something about my Mess in my Craft Room, SewingRoom, whatever Craft I am doing Room….. I have this nice island sitting right in the middle and cannot even use it because stuff is shoved under it in the middle….. and the top is covered, but as I type I have been working on this since yesterday.  When I look at the big picture is it overwhelming but if I tackle one project at a time I can do it!  It is getting there but oh what  a mess…….  I guess when you are a crafter this is an ongoing problem……

I have lots of crafty things I love to do and it is so much more fun to do it all in a nice orderly room than one that is a mess…. (I should make a sign for the room)  I have not had a GOOD sewing machine in years….. I used to sew everything, from clothes to curtains…. My old Singer gave out a number of years ago, and a few years back I purchased a Black Friday Singer at Target for a smacking $69.00, while it served it's purpose it never really sewed that great.  After much frustration I decided to purchase a "good" machine.  My Sister's have always had Janome's, and after talking to several quilters that is what I went with A Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8200 QC, I am sure it has way more stitches than I could possibly ever use, but I hope it serves me well!  So far so good, I have done several small projects already!

So here is my cleaner than it has been since we moved here in October - Craft Room…..  Oh and as of yet this room has not yet been touched with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint….. But you never know….. ;)

A few of my favorite things…….

and yes behind those two closet doors is more "stuff" but it is now "organized stuff"….. :)

A nice comfy chair to relax in!  And those "cube" storage containers have been great over the years… I have used them for a base of a desk, and once lined across a wall and they held a piece of countertop…..

So now I need to make something as you will see on my next post and hopefully not make a huge mess…….

Happy Wednesday!  Nancy

My Haven from the World…...

Today I would like to show you my craft room…. Once again I have a room all to myself.  Mark now has his own Den where he can go to study and get away from everything.

Before you look…. DO NOT JUDGE…. :)  Yes, I love yarn.. I love when traveling to find different Knit Shops to stop at.  I have my favorites that even if I didn't buy yarn I would still stop in just to see what was new.  How Yarn (most yarn) ends up in my stash is first you hold it in your hands and feel just how soft it is… then I kind of snuggle it…. if it ends up caressing my neck to see how it feels I am usually in trouble…  (You knitters/crocheters know exactly what I am talking about!)

The Yarn Storage came from IKEA it is the BILLY SYSTEM.  Inexpensive nice storage.  Love it!

*** edited to add***  The little chipmunk in his prison attire was a gift from a dear, dear friend Tony McCubbin to Gary on his 50 birthday 10 months before Gary passed away, it was fitting since Gary was a Warden in a prison, he kept it in his office and when you pushed a button, "jail house rock" plays!  Then there is the Build a Bear "Warden" the sweet, sweet children that my daughters babysat for throughout their college life (and whom they are still in contact with) they sent this to me after Gary died.  When you pressed one foot it was a recording of their precious little voices singing "Jesus Loves You" and when you pressed the other it was "Let me call you sweetheart"  These two items have always been somewhere that I can see them!  

The above is a new area for me I have not been able to set my sewing machine up somewhere where it can stay put, in years.

and below is the first crafting thing I have done in this room.

And for my "Stampin" Friends yes I still have my supplies (I have two closets that they are hidden in.
Thankful that this is all done and mostly organized… (I still have drawers to go through!)  Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy New Year!  May God's Richest Blessings be on you and your loved ones.

Nancy