Sewing Room Part 3: The Finish

Hi Everyone,

I realized that a blog post about my new sewing room would be gigantic, as there is lots of thoughts and photos that I want to share, so I'm going to break it down into three separate posts:

The first one about choosing

The second one about planning

And the third one about the finish

Finally I get to show you around the room!  There has been a lot of explanation, but I wanted to share my thought process as well as the finished room.

Are you ready to go in?

When you open the door, this is the view of the room.

This is the same angle of the room when we first looked at the house.  Aren't before and after pics great?  And also, I love how the yellow walls look!

We will travel around the room clockwise.  To the left of the door is a bit of wall space and then the closet.  

 You can see the fabulous closet organizers that came with the house.  See how the project boxes fit perfectly on the shoe shelves?  I've already made a rule that I can only have the same amount of boxes as there are spots, so once they are full, no more UFOs until something is finished!!

The left side of the closet...

And the right side.

This is the sewing table with spots for two machines.  I have lamps for both machines, too.  Like I said before, if something is difficult to do, I won't do it.  All I have to do is decide which machine I want to use, sit down, and turn on the power and go.  I even have a second chair, but it's downstairs right now until I get one for my computer desk.  I am LOVING the Alex drawer cabinets from Ikea.  The top drawer on each side has all the feet and attachments for each machine.

The one on the left is full of thread!  The bottom drawers are deeper and hold cones of thread perfectly.  The drawers in the other cabinet have notions, my machine quilting necessities, etc.

The center Alex door cabinet has two shelves for deep item storage--like my roll of freezer paper and other large items.  

Above the machines is my wall of minis and other favorite items.

Aren't the red scissors great?  My friend Linda got up early and went to the local quilt shop in Virginia one morning because the shop was having a rummage sale of display items.  She thought I needed them and I just adore them--mostly because I think of her whenever I look at them.  I still have my "N" (what does it stand for?  Nothing, heh heh heh.)  On the right side you can see the edge of the first of the Billy bookcases.

Remember, this is the "L" shaped unit that I needed to use the narrow bookcase instead of the wide one.  You can also see how we butted the bookcases against each other in the corner.  All three of these pieces are attached together in the back.  We used 3 angle brackets to do the corner, and then 3 metal "straps" to add the narrow bookcase on to the corner bookcases.  We did the same in the other corner--you can't skip out on safety features!  I have all of my fabric over here on this side because the sun comes in the window at an angle and mostly shines on the other side of the room.  

This is a different view of the same corner.  I left one shelf out of the narrow bookcase so I have room for bolts of fabric.  The bottom large shelf is filled with rolls and large pieces for backings.   

My Great-Grandmother's treadle fits perfectly in front of the window.  As of right now I don't have a window treatment.  At some point, I may make a valance, but I don't plan to cover the window too much.

Now for the other set of Billy shelves.  This side is more for display, although I've made sure to have plently of room for increasing fabric.  I forgot to mention in the earlier posts that is is extremely important to me to have "growing room."  

See the red crate that I have thread in for display?  Linda also got me that at the same sale as the red scissors.  

I shopped in several places for red baskets and containers for hidden, but pretty storage. (I had luck at the Container Store and Hobby Lobby.)  I love how the shelves almost reach the ceiling.  I considered the shorter shelves, but I knew if I did, I would just pile stuff on the top, so I did the taller shelves--they look neater this way.  

Next are the Trofast units for fat quarter storage.  You can see one of the bins is missing--I had it on the cutting table.  It is so easy to grab the bin of the color that I need.  I have been using these for nearly two years now and still LOVE them.  For my third unit, I got one of the double containers (it takes two slots instead of one--you can see it on the bottom right) and it has some precuts inside.  

I found the apothecary cabinet  that is on top of them at Hobby Lobby and couldn't resist.  I may repaint some of the drawers, but for now they are fine.

On top I got some cracker jars and painted the lids and added pretty drawer knobs for handles.  This is also an idea by Lori Holt.  

The apothecary drawers are already filled with things like rick rack, bias tape, lace, etc.  I've labeled them all, too.

Another feature that I wanted was a bulletin/inspiration board for notes and ideas, etc.  My husband and I made this from a sheet of homosote (only $5 in the "slightly damaged area of the local home improvement store) covered with batting and fabric and stapled.  I added the ribbon and used upholstery tacks where it crosses. 

The inspiration board leads back to the doorway.  Down the middle of the room is the cutting/ironing island.  It measures three feet wide by 89 inches long.  With the fabric cover, I can remove the cutting mat and use the entire surface for ironing!  It's amazing.  

I've mentioned before on this blog that I collect yardsticks.  It may seem weird to some, but I love them since they are used for measuring--they remind me of fabric.  I love old wood, and history, and I've tried to find sticks from places we have lived or felt a connection.  I have a Pinterest board of yardstick ideas and I always knew I wanted to use them somehow in my "forever" room.  I ended up using a double layer as trim around the top of the room.  I love the effect that they have:  I feel surrounded by "yards of history and memories."  In the picture below, Hawarden is my husband's home town.

Here is the closet with the design wall in place.  The small quilt is the free Valentine's Day project from the Temecula Quilt Co.

I said that the number one requirement in this room was lighting.  So far I haven't changed it at all.  With the new wall color, all the reflected light off the white shelves, and the window, it always seems bright in here--even at night.  Although this room is smaller than the one in Virginia, I think it has way more storage and I like it even better.

I have plenty of storage--and while the shelves seem full now, there is lots of room for more fabric, etc.  Some of the shelves are full of project "piles" containing everything need--I just have to grab a pile and begin to make it.  Also, one or 2 shelves has all of the pre-cut pieces for an on-going major project.

With my major requirements fulfilled, and the room filled with everything I love (and nothing I don't,) this room is my dream.  I LOVE to be in it!  There isn't a comfy chair or a tv--those are elsewhere in the house, but I do have my ipod and a cd player for my favorite sewing listening:  audiobooks when I cut and piece and music when I machine quilt.

My last tip is that I plug the iron into an extension cord that is right next to the door.  It is easy to see if I remembered to unplugg it as I leave the room.

As nice as the room looks, it functions beautifully!  I don't do "pretty" just to be pretty.  I need everything to work easily--and it does.  I think that is my favorite thing about the room.  

Well, that and the view out the window.  It changes every day.

Thanks for taking the tour with me!

JoAnne