re-re-arranging

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re-re-arranging

I’m constantly trying to rearrange my sewing room. I tend to think that I can never find a perfect setup because the room is small, but logically I know it’s just because I have a lot of stuff. But, since I’m not getting rid of anything major anytime soon, a reorganization was necessary.


re-re-arranging

My sewing machine table is, for me, the best part of the room. Not only does it house the actual machine, but my husband, Ben built it for me with his mad woodworking skills. It’s even got cherry inlays on the top to look patchwork like! The problem, however, has been where I can put the table comfortably in my space, without sucking space away from my large cutting table that takes up one whole wall when completely opened. Before, it sat at a 90° angle from the cutting table, and I felt like it wasted a ton of space in the corner. Now I’ve got my sewing machine across the room for the cutting table (with my small sewing machine set up in one corner of that) and my small ironing board in between on the third wall.

There’s not really much room on the fourth wall. The closet takes up most of that space, and due to our house’s original furnace chimney that snakes up behind the wall next to the closet, the remaining part of the wall has an extra corner that’s not very useful. On that wall, I placed two sliding drawer bins that I use for fabric storage for pieces that are less than 1/2 yard cuts.


fabric stash

For cuts of fabric that are at least a 1/2 yard, I store them in Ben’s childhood bookcase. Five of the shelves are tall enough to use comic book cards to wrap my fabric and the top shelf I use for leftovers. I’m actually at a problem here, because 1.) I’ve run out of comic book cards and 2.) there is no more room anywhere on the shelves to put anymore fabric. I have a pile of fabric that won’t go anywhere else, so for the time being, it’s going to camp out of=n my cutting table. Maybe I’ll cut it up, maybe I won’t. I sometimes wish that I could make the bookcase a little larger, but it fits well there, and I probably shouldn’t buy much more fabric until I use what I have anyway.


cat. comes with the room reorganization whether I like it or not.

Also, I can’t find a place to put the cat. I should work on that next.

the horror!

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2.9.11

I ordered a few fabric basics this past weekend from fabric.com, as I often do. I’ve never been unhappy with an order from them and I always seem to be able to make it to the $35 that qualifies for free shipping. And based on this stack of fabrics, I’d be a pretty happy camper.

But then this was in the package as well:


the horror in my fabric package

Barf in my mouth! There’s GLITTER all over it. (The photo does not do it justice. Actually, nothing does it justice.)

Here’s the crazy thing though:


not.even.close.

I personally have bought YARDS of that Amy Butler Lotus print. This, however, is not that print. I know this as a fact.

Before I slander fabric.com though, they were very accommodating when I called to tell them about the problem. They’re sending out my new fabric to me and told me I didn’t have to worry about sending back the extra cut.

Now, what the heck do I do with glittery, fairy fabric?!

going on about fabric

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DSC_0196

I did something last night that I may have never done before and may never do again in my lifetime. I actually put all my fabric away. In neat stacks so that I can see what I have.

And you guys, it is SO NICE.

Other than finishing projects, I’m not sure if anything else comes close to the satisfaction of just going through my fabric. Even if I don’t cut into it, spending time just thinking about what it could become is enough to turn around my driest of creative spells.


DSC_0199

I think it’s interesting how my fabric buying habits have changed throughout the years. When I first started quilting and collecting fabric, I would hardly ever buy anything more than a quarter of a yard. Then I bumped up to half-yards, but once I started making bags, I felt like I went through my favorites so fast. I now typically buy in one yard cuts, but even that seems like so little sometimes. The best fabrics always seem to get used up so quickly, and then I feel sad about it. (Wow, that sounds a little pathetic.)

So in turn, I’ve also become stingy with the fabric I do have. As much as I want to use it, I want to keep it around in my stash for that perfect project. What if I find a pattern that is the most amazing thing ever and I don’t have anymore of that one amazing green? I get so concerned about it.

I’ve also thought a little more about buying full lines of fabric. I have quite a few Amy Butler prints, but I always bought them just because I liked them. Then, last summer Red Letter Day by Lizzie House came out and I wanted all of the colors in all of the prints to make a huge, wonderful quilt. I wonder if it’s time that I should invest in more coordinating pieces. Or, will the things that I make be more unique because I spent the time coordinating the fabrics on my own?

(But, I suppose it doesn’t matter since I won’t cut into anyway.)

Vintage Booty

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This past Saturday (yep, it’s taken me this long to write about something that happened on Saturday) I went to a really amazing vintage textile show at our local antique district. I’m glad I only went with $20 in my bag because I seriously would not have been able to control myself with more.

Vintage Goodness

I did, however, pick up four pieces of vintagie goodness. The first three pieces on the right side are feedsack fabrics (my favorite kind of antique fabric). I think I would have bought more of that too if I had found others in better condition. And I think the paisley is fabulous. I don’t think you can ever go wrong with paisley to be honest.
As for what I’ll be doing with it, I haven’t any idea.