Saturday 26 January 2013

Come on in...


Remember this?


And this?


They are no more.

it was beginning to become impossible to find stuff and not a nice place to sew in.

So, come on in and see what it looks like now.



This is the view you get as you open the door.



This unit holds a complete array of anything and everything and in no particular order.

Quilt books are on the top.
New rule: if I can't fit all the books on the top then I have too many and need to get rid of old ones before I can buy any more.



Swinging round to the left of this unit (ie the wall you can see on the left hand side when you first walk in is my 'design wall', aka the £10 open plan office divider.


I've pinned up the blocks I've been doing from a Material Obsession Block of the Month. When I purchased the BOM I didn't know what the end quilt would look like. When I got it, I didn't like it so I'm deviating from the instructions, doing my own thing and going to finish it a different way.

Then to the right of my design wall is this.


I repainted the wall white to try and enhance what natural light makes its way into this cranny of the room.
An old fruit and veg basket that is storing precuts as well as (on the bottom rung) the fabric needed to finish off the design wall quilt.

Large storage basket holds a bunch of what was described at the time as 'shabby chic' type fabrics - soft pastels.

Smaller basket is holding freezer paper, graph and tracing paper and fusible stuff.

Then if you turn right (the room is an L shape) you come to this.


The rainbow coloured unit on the left contains colour sorted tiny scraps (smaller than an FQ).

The sewing machine is set into the table with a small ironing station on the left.
The drawers are as yet unsorted.

This is the view if you look left out of the window - towards the centre of the island.


And if you look right, then this is the view - beyond the trees, it is the sea.




To the right of the sewing machine area is the cutting table, squeezed into the eaves of the L shaped room.


Underneath the table, I've sorted zips and all patterned blues and patterned greens. It was only by doing this that I realised I had so much green - there are two tubs worth of greens. No idea why.

Then on the wall directly behind the sewing area is the old office cabinet which is kind of vaguely sorted in colour order.

Top shelf is black and white and text fabrics.


On top of this unit are various bits and bobs.



CD player and discs, various sprays, a pile of plaids to remind me I want to make a quilt with them and a precious wooden box given to me by Daughter No. 1, made in her DT class at school.



And inside:

I couldn't possibly comment


To the right of this unit is a pile of stacked boxes kind of colour sorted. The top one is the scrap bin which is one big scrappy mess.


And finally, to the right of the cutting table and another reason why I had to sort the room out is this.



The power of the internet is such that back in November I read on a website that the shop that I used to go to as a child for school uniforms was closing down. You can read about it here if you are interested and why they had no cash tills.

It was a real 'Are You Being Served' kind of a place - a dying breed of shops, falling victim to the recession and no doubt the same internet that let me hear about its impending demise.

So when I found myself back there over the Christmas holidays, I popped in for a bit of nostalgia and then saw the above and thought it would make the most brilliant fabric storer.

Long story short, all the fixtures and fittings were going to auction and others before me had expressed an interest in the unit. However, an agreement was reached and the unit was shipped to me and yesterday was hauled up two flights of stairs to its new home.

It's just perfect.

They had already put draw dividers in so I kept some for smaller pieces of fabric.





And some I took out for larger pieces of fabric.



Granted it is missing a few handles -apparently they are called 'card frame pulls' - and I need to see if I can find any on the internet but that'll be the only tarting up I do. The names and labels are staying - they are all familiar memories from my childhood.





And that's it.



A little look in on my (currently tidy) corner of the world.

And before it goes pear-shaped, I'm  off to Leila's Where Do you Sew linky to check out how I rate in the tidiness stakes ;-)



32 comments:

  1. That fabric sorter is AWESOME!!!!! I'm overwhelmed with green, too. So I've followed the crowd with the scrappy trip along and I'm trying to pull lots of my greens for it. Hopefully at the end I'll be able to close the dresser drawer that houses my green fabric. :-)

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  2. Great sort out and new storage unit. Now I will just sit here with fabric envy. And sewing room envy. ;-)

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  3. Holy fabric heaven!! I see floor :) It looks like a wonderful place to work to me for sure.

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  4. What a wonderful place to sew and create! It looks great and congrats on nabbing that awesome cabinet!

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  5. love that treasure! great job sorting, aren't you all inspired now?? nothing like touching and feeling all your fabrics and get lots of ideas! go sew!!

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  6. Great sewing area! Love seeing where you sew and the island is beautiful!

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  7. I love your uniform drawers!! Your sewing room looks like a lovely place to be and the views are gorgeous!

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  8. You have been busy, it looks wonderful. Now everything you need is at your fingertips ready to use.

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  9. It is so sad that famous shop has closed down! I also shopped there! And still would as some of my children are still at schools mentioned on those labels I'm sure!

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  10. Your creative mind must be a lot clearer - it's a fabulous sewing space. The old dept. store cabinet makes me sad and happy at the same time - lovely that it has found a good home. Love the vuiews from your space - is that a veg.patch I can see??

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  11. Love that now heirloom set of drawers. Great nostalgia and great storage!

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  12. Love the glimpse of where you create, and even more the Island! So very green and beautiful.

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  13. I just extended the link up!
    LOVE the new fabric drawers. And your daughter's box is brilliant! I wish I could come over and sew with you!

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  14. Absolutely - the labels on the fabric storer MUST stay. They are awesome x 100. Your sewing space is so nice and tidy! I need to just yard everything out of mine and then put it all back in, in a sensible and organized way. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it.

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  15. My goodness I can only dream of such a large fabric stash!! A great room with an amazing set of drawers.

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  16. Loving your new drawers! And I am feeling completely fabric-inadequate!

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  17. Looks brilliant. Thanks for letting us have a nosy around. We are so nosy :-)

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  18. Love your new draws cupboard....... I always enjoy seeing photos of other people's sewing room.....thanks for showing the before and after of your tidy up.......love the scrap box from your daughter.......

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  19. I read this post hours ago, but was too envious to leave a nice comment!!! You have an amazing wee space with a design wall, a cutting table, beautiful storage and gorgeous views to boot! And a bazillion tons of lovely fabric!!!
    Obviously I'm not at all envious any more! ;)
    I love the scrap box too x

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  20. A cosy little cave on the top floor!??

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  21. Thank you for the tour of your sewing room -- it was most interesting. That unit is one to be treasured given your combined histories!

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  22. It is just so quaint and perfect! A little bit of jealous over here. That cupboard you scored......such a treasure. Glad it went to you ; )

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  23. I love your room, and understand how you find it hard to work when it just gets out of hand. Every so often I have to have a spring clean and its surprising how good it makes me feel, the down side is I sometimes loose things in the tidying....I just knew that fabric was down there on the floor, its now neatly stacked away...but where :)
    I am also very proud to see you have the mini I made you on display...you have no idea of the thrill it gives to see that......Thank you

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  24. Your view is so beautiful! I love the new storage unit, and the rest of your storage system.

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  25. oh my...that is a lot of fabric...i have a long way to go to collect that much

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  26. WOW! Wonderful job! Your new space looks great.

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  27. That new fabric storage piece is fantastic! Definitely worth all the rearranging and tidying work :) I've been doing a bit of that myself this week.

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  28. Love, love, love your new cabinet! It is spectacular.

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  29. I love your cabinet, it has so much character. Those handles and the old stickers are the best! And the little note in the box about your scraps - doesn't that give you the warm fuzzies? :-) Your space is awesome, and the view...you could turn your oasis into a B&B! a Quilting B&B!

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  30. That cabinet is the best. Reminds me of school uniform "shopping". How I hated those shops!! And your "gift-box" is the best! I might need to borrow that saying for a sign in my quilt room....or maybe a t.shirt for my bff! Great view from your window, where do you live?

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