Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Organizing My Sewing Space for 2007

Wow I didn’t realize it was less than a month away. WooHoo!! Unfortunately I won’t be able to take a class with Jane Townswick. She is having surgery. I hope to take a class from her at a later date. I was given the option of other classes and so I am hoping to take a class from Nancy Kerns. My other class will be with Mary Sorenson.

After I got my Next Generation Quilt Frame with the Pfaff Grand Quilter, I set it up in the best space that I could for how my quilt studio was set up at the time.
I was finding that the way I had my room set up was hindering my productivity. At the time I had my sewing table on one wall and my computer table on another wall. There was also a corner that jutted out that prevented me from seeing one from the other.  Then I had the DVD player and the TV on another wall.
What was happening was I couldn’t watch anything and sew or work on the computer at the same time. So I was turning around and watching stuff instead of sewing, or I couldn’t watch it at all. Now mind you most of the time I am listening to podcasts, but it was still a hindrance.
I had the Next Generation Quilt Frame kind of in the middle of all that. I was also running out of room for storage and so I needed to do an annual purge.

Here are some before and after pictures so you can get an idea of how much better my new setup will function for me.

Before, as you can see my sewing machine was against the one wall looking out the window.
The area it was in was like a cutout of the room and so I had 2 corners in each wall.
Then the frame was right there acting like another wall, and so the frame cut that area off from the rest of the room.
The frame also became a catchall because of where it was located and I didn’t like doing that.
I do love all that extra storage I gained underneath of the frame.
I am planning on using velcro to make a skirt that goes around that bottom shelf so that what I store under it will not be visible.





After, I moved everything off of the wall where my computer and the 2 large bookshelves were, I moved the frame along that wall.
The window will give me wonderful light during the day but I will need to get some lighting in that area for quilting at night.
This frame without the sewing machine or the long bars on it, is very light.
Even moving it across the carpet was very easy. I did leave it set up at it’s largest length as most of my quilts are large.
I also moved the thread racks to this wall and they hold the threads that I would use on this machine.
Once I got all the furniture where I wanted it then I added more stuff to the walls.
I then moved my sewing machine and computer to the middle of the room and put them in an “L” shape.
The TV stayed where it was but I put it on top of one of the taller bookshelves.
I also took that cutting/ironing table and I removed it from the metal stand that it was on.
I then took the top and put it on 2 of the fabric carts I had and moved those into the space that the “L” area made. 
The nice thing about it is that I can move my sewing table or computer desk away from the cutting/ironing area if I need too as everything in my sewing area is on wheels.
I can also turn my computer monitor around and watch DVD’s from the sewing machine and both of these face the TV in case I want to watch TV while sewing or at the computer.

I did lose some of my design wall though as I have fabric about a 1/3 of the way up the wall. I am real happy with the current layout and wanted to share, maybe give you some ideas for your own quilting space.
I should have the photos uploaded in a while that will show you more of what was done and I will post the link.
I have also been working on some projects. I completed testing a quilt pattern for Country Junction. Great pattern and I will post a link when she has the pattern online for sale. I have also been working on some applique from the book by Patty Harants. I haven’t spent as much time sewing as I would have liked too. Spent a couple of weeks getting the yard ready and getting everything ready in the garden took most of my time. I love spring though and it usually gets warm here early so it is extra nice.
I have freed up some time so now I have more time to sew.
I also have a new job. I will be joining the sales professionals for a textile company. I won’t say which one yet but I am going to enjoy that as it allows me to visit all the quilt and sewing shops in my district and show the new lines to the owners. I am much happier working when my love for quilting can be turned into an employment opportunity. It will mean a lot of travel though as my district is in a neighboring State.

My visit with my Mother was wonderful. We laughed, cried, shopped and just had a great time getting to know each other better.
We also went up and saw the Grandkids and my Daughter Wendy.
They live in North Carolina and my grand daughter Ashleigh talks in what I call Sugary sweet tones, she has that southern drawl right at the end of her words and she speaks just sweet enough that she is becoming a true “Southern Belle”.
Every time I talk to them they sing me the latest song that they learned in daycare. It is wonderful being a grandma.
Here is a photo of the kids that my daughter had taken this year.

I still haven’t had my surgery for my nose repair. The doctor did say that they will remove bone from my skull and use that to help build my nose backup. Then of course I will have the “flap procedure” where they take skin and tissue from your forehead and bring it down to my nose. It will sit there and fuse to the skin and tissue currently on my nose. Then once that has fused (joined), they will trim away the excess and do the final repairs. Let this be a lesson for you. Wear that sunscreen and cover those kids and grandkids from head to toe.

Well I will close for now and work on getting all the photos uploaded. Talk to you soon.

Next entry: Site Updated With New Graphics Previous entry: Georgia Quilt and Fabric Shops

• What a wonderful quilting studio!  I’m hoping someday to get a machine quilting frame---when I learn how to machine quilt more than straight lines, LOL!  Your grandchildren are beautiful!  We are in the process of buying a house, there is only a small porch available right now for me to use as my studio but I told DH that he should plan on renovating the basement or building me an addition SOON, I must have space, LOL!  Congrats on the new job!

  Marsaili  on  06/08  at  02:36 AM

• I have really enjoyed visiting your blog.  It has so much information.  The layout is absolutely adorable.

  Angel  on  06/26  at  12:31 PM
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