Cutting Table Wednesday

A long time ago, I used to post a picture of my cutting table every Wednesday, with whatever happened to be on it at the time. I figured it's time to start again.

This is a picture of the pattern for one of my oldest UFOs. Many years ago, when I first decided I wanted to learn how to quilt, I bought this pattern, and even took a class on the quilt. I finished the points for one (yes, ONE) star, and nothing else.

This photo (and the one above) shows some of the batiks I had picked out to use in the pattern (as well as one pair of the finished points. The first order of business now is to press all the fabric and sort out what I've got cut so far. Then I can begin to cut some more, and maybe actually finish a block or two. Wish me luck!

To help me keep going when I'm working, I've started to listen to some of my old cassettes. It's a great way to hear some old filk music.

What's on your cutting table?

Stitch 'n Chat

I've talked with friends several times about having a little group get together to do crafting maybe one evening a month. But, of course it hasn't happened yet. So, I'm wondering. Maybe I could set up a little craft session with someone via Skype. What do you think?

Happy stitching,

Peggi

July 15 Update

Still plugging away. Some days I think I won't see any more progress any time soon. And then today I managed to empty one big black garbage bag of fabric into the drawers that are now cleaned and accessible under my white cabinets.

There was even a bonus! In searching for a doll house kit that is buried in this house somewhere, we discovered 8 almost empty bookshelves (i.e. shelves behind doors). This means more of my boxes of books can be moved out of my sewing room, thus adding a bit more space.

It's a long, slow process. But then, as they say, Rome wasn't built, or even cluttered, in one day.

Here's my frame in its new location, with some boxes of fabric on top. I don't even want to think about tackling that shelf behind it.

On a more quilty note, Sunday afternoon was spent at a the Prince Edward County quilt show with a friend. Some more fabric followed me home, along with a brand new pair of pinking shears. We also stopped at a roadside market on the way home and picked up some local produce, and a couple of frozen quiches. The quiches were amazing, and there is no match for the taste of freshly cooked yellow beans and potatoes, with nothing but a bit of butter on them. Yum!

I hope you had a great weekend!

July 11

So today I used most of my 15 minutes putting together this rolling set of drawers. It's a good thing I only got as far as the two bottom drawers, because I forgot to put the wheels on. That will be easily fixed tomorrow morning.

Happy Friday!

July 10 Update

Yes, I'm still slowly whittling away at the problems in my sewing room. And yes, I'm making slow progress.

The fame is moved to the end of the room, and DH is going to level it in the new location. He had to go out and buy a brand new level for this, as the bubble had disappeared from his old one. Oh well. At least he had an excuse to go to Canadian Tire. LOL

I'm still decluttering and sorting, but at least my cabinets have been unearthed excavated. Now to pull everything out, and then put everything back in again.

Here's a shot of what I'm facing:

The problem with these shelves is that they are small pantries. This means that they don't take "normal" sized baskets. So some creativity will be required. I'm also sorting out some of the fabric that I've purchased and been gifted. This will take some time. Hopefully in the meantime I can get back to some sewing so that I'll see a bit of progress in that area too.

More to come!

A New Month and the Challenge Continues

Yes, I'm still working every day in my sewing room - for 15 minutes at a time. There's still a long way to go, but here's a picture of my nice, newly-painted floor where we're going to put my quilt frame.

Doesn't that look nice and shiny?

Tomorrow we'll move the frame into the end space, and start rearranging the rest of the sewing furniture in the room. I wonder if I'll have space for a nice little reading corner?

End of June Update

The work continues apace in my Sewing Studio. I've cleared off the lovely sewing table that holds my Bernina 440 QE, and almost all of the quilt frame. Once all that is completed, we can start the process of moving the frame to the far end of the Studio.

All of that is really boring to show, so instead I'll show you some of what followed me home from Log Cabin Yardage on Saturday. It's only part of what I bought, and ideas are forming in my tiny brain for pretty things to make.

Onwards and upwards!

Yay! It's Saturday!

I love Saturdays! For some reason, it's the only day that I actually enjoy doing housework. (Did I really type that out loud?)

At any rate, here's the reconfigured shelf in its new location, all ready to be filled up again.

And here it is after 15 minutes:

In the foreground you can see basement floor that needs to be painted. That will be done soon. What I'm not showing - yet - is the progress in clearing off one of my sewing desks that holds my Bernina 440. Maybe tomorrow. :-)
 

Friday Update

The shelf is now empty. It's DH's turn. :-)

Challenge Update #2

This is my third post, and my fifth day working in my sewing room. The shelf is almost cleared, and ready to be deconstructed, and then reconstructed. DH cleared another shelf, and painted the floor in the furnace room area, in preparation for moving the shelf over into that part of the basement.

I won't show you a picture of the progress. However, I will show you something that was "unearthed" during the moving of stuff.

Who can tell me what it is? ;-)

Challenge Update #1

I didn't post yesterday, but that doesn't mean that I didn't spend 15 minutes in my sewing space.

An explanation: everything is depending on a domino effect. So - to begin, I'm emptying a shelf I have in the corner, so that it can be moved over a few feet to provide more room at the far end of my sewing room. This is what I'm working with.

I have to empty everything off of this shelf, and DH will empty everything off the black shelf behind it. Then, this shelf will be moved (and reconfigured), and we will figure out where to put the black shelf (maybe against the back wall where this one is now?). And then I get to put everything back on. Well, maybe not everything. I'm also trying to declutter in the process. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and it didn't take just one day to get into this state.

Onwards!

15 Minute Challenge

Wow! It's been almost a year since I've posted. Last year was a bit of a challenging one, and so things got a little, um, distracted?

At any rate, in an effort to bring myself back on track, I'm giving myself a 15 minute challenge. You see, my husband built me a beautiful sewing room in the basement. And the main reason I'm not using it is because I've allowed it to become too cluttered. So - I'm giving myself a challenge to spend 15 minutes a day in there - decluttering, or organizing, or maybe even sewing!

Just to keep it on a quilty note - here are a couple of pictures from the room as it is now.

The first is a shot of the new ironing station DH built me for Christmas.

You can also see some of my disorganized shelves in the background, and one of my sergers. On the top of the pressing station - on the right - is a small flimsy which I recently completed. It will be quilted and bound, and then donated to an animal shelter.

This is a shot of two hotpads DH purchased for me yesterday. We went on a garden tour - which included musicians and artisans - yesterday. There were some lovely quilts on display, and these came from a local quilter in the next small city to our east. They include my favourite colour - blue!

The background of my postage stamp quilt isn't the best, but at least my corners are getting better than they were. ;-)

So - this is my challenge, and I'm hoping I can keep it going. If anyone else is interested in joining me, let me know. Misery loves company, as they say, and perhaps we can help keep each other motivated.

Take care for now, and happy sewing!