Workbench Sewing Table...

Hi everyone. Long time, no see. I have been on a little summer hiatus. Nothing in particular prompted this time off, just lots of little things happening all at once. My idea well had run dry, cleaning and purging our home of "things", working on Courtney and Courtland's new home, my 91 year old dad (who lives with us) has signs of dementia, poor health and needs more attention...just all the things we all have in our lives.

I have been sewing a lot though, using up my stash and making things to hopefully sell in my Etsy shop. It's nice to be back at my machine...blogging just took a back seat.

During one of my cleaning out sessions in the basement, I noticed my dad's old workbench system that I was using for Christmas storage. He hasn't used it in years due to his health. I thought to myself..."Why is this great set down here in the basement. I need to bring this up to my sewing room!!"

Tah Dah!!!

A double sewing machine, ironing station with storage.

I keep light colored thread in one machine and dark in the other, so it's always set up for those last minute clothing fixes, sewing projects or a day quilting with a friend...right Tina?

I know this system isn't for everyone, but pop in for some ideas to incorporate in your sewing room.

Make Your Own Desk or Sewing Table With Things You Might Already Have...

I changed a few things around in my sewing room and thought I would share some ideas I used for a "new" to me sewing table.

I needed a shorter, not so wide desk. I scrounged around in the basement and found an old coffee table I wasn't using anymore. I unscrewed the legs and that wooden skirt box along the under edge and placed the coffee table top on storage boxes I already had in my sewing room. I had 4 of them, so 2 for each side was perfect.

Instant sewing table...

I just stacked the 2 wooden boxes and used flat brackets to keep them together and "L" brackets to screw the top to the boxes.

These boxes were hand me downs from my sister, but file cabinets and a coffee table top would work too.

This is the perfect height for me!

and it's just long enough to keep a small ironing board to press as I'm sewing.

Here's another idea for you too...

My old sewing table was made from this table top. It's a cheap hollow core core I covered in vinyl. I cut it down to a smaller size and recycled it for a cutting table. I used a file cabinet on one side and 2 drawers on the other.

Here's the vinyl covered door.

These are 2 kitchen drawers from our kitchen renovation. I tipped them on their side and used brackets to attach them together and "L" brackets to attach to the top.

The drawers are perfect to use as a book shelf!!

Old file cabinet for support on the other side.

If your two items on each side are not quite the same height, you can add pieces of wood on top of the shorter piece to compensate for the difference.

Perfect cutting table.

The best part about all of these is that I can take them all apart and use them for something else, store them away and they are easy to move around.

I hope I inspired you to look around your home and see what you can find to make a diy desk of your own.

You can also find all sorts of things to use in thrift stores and yard sales!!

Thanks of stopping by,
~Karen~

Sewing and Craft Room Ideas and Updates...

Sewing and craft rooms come in many different sizes. It's not the size of the room that matters, it's the creativity that comes from those spaces that's important. I've been married for over 26 years and my sewing/craft rooms have run the gamut from sewing on the dining room table, to storing things in a tiny closet and then many many years in our unfinished basement.

My current sewing room has a history and story all it's own, which some of you may have read in previous posts. It was a creation brought out from tragedy. As I mentioned earlier, my previous sewing room was in the basement, underneath an apartment we added on for my elderly father. My father, who is very forgetful, has had several disasters with water. He has flooded our home 5 times, two of which "rained" on my sewing/craft room in the basement.

In desperation, I knew I had to find a space somewhere else in the house. My sister, who felt so badly for me, was the driving force behind getting my sewing room up from the basement to an area off our family, what was then a three season porch. The porch had long eating tables and was used for all our large family celebrations and holiday dinners. Well, there have been lots of changes over the last 4 years, but here is what the space looks like now.

Today, I wanted to share a whole new post with you with tons of pictures for inspiration. I know sewing and craft room are not the same, but the ideas can be incorporated into any room or space. My life is based on using things I already have, saving money with thrift store finds, upcycling things with paint and turning unwanted items into gems.

Every single thing in this room is a hand me down, a thrift store find, bought on sale and refurbished or made by me. Throughout this post, I will share all the pictures and the links to the project posts, so you can make them too!! There are lots of links to other post with the instructions, so just click the words HERE that are linked in red.

Making Room For The Couch...

Tuesday, when I shared the yardstick rack post, I had mentioned there were some changes to my sewing room to make room for a couch that my sister gave me.

Lots of you emailed to see the couch, so here it is along with all the other changes I had to make to squeeze it in.

I know what you're thinking...white!! They're slips cover though and easy to wash. My sister is the queen of slip covers and does a beautiful job. That's one project I haven't tackled and probably never will.

Come on in to see some of the changes and even some painting too!!

Ribbon Organizing Again...Tension Rods

Hi All...working in my sewing room again and moved my ribbon organizing system, so I thought I would share some pictures.

Here is the old way...I loved it and worked great, but I needed the shelf!!

It's just tension rods inside a bookshelf!!

I added a yard stick and scissors for easy measuring and cutting.

Tension rods...love them for so many things!!

Here's the new way to organize spools ribbon...

Between the legs of my cutting table. Definitely an unused space.

Even works great on the curvy areas.

Lots of space on both ends of the table too!!

Look for crazy unused space in your work area. You might be surprised where you can squeeze things in!!

Have a great day,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Mini Metal Shelf

Love, love, love the hardware store. I keep thinking I am going to run out of ideas for Tool Time, but my continuous roaming of the aisles really helps!!

Here's my latest find...sheet rock metal corner beads!

It's the metal frame that supports the corner where two pieces of sheet rock meet at a 90 degree angle.

and my favorite part...IT'S GALVANIZED!!!!

It comes in 8 foot lengths and can be easily cut with tin snips.

Just file down the sharp edges or cover it with the gray duck tape.

There are holes small nail holes to attach the metal to any surface...

Just tap a small nail in with hammer.

I put in three nails. One on each end and one in the middle. You may need to add more, depending how long your piece will be.

I also rounded the corners too. That looks sharp, but it's really not. You can cover all edges with foam oruck tape if you're worried.

 Here's what I did with it...see it there in the front of my cutting table?

I love it...

I put it on the full 5 foot length of the table. You could put yours on just the sides if you want.

Perfect for pens and pencils...no more searching under piles of fabric.

and rulers too!!

Magnetic tape measure sticks to it.

There are also the nail holes which I added shower curtain rings through them...

Ahhh...those tricky rotary cutters and scissors that I can never find!!

If you have small children, this might not be a good place, but it's fine for me.

Hope you like this idea and can incorporate it into your sewing/craft space. I added it to my table, but you could attach it any where...walls, bookcases, armoires, small tables etc.

Here is the keeping it real section below!! Lol

I had mentioned a while ago that I was redoing my sewing room a little and was sharing some of the projects as I went along.

I wanted to share the ALWAYS keeping it real photo...This is the look of my room that is pretty much finished...few more projects to finish.

However, if you turn your around and look in the other direction...that's a different story. This is the same cutting table, but from the other side.

This pile was ON the cutting table before...

There is just so much crap on every surface in that part of the room. Bags of stuff I have to go through...

I swear my theory is to consolidate and keep moving the piles back into one section....like I'm trying to corner it or something.

Oh well, slow and steady wins the race. Right?

Have a great Tuesday and have fun searching through for hardware store. I also bought different types of other metal pieces in the sheet rock section, so look for future projects!!

CAUTION...if you thank your variety of metal edging is too sharp or could cause an issue, maybe try another brand or cover the edges. Mine was dull and not a problem.
Have fun,
~Karen~

Bookcase Corkboard

Hi everyone...I've been moving my sewing room around a bit and thought I would share little projects with you as I go along.

This is the big book case in my sewing room. Click here if you want to see the last year's post of my sewing room ideas.

I moved some of the shelves around and this is the final results of the middle portion...I think. You know me with moving things around at the drop of a hat! Lol. More to come on the rest of the room.

Here is a picture of the center bookcase with the 2 shelves moved or removed. Sorry for the ironing board mess...it was mid cleaning.

Now to cover the back with cork.

You could just hang a pre made cork board if it fits. I had these cork tiles that are 12 x 12 inches. They were over a work table in the previous sewing room post.

Just cover them with fabric for a prettier look.

The dark brown cork squares are about 1/4 inch think...

I used 2 of the thinner light cork to equal the brown I had.

Cut fabric an inch or two larger than cork...

Hot glue down 2 opposite ends.

Then cut away a section in the four corners to reduce the thickness.

Fold over the edge like wrapping a gift and hot glue remaining ends.

Now to attach to bookcase back.

Velcro dots...adhesive kind or you can glue them on

Attach dots to the corners. I then attached the opposite dot for placement on the bookcase.

Press on to back of bookcase.

For the odd shaped size, I just trimmed the cork boards to fit and then covered them.

All covered up!! I used busy fabric design to hide the seams.

This bookcase is right behind my sewing table...my back is to this cork board , so it's perfect for me as a quilt design wall or idea board for patterns.

Notes or pictures of inspiration...

or to hold up quilt blocks.

If you want to make this solely for quilt design wall, you could cover any type board in flannel.

and to end the post...thought I would share.

You know I like to work on the floor for most all my projects...Click here for the Knee Pad post. Thought I would share with you what happens when I was working on the floor with a large ice coffee and my hubby walks in and didn't see it.!! That'll teach me!

Happy Monday,
~Karen~