Lovin' That Sewing Room

One of my dreams was to have a sewing room!  For years I had pulled out my sewing machine, placed it on a table, sewed for a few hours, then put everything away because the table was needed for other things, like eating, homework, grading papers, or paying bills.  The only time I remember the sewing machine staying on the dining room table for a long period of time was during the month of June when the girls were sewing their 4-H clothing projects.

The ironing board and iron were always in the kitchen area also during any type of sewing project.  I totally believe that pressing the fabric flat and pressing seams open or to one side or the other enhances the quality of the end product.  Thus the ironing board and iron are needed.  I recall many times when the ironing board had to be moved to prepare meals, to retrieve glasses or plates from the upper cabinets, or to warm something in the microwave.  There was also the danger of spilling something from the food items or splash part of a beverage on the ironing board itself or on the fabric.  That could be a disaster.

When we were looking for a new house, there were certain requirements:  large dining room for the family dinners and Siemens Thanksgiving, extra bedrooms for overnight guests, two bathrooms, a master bath, room for a Christmas tree and entertaining the family for gift openings...and a sewing room.

The first time we looked at this house the lower level included a large room which could be a famly room, a laundry room, and another room with multiple outlets, a window, and a table which was included with the sale.  While some might have viewed this extra room as an office area, especially with all of the outlets and no closet, I immediately saw it as a sewing room.

And that it is!  The table is my sewing table where the machine sits, plus sewing boxes and the small equipment that I use on a regular basis.  On one wall is the five-drawer heavy dresser that Greta and I shared when we were growing up. It was in the bedroom that Mom used at the house in Wooster.  There are heavy deep drawers, perfect for fabric.  Along the other wall is a small five drawer stand that Mom used for sewing supplies, and I use it for thread and extras , like snaps and buttons and lace.   There are many boxes in the room that still need to be unpacked.  One of these days that will happen.  Maybe a good snow day when we can't go anywhere and no one can get to us!

I have to admit that I haven't sewn as much as I would like to.  So many other things get in the way of any solid sewing time.  But when I do sew, I can leave a project on the table for several days and return to it without having to put everything away and pull it out again.

This afternoon and evening were spent in the sewing room. 

I had started a rag quilt using a layer cake of Christmas/holiday fabric from Moda  Moda is one of my favorite fabric companies.  The pattern I used was the same one as for the quilt I made for Sandy last Christmas.  Progress on the quilt was good at first, then more summer activities got in the way, like the 4-H Fair and other family events.  I was hoping that I could make a big dent in some Christmas projects since Gary was under his 'house arrest' as he recovered from foot surgery in June.  That didn't happen.

However, today I did have time to work in one of my favorite rooms.  The last seam on the rag quilt was sewn, and the stitching along the edges was completed. The quilt was tossed in the washer, then the dryer and is ready for the threads to be trimmed.   Mark that one off the to-sew list!

Next I worked on the fabric slings for the bunk bed for Tessa's American Girl dolls.  Blaine had constructed the frame for the three-level bunk bed, and Hilary purchased fabric for the slings for the dolls to rest on.  Lots of measuring, planning, and adjusting was done before the first one was finished.  That made making the other two quite easy.

What's up next?  Another Christmas quilt!  This time the squares will be put into a quilt top, with a border and another row of squares on the outside edge, then quilted, and binding added.  I am excited to start working on it.

Another project will be making Christmas table runners.   A few years ago we purchased Christmas fabric to make new family stockings, but that didn't happen.  When I found simple red stockings topped with white cuffs on sale at Hobby Lobby and the individual cost averaging around $1, I knew that it would be much more economical to just buy 7 packs of 4, add individual names, and use the fabric for something else.

Even though I haven't used it as often as I would have liked, I still enjoy that sewing room.  Space for everything I need.  Ironing board always ready.  And I can start and stop whenever I want and NOT put anything away.